Love on Nile Banks- The Mausoleum of Aga Khan

Love on Nile banks

Around 10 months ago, we had our annual get together team retreat at work. I am part of a big team and we have been doing this tradition for the last 4 years or so.

It is a one or two day-get-away with the bigger group to energize ourselves for the coming year and equally pamper ourselves for a great year, which is ending.

This event happens usually in November and I always look forward to it year after year. Last year 'Sweet November' was even sweeter with the destination being my lovely 'Aswan'.

In this article I will not be only sharing with the experience itself and fantastic scenery in our trip, but I mainly want to narrate to you a great love story that started, lived and is still on going at the banks of the Great River Nile in Aswan

Where is Aswan?

Aswan is a city in the south of Egypt, around 680 km from the Capital, Cairo.

It is best known for its historical temples and the most beautiful setting on the Nile. It was the gate of Africa and an important ancient trading center.

A very touristic city, famous for its floating restaurants with Nubian music and fresh seafood from the Nile served into your plate.

With my many visits to Aswan (this was my 8th), every time I go, no matter for how long, it is never enough.

Out of all the fantastic places there with hundreds or even thousands of years of heritage and history, one spot is my ultimate favorite and the story behind it resembles in my mind a true genuine eternal love story.

One of the noblest and most passionate stories in the 20th century if you ask me. That is The Mausoleum of Aga Khan and the love story between him and his wife.

The Mausoleum of Aga Khan is a place that you cannot miss in Aswan; it is more of ‘Egyptian Taj-Mahal ‘ as they say though not as big as the original landmark in India.

It stands there with a pink limestone, right by the Nile; it was built in the style of the Fatimid tombs in Cairo-very visible from different sides, very famous and have been remembered generation after generation.

The story of this great Mausoleum goes back to the year 1930 when Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah, Aga Khan III met the love of his life Yvette Labrousse.

Yvette Labrousse was a French lady who lived with her family in Cannes and Lyon. At the age of twenty-four she became Miss Lyon and only a year later she was named Miss France.

She was a beauty queen representing her country all over the world and she visited many countries but she was specifically fond of Egypt, in the late 1930s she moved to live in Egypt permanently.

In October 1935, in a dancing party hosted by an Egyptian aristocratic lady, Aga Khan was there as one of the leading guests (he was ranked the richest man in the world back then).

Yvette was invited too and with the first smile between 'The Miss France' and 'The Prince', a love spark happened to introduce a story of legendary love and faithfulness.

In the month of October 1944 right before the 2nd world war ended, they got married in Switzerland with 29 years of difference between them in age.

Ever since Yvette’s marriage from Aga Khan, she was known with a new name, which was the ‘The Begum Umm Habiba ‘.

Throughout, the years of their marriage, they used to spend winter in Aswan as it was known for its warm weather that was required for Aga Khan’s bones, as instructed by doctors.

A palace was built there for the couple. It was built on a plateau in the Nile, overlooking from one side the palace of King Farouk (Known now as Cataract Hotel) and from the other side it was overlooking a Greek-Roman cemetery and the Temple of Set.

Later, the Mausoleum was built next to palace with a tomb made out of pure marble.

Shortly before Aga Khan dies, he chose a resting location on the west bank of the Nile where he wanted to be buried.

After Aga Khan died in Geneva in 1957 and was buried according to his will, the Begum Umm Habiba took the task of building the Mausoleum in only 16 months with the architect Farid El-Shafie and contractor Hassan Dorra - two of the most famous people in their fields.

Ever since Aga Khan died, his loyal wife would go and place a red rose upon the tomb; it was a daily ritual that she did. When she was away, she requested one of the gardeners to carry the ritual until she was back to resume it.

It was narrated that when she arrived to Aswan back from her travel, she would take a Nile boat with a yellow ship-sail instead of the common white one so she would tell the people of Aswan that she has never forgotten her beloved husband and that she is back to place the symbolic red rose of love on his tomb.

She continued to do that for more than forty years until she died and was buried next to her soul mate and love of her life in 1st July 2000 at the age of 94.

The Aga Khan mausoleum tells the story of a true everlasting love, the legacy of the red rose says a lot about a fairly tale of two lovers and an exceptional love story that is always remembered and cherished by a loyal loving wife.

I personally consider it a legendary and inspirational story of how love lives even after lovers die. This is my favorite story in the storybooks of romance of all time - right here in Aswan by the banks of the Great River Nile.

By Mona Radwan

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