Egypt Celebrates 63th Anniv. of High Dam's Inauguration

Egypt celebrates the 63th anniversary of the inauguration of the High Dam in Aswan.

The High dam was built by the Soviet Hydroproject Institute along with some Egyptian engineers in the 1960s, it generated electricity for upper Egypt and much of lower Egypt as well.

The edifice is regarded as one of Egypt's achievements during the last century. 

The project has successfully controlled flooding throughout the Nile basin, provided water for irrigation and communities, and generated power.

60 years later, Egypt's second president, Gamal Abdel Nasser, and Soviet Leader Nikita Khrushchev marked the first stage of construction of the embankment dam by diverting the course of the Nile River.

Completed in 1970, the dam was built through the Soviet Union's funding after the World Bank and the United States pulled out of financing the project.

The High Dam has had a significant impact on the economy and culture of Egypt.

Before the dam was built, the Nile River flooded yearly during late summer, when water flowed down the valley from its East African drainage basin.

In fact, the Aswan High Dam positively impacted the development of Aswan Province, especially for the tourism industry.

To build the Aswan High Dam, domestic people and artifacts had to be moved. More than 90,000 Nubians had to be relocated.

The building of the dam also created the Lake of Naser.