The Aswan Dam and the history of the taming of the Nile. Aswan Dam in Egypt

25.09.2019

Aswan Dam- an engineering structure in Egypt, striking in its size - 430 million m 3 of soil were invested in its foundation. The length of the upper dam is 3.6 km, its width is almost 1 km, and its height exceeds a hundred meters. The width of the dam crest is 40 m. In just one second, all water intakes of the Aswan Dam pass through 16 thousand cubic meters of water.

Why was such a large-scale and powerful structure needed and why was it built? To find out the answer to this question, you will have to dive into the history of Egypt.

The Nile River, which flows throughout Egypt, is the longest river on the planet. It has been the source of life for ancient Egyptian civilization since ancient times. And now the Nile has for Egypt vital importance. Almost the entire population of the Land of the Pharaohs is concentrated along its shores, and there are also such big cities, like Cairo, Luxor, Aswan, and in its delta stands the beautiful port city of Alexandria.

Also in Ancient Egypt Every spring and summer, the rapid tributaries of the Nile overflowed their banks, causing severe flood– the water in the river could rise up to 8 meters and wash away entire fields. However, along with the water came a large number of fertile silt, which, settling on the fields, served as an excellent fertilizer for the soil. If there was no Nile flood, the year was considered hungry and barren.

Construction of the Aswan Dam

The first project to regulate the waters of the Nile and control its floods was developed back in the 11th century, but technically at that time it was not feasible. It was only in 1902 that British engineers built the first dam, 54 m high and almost 2 km long. But initially the project was imperfect, and this building had to be expanded twice - in 1907–1912 and 1929–1933. This dam, called the Lower Dam, protected the banks of the Nile until the beginning of the second half of the 20th century.

But in 1946, water almost reached the upper level of the dam for the first time, and the problem of building a new dam, which would be located upstream of the Nile, became acute. Its design began in 1952, immediately after the completion of the Egyptian Revolution. But further development of the project and the construction of the structure itself were delayed for years due to the difficult political situation in the country.

The USSR at that time was actively fighting for influence on the countries of the “third world”, and in 1958, in the midst of “ cold war", offered Egypt technical assistance in the construction of hydroelectric power stations and the Aswan Dam, but in exchange for the regime's loyalty to the Soviet Union. The project was developed by the Hydroproject Research Institute, and construction began two years later.

The construction of the Aswan High Dam pursued the following goals:

Flood prevention.
Uninterrupted supply of electricity to residential buildings and infrastructure.
Creation of a network of irrigation canals for Agriculture.
Ensuring year-round navigation on the Nile.

The Aswan Dam took 10 years to build (from 1960 to 1970), but the filling of the huge reservoir began in 1964. This artificial reservoir was called “Lake Nasser”, and its dimensions are truly impressive - length - 550 km, and width - 35 km. Its area is 5.25 million km 2. Not a single photo can fully convey the scale of this reservoir created by human hands.

The Aswan hydroelectric power station is equipped with 12 generators with a total capacity of 2100 MW. The entire Aswan hydro complex was put into operation at the beginning of 1971. The ribbon was ceremonially cut by then Egyptian President Anwar Sadat. The opening was also attended by a representative from the leadership of the USSR N.V. Podgorny.

Interesting information: during the construction of the Aswan Dam and hydroelectric power station under the auspices of UNESCO, many monuments of ancient Egyptian culture and architecture were transferred, which were in danger of being completely flooded during the construction of the structure. As a result, 24 monuments were moved, including the famous temple complex Abu Simbel and Temple of Isis.

Environmental problems of the Aswan Dam

The Aswan High Dam is a man-made product, and like any such structure, it has significant drawbacks. Its construction caused many environmental problems, which, despite the efforts of engineers, designers and builders, could not be prevented and eliminated.

The main problems caused by the construction of the Aswan Dam:

The flooding of large areas led to the fact that a significant part of the Egyptian population had to be relocated to other areas.
Fertile silt, which previously spread itself across the fields, now remains above the dams, causing the water level in Lake Nasser to rise.
Many nutrients stopped flowing to the coast from the Nile, and as a result, the fish catch decreased.
Along the lower Nile, erosion of agricultural soils and coastlines occurred. Sooner or later, this could destroy the entire lake fishing industry of the country.

Despite all the harm the Aswan Dam has for the environment, one cannot fail to recognize its enormous advantage - it made it possible to prevent many of the negative consequences of the floods in 1964 and 1973 and the droughts of 1972–1973 and 1983–1984.

Interest among tourists

The Aswan Dam could not go unnoticed by numerous travelers, who gave it the name Pyramid of the 20th century. From the photo it is unlikely that you will be able to assess the scale of this truly gigantic structure created by human hands - this place needs to be visited. An excursion to the Aswan hydroelectric power station and dam is included in many tours that include a trip along the Nile River on a liner. You can also visit it as part of a separate excursion costing $50 and lasting 3 hours.

During the tour, tourists climb to the highest edge of the dam, where the highway is located, and visit the monument to the dam builders. There is also a monument dedicated to the friendship of the peoples of Egypt and the USSR - an open lotus flower 70 m high. This is not surprising, because the Aswan Dam was built by the joint efforts of 30 thousand Egyptians and 2 thousand Soviet engineers and builders.

Egypt Egypt

Coordinates: 23°58′15″ N. w. 32°52′40″ E. d. / 23.97083° n. w. 32.87778° E. d. / 23.97083; 32.87778 (G) (O) (I)

The largest complex hydraulic system of structures in Egypt on the Nile River, near Aswan - a city on the first threshold of the Nile. (Chief engineer of the project - Malyshev N.A.) Two dams block the river at this place: the new “Aswan High Dam” (known as the Aswan High Dam) (Arabic: السد العالي‎‎, As-Sad el-Aali) and the old “ Aswan Dam" or "Aswan Lower Dam".

The Nile originates at the lake. Victoria in the south of the African continent. Flowing north to the Mediterranean Sea, the river divides it into western and eastern parts, crossing Uganda, Ethiopia, Sudan and ending in Egypt on its way. Each of these states has its own interests in using it water resources. Without a reservoir, the Nile overflowed its banks every year during the summer, overflowing with the flow of water from eastern Africa. These floods carried fertile silt and minerals that made the soil around the Nile fertile and ideal for agriculture. As the population along the river's banks grew, there was a need to control the flow of water to protect farmland and cotton fields. The average annual flow of the Nile in the area of Sudan and Egypt is estimated at 84 billion cubic meters. The average annual river flow is subject to significant fluctuations. The decrease in runoff in some years reaches 45 billion cubic meters, which leads to droughts, an increase to 150 billion cubic meters. causes floods. In a high-water year, entire fields could be completely washed away, while in a low-water year, famine due to drought was widespread. The purpose of this water project was to prevent floods, provide Egypt with electricity, and create a network of irrigation canals for agriculture.

1 Economic importance
2 Design features
3 History of construction
4 Environmental issues
5 See also
6 Notes
7 Literature
8 Links

Economic significance

After the construction of the Aswan hydroelectric complex, the negative consequences of the floods of 1964 and 1973, as well as the droughts of 1972-1973 and 1983-1984, were prevented. A significant number of fisheries have developed around Lake Nasser. At the time of the launch of the last unit in 1967, the hydroelectric complex generated more than half of all electricity in the country. 15% in 1988. .

Design features

Diagram of the Aswan High Dam Longitudinal section of the water intake, tunnels and hydroelectric power station building of the Aswan High Dam

A special feature of the hydroelectric station is the design of the spillways with the water exiting not under the water level of the downstream canal, but into the atmosphere with a jet discharge at a distance of 120-150 meters from the hydroelectric power station building. The water flow rate released by 12 spillway holes reaches 5000 cubic meters per second. The energy of the flow is extinguished by the jet rising 30 m above the water level of the tailwater and then falling into a channel about 20 m deep. For the first time in world practice, such a solution was used during the construction of the Kuibyshev hydroelectric station

At the entrance section of the water intake, the tunnels are branched into two tiers. The lower tier, which is currently covered with a concrete plug, was used to pass water during the construction period. Along the upper tier, water is supplied to turbines and spillways. At the entrance of the tunnels there are two fast-falling wheeled gates with a height of 20 meters. The minimum number of turbines was determined largest diameter impeller, which can be carried along the Nile through existing locks. Based on this, six tunnels with a diameter of 15 meters were built - one for two turbines.

The Aswan High Dam consists of 3 sections. The right-bank and left-bank sections of the dam, 30 m high, have a rocky base, the channel section is 550 m long, 111 m high, and has a sandy base. The thickness of the sand at the base is 130 meters. The dam was built in an existing reservoir 35 meters deep without damming or draining the foundation. The dam has a flattened profile and is built from local materials. The core and rim of the dam are made of so-called Aswan clay.

History of construction

Layout of the High Dam, developed by the company "Alexander Gib"

To control the flow of the Nile, the first design for a dam below Aswan was first drawn up in the 11th century by Ibn al-Haytham. However, the project could not be implemented with technical means that time. By the fifties of the twentieth century on the river. Several low-pressure dams were built along the Nile. The highest of them is Aswan with a height of 53 m in the area of the first Nile threshold with a reservoir capacity of 5 billion cubic meters. was built by the British. Construction of the first dam began in 1899, ending in 1902. The project was designed by Sir William Willcox and involved several eminent engineers, including Sir Benjamin Baker and Sir John Aird, whose firm, John Aird and Company, was the main contractor. The height of the constructed dam increased during the periods 1907-1912 and 1929-1933, but it only partially provided seasonal flow regulation.

After the 1952 revolution, three versions of a new dam were developed to regulate flow. The first was the expansion of the existing Aswan Dam, which was rejected because the topography of the banks did not allow the construction of a dam with a given reservoir elevation. The second and third options proposed placing the site of the new dam 6.5 and 40 km above the existing one, which, due to the terrain conditions, met the requirements for creating a long-term regulation reservoir. According to geological conditions and transport links The option of placing the site 6.5 km above the Aswan Dam was chosen. But this pack fell into the zone of an existing reservoir, which complicated the design of the dam and the technology of its construction.

By 1952, the English design and survey company "Alexander Gibb" (English) Russian). The Aswan High Dam project was developed. The maximum possible elevation of the reservoir's headwaters was determined, providing for the possibility of long-term regulation of the Nile flow. The reservoir's capacity was determined to be 157 billion cubic meters. of which about 30 billion cubic meters. 10 billion cubic meters were allocated for siltation. - for evaporation and filtration. This project involved the construction of drainage and transport tunnels with a total length of 17 km. The drainage tunnels were to have a diameter of 14.6 m and a length of 2.1 km. These tunnels had to be lined with reinforced concrete lining. The hydroelectric power station building was supposed to be underground with a tunnel supply and drainage of water.

On December 4, 1954, an international committee submitted a report to the Egyptian government confirming the feasibility of the project. The construction cost was estimated at EGP 415 million, of which 35% was in foreign exchange for the purchase of construction and technological equipment. After this, the Egyptian government decided to immediately begin construction. The construction was supposed to be financed with the help of a loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development. On July 17, 1956, the US State Department announced that the agreement to provide a loan to Egypt had been approved. The loan amount of $200 million was divided between the US (70%) and the UK (30%). The credit had to be provided by the International Bank in the form of a loan. However, two days later, on July 19, the bank withdrew its decision.

In March 1955, the first trade agreement was signed between the USSR and Egypt. The diplomatic mission in Cairo was transformed into an embassy, and on May 21, negotiations began in Moscow on the supply of Soviet weapons, which ended with the signing of an agreement. On July 26, 1956, Abdel Nasser announced the nationalization of the Suez Canal, the annual revenues from the operation of which in the amount of $100 million would be used for the construction of the Aswan High Dam. England, France and Israel provoked a military conflict by occupying the canal with troops during the Suez crisis. answer The Soviet Union is sending warships into the Mediterranean Sea. Under pressure from the UN, USA and USSR, on November 6, 1956, a decision was made to stop the aggression and leave the canal in Egyptian hands. the height of the Cold War in the struggle for third world countries.

On December 27, 1958, an agreement was signed between the USSR and Egypt on the participation Soviet Union in the construction of the Aswan High Dam and the provision of credit for this construction. In accordance with this agreement, the Soviet Union provided a loan for 12 years with a rate of 2.5% per annum in the amount of 34.8 million Egyptian pounds for the supply of equipment and services technical assistance for the first stage of construction, and on July 27, 1960, an additional agreement was concluded in the amount of 78.4 million pounds on the same terms for the completion of all work on the waterworks. The Hydroproekt Institute was appointed as the general designer, Nikolai Aleksandrovich Malyshev as the chief engineer, Ivan Vasilyevich Komzin as the Chief Soviet expert, Georgiy Aleksandrovich Radchenko as the deputy Chief expert, Georgiy Ivanovich Sukharev as the deputy Chief expert on procurement, Vitaly Georgievich Morozov as the deputy Chief expert on personnel. , the head of the administrative group is Viktor Ivanovich Kulygin.

The Soviet project of the hydroelectric complex differed radically from the approved one. The site area was preserved, but the dam was placed 400 meters higher, and a combined diversion was adopted. Its main part consists of inlet and outlet canals, and only a section of 315 meters is made in the form of six tunnels with a diameter of 15 meters. To create a diversion, an open rock excavation with a depth of up to 70 meters and a volume of about 10 million cubic meters was made. Stone from this excavation was used for filling the dam and for grading the construction site. Tunnels 315 meters long during the construction period, after blocking the riverbed, diverted water to the unfinished hydroelectric power station building, and during operation, water was supplied through them to turbines and spillways, also located in the hydroelectric power station building.

The construction management system began to take shape in 1952. At the beginning, several specialized committees were created. On October 19, 1955, the Aswan High Dam Authority was created under the Council of Ministers, headed by the Prime Minister. In 1958, the Higher Committee of the Aswan High Dam was formed. On August 16, 1961, the Ministry of the Aswan High Dam was established by republican decree. The Construction Department was established by the same decree. Moussa Arafa was appointed minister. In 1962, this post was taken by Aziz Mohammed Sidqi.

A Training Center was organized for all major construction and installation specialties, in which training was conducted according to the programs of the Soviet Union. Over the course of a year, 5 thousand people were trained at the training center. In total, about 100 thousand were trained during the construction period.

The day of the official opening of construction is January 9, 1960. On this day, the President of Egypt, pressing the red button on the explosive device remote control, exploded rock in the pit of future structures. On May 15, 1964, the Nile was blocked. On this day, Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev, Algerian President Ferhat Abbas and Iraqi President Abdul Salam Aref visited the construction site. The Upper Dam was completed on July 21, 1970, but the reservoir began to fill in 1964, when the first stage of construction of the dam was completed. The reservoir put many archaeological sites in danger of disappearing, so a rescue operation was undertaken under the auspices of UNESCO, as a result of which 24 major monuments were moved to more safe places or transferred to countries that helped with the work (Temple of Debod in Madrid, Temple of Dendur (English) in New York, Temple of Tafis).

The grand opening and commissioning of the Aswan hydropower complex took place on January 15, 1971, with the participation of the President of the UAR, Anwar Sadat, who cut the ribbon in the blue arch on the crest of the dam, and the Chairman of the Presidium Supreme Council USSR N.V. Podgorny.

In mid-May 2014, Egypt widely celebrated the 50th anniversary of the damming of the Nile - key event in the joint construction of the Aswan High Dam. A representative delegation of the Russian public took part in the celebration. Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlyab spoke at the ceremonial meeting at the Cairo Opera, and Russian Ambassador Sergei Kirpichenko read out a welcoming telegram Russian President V.V. Putin to the interim President of Egypt Adly Mansour.

Ecological problems

In addition to the benefits, however, the damming of the Nile has caused many environmental problems. Large areas of lower Nubia were flooded, displacing more than 90,000 people. Lake Nasser flooded valuable archaeological sites. Fertile silt, which was washed annually during floods into the Nile floodplains, now lingers above the dam. Nowadays, silt is gradually raising the level of Lake Nasser. In addition, changes have occurred in the Mediterranean ecosystem - fish catches on the coast have decreased as nutrients have ceased to flow from the Nile.

There is some erosion of farmland downriver. Shoreline erosion, due to a lack of new sediment from floods, will eventually cause the loss of lake fisheries, which are currently Egypt's largest source of fish. The lowering of the Nile Delta will lead to an influx of sea water into its northern part, where rice plantations are now located. The delta itself, no longer fertilized by Nile silt, lost its former fertility. The production of red bricks, which uses delta clay, has also been affected. the eastern Mediterranean is experiencing significant erosion coastlines due to a shortage of sand, which was previously brought by the Nile.

The need to use artificial fertilizers supplied by international corporations is also controversial because, unlike river silt, they cause chemical pollution. Inadequate irrigation control has resulted in some farmland being destroyed by flooding and increasing salinity. This problem is exacerbated by weakened river flows, causing salt water to intrude further into the delta.

Mediterranean fisheries resources were also affected by the construction of the dam, as the marine ecosystem was heavily dependent on the rich flow of phosphates and silicates from the Nile - Mediterranean catches were reduced by almost half. Cases of schistosomiasis have become more frequent, as a large amount of algae in Lake Nasser contributes to the proliferation of snails that carry this disease.

In the late 1990s, Lake Nasser began to expand westward and flood the Toshka lowland. To prevent this phenomenon, the Toshka Canal was built, allowing part of the Nile waters to be diverted to the western regions of the country. The Toshka Canal connects the reservoir with Lake Toshka. The reservoir, named Lake Nasser, has a length of 550 km and a maximum width of 35 km; Its surface area is 5250 km², and its total volume is 132 km³.

Notes

Shaitanov, 2014, p. 8-23
TSB Yearbook. 1972 / Ch. ed. S. M. Kovalev. - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia, 1972. - 624 p. - P. 256.
Belyakov V. Egyptians are waiting for Putin. // Internet magazine “New Eastern Outlook”. Retrieved April 3, 2015.

Literature

Malyshev N. A. Aswan High Dam. // Proceedings of Hydroproject. - 1969. - P. 6-17.
Sukharev G.I. Notes of a builder. - M.: “Young Guard”, 1983.
Kulev I.A. Notes of an economist. - M.: “Energoatomizdat”, 1996.
Danilov-Danilyan V.I. Rivers and lakes of the world. Encyclopedia.. - M.: “Encyclopedia”.
Builders of the 20th century. - M.: Master, 2013.
Belyakov V.V. The Taming of the Shrew // Asia and Africa. - 2014. - No. 9.
Shaitanov V. Ya. Organization of design and construction of the Aswan High Dam on the river. Nile in the Republic of Egypt // Hydro-technical construction. - 2014. - No. 9. - P. 8-23.
Shaitanov V. Ya., Godunov B. I., Radchenko V. G. Implementation of the Aswan High Dam project on the river. Nile in the Republic of Egypt // Hydro-technical construction. - 2014. - No. 12. - P. 6-17.

Aswan Waterworks Information About

History of construction

The British began construction of the first dam in 1899, finishing it in 1902. The project was designed by Sir William Willcox and involved several distinguished engineers, including Sir Benjamin Baker and Sir John Aird, whose firm, John Aird and Company, was the main contractor. The dam was an impressive structure 1,900 m long and 54 m high. The initial design, as it soon became clear, was inadequate, and the height of the dam was raised in two stages, 1907-1912 and 1929-1933.

Construction began in 1960. The Upper Dam was completed on July 21, 1970, however the reservoir began to fill already in 1964, when the first stage of construction of the dam was completed. The reservoir put many archaeological sites in danger of disappearing, so a rescue operation was undertaken under the auspices of UNESCO, as a result of which 24 major monuments were moved to safer places or transferred to countries that helped with the work (Temple of Debod in Madrid and Temple of Dendur in New York ).

Main characteristics of the waterworks

Panorama

The Aswan High Dam is 3600 m long, 980 m wide at the base, 40 m wide at the crest and 111 m high, it consists of 43 million m³ of soil materials. The maximum water flow through all culverts of the dam is 16,000 m³/s.

The Toshka Canal connects the reservoir with Lake Toshka. The reservoir, named Lake Nasser, has a length of 550 km and a maximum width of 35 km; Its surface area is 5250 km² and its total volume is 132 km³.

The capacity of twelve generators (each 175 MW) is 2.1 GW of electricity. When the hydroelectric power station reached its design output by 1967, it provided about half of all energy generated in Egypt.

Ecological problems

In addition to the benefits, however, the damming of the Nile has caused many environmental problems. Vast areas of lower Nubia were flooded, displacing more than 90,000 people. Lake Nasser flooded valuable archaeological sites. Fertile silt, which was washed annually during floods into the Nile floodplains, is now retained above the dam. Nowadays, silt is gradually raising the level of Lake Nasser. In addition, changes have occurred in the Mediterranean ecosystem - fish catches on the coast have decreased as nutrients have ceased to flow from the Nile.

There is some erosion of farmland downriver. Shoreline erosion, due to a lack of new sediment from floods, will eventually cause the loss of fisheries in the lakes, which are currently Egypt's largest source of fish. The lowering of the Nile Delta will lead to an influx of sea water into its northern part, where rice plantations are now located. The delta itself, no longer fertilized by Nile silt, lost its former fertility. The production of red bricks, which uses delta clay, has also been affected. In the eastern Mediterranean there is significant erosion of coastlines due to a lack of sand previously brought by the Nile.

The need to use artificial fertilizers supplied by international corporations is also controversial because, unlike river silt, they cause chemical pollution. Insufficient irrigation control has resulted in some farmland being destroyed by flooding and increasing salinity. This problem is aggravated by weakened river flows, causing salty water is invading further and further into the delta.

Mediterranean fisheries were also affected by the dam's construction, as the marine ecosystem was heavily dependent on the rich flow of phosphates and silicates from the Nile. Mediterranean catches have dropped by almost half since the dam. Cases of schistosomiasis have become more frequent, since a large amount of algae in Lake Nasser contributes to the proliferation of snails that carry this disease.

The Aswan Dam tends to increase the salinity of the Mediterranean Sea, thereby affecting the flow from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic Ocean (see Strait of Gibraltar). This flow can be traced for thousands of kilometers in the Atlantic. Some people believe [ Who?] that this dam influence accelerates the processes that will lead to the next ice age.

At the end of the 1990s. Lake Nasser began to expand to the west and flood the Toshka lowland. To prevent this phenomenon, the Toshka Canal was built, allowing part of the Nile waters to be diverted to the western regions of the country.

Links

southeastern Mediterranean restored ecosystem

Aswan Lower Dam

Aswan Upper Dam

View of the "Lotus Tower" from the viewpoint in the center of the upper dam

Wall commemorating the completion of the dam

In the United Arab Republic of Egypt, water is a critical factor for agricultural development, with the country's only source of water supply being the Nile River subject to significant fluctuations.

To control the waters of the Nile, several low-pressure dams were previously built on the river, however, significant volumes of Nile water, up to 32 billion m per year, continued to be discharged into the Mediterranean Sea. In this regard, the idea arose to build high dam on the Nile to accumulate water, accumulate surpluses in years with high water flows and use them in years with low flows.

In accordance with the international Agreement, the development of the Aswan High Dam project was entrusted to the Hydroproject Institute.

The chief engineer of the project was Nikolai Aleksandrovich Malyshev, deputy head and chief engineer of the institute, Doctor of Technical Sciences, corresponding member of the USSR Academy of Sciences, Hero of Socialist Labor, State Prize Laureate.

The project involved the construction of a rockfill dam on the Nile 7 km south of the site of the old Aswan Dam, built in 1905. The dam has a total length of 3,600 meters, of which 520 meters are in the riverbed. The width of the dam at the base is 980m and at the crest 40m. The height of the dam is 111m. The body of the dam consists of a clay core, a horizontal clay slab, sand prisms, and rock fill. At the base of the core, its continuation is a vertical injection curtain that secures alluvium at the base of the dam to a depth of 180 m to the bedrock, which actually represents a second underground impervious dam.

The Nile flow is diverted into a new 1950m long conduit, consisting of two open channels- inlet and outlet, interconnected by six tunnels, each 250 m long, circular cross-section with a diameter of 17.0 m with a reinforced concrete lining 1.0 m thick, passed through a rock pillar under the right abutment of the dam.

Each tunnel, bifurcating, supplies water to the hydroelectric power station building, where 12 turbines with a capacity of 175 thousand kW are located, and to bottom spillways for the discharge of flood waters. Electricity generation at hydroelectric power stations is 10 billion kWh in an average water year, which was twice the output of all power plants in the country at that time. Above the entrance head of each tunnel there is a water intake 60 m high, equipped with flat wheeled emergency repair and sliding repair gates. Winches are used as the drive mechanism.

On the left bank of the dam there is a catastrophic spillway for releasing water if the maximum permissible water level in the reservoir is exceeded. The artificial reservoir created by the dam is one of the largest in the world. Its length is 500 km and the average width is 10 km. The total volume of the reservoir is 157 billion m3, of which 30 billion m3 is allocated for filling with sediment (over approximately 500 years), 37 billion m3 is a reserve for the accumulation of high floods and 10 billion m3 is for water losses from filtration and evaporation.

The presented project passed all examinations, incl. examination of the International Committee and was approved and was subsequently implemented in practice. January 9, 1960 is considered the date of commencement of work on the construction of the Aswan High Dam.

50 years ago, on May 15, 1964, in a solemn ceremony in the presence of the President of the UAR, the Heads of Government of the USSR, Iraq and Algeria, the closure of the Nile River was completed. Thus, the first stage of construction was completed, including a dam with a height of 47.0 m, with partial execution of the injection curtain, horizontal sections of six tunnels, six sections of the hydroelectric power station and six water intakes, not built to the full height with the placement of the drive mechanism - operational winches for the emergency repair gates and repair on a temporary reinforced concrete overpass. This solution made it possible to regulate, if necessary, the skipping of construction costs and to continue the construction of the water intake to the design levels. The ceremonial events were attended by Chief Engineer project Malyshev N.A. and Soviet specialists - participants in the construction.

During the blocking of the river, preliminary constriction of the channel was carried out by backfilling the stone banquet of the first stage dam in a pioneering way from both banks, as well as under the water with self-unloading barges. By the time the work on blocking the river was completed, within the boundaries of the dumped dam made of sorted stone, sand had been washed under the water using hydromechanization means from previously prepared sand.

Work on the final stage of closing the hole was carried out on May 13-15, 1964. During 62 hours of continuous work, 74,500 m3 of stone were dumped into the hole, including in a pioneering way from the right bank of 44,760 m, from the left bank of 21,710 m3 and from self-unloading barges 8,980 m. The highest filling intensity was: 1980 m3/h (including from barges 500 m3/h).

Simultaneously with blocking the channel, work was carried out to flood the canal and wash out the lintels. The canal was first flooded by pumping a small amount of water into it using specially installed pumping stations. To speed up the process of initial erosion of the lintels, trenches were made in them and small explosive charges were placed for subsequent detonation.

At 12 o'clock 35min. On May 14, the upper lintel was blown up. After 20 minutes, intense soil erosion began. After 30 min. the water in the pit reached the calculated level, at the same time the lower cofferdam was blown up. A few minutes later, the pit was completely flooded, the water levels leveled out and the river flow was directed through culverts located on the right bank.

During the construction period, about 50 hydroproject workers were involved in the Hydroproject PIU for the construction of the Aswan hydroelectric complex and the Construction Department, seven of whom (L.S. Alliluyev, B.I. Godunov, V.I. Zhigunov, A.G. Mukhamedov, A. P. Pavlov, I. N. Rozhkov and V. Ya. Shaitanov) are still working. A list of Hydroproject employees - participants in design and construction is attached.

The Aswan hydroelectric complex was named an outstanding engineering structure of the 20th century by the UN Social Commission.

Head of the construction of the Aswan hydroelectric complex B.I.Godunov

List of Hydroproject employees who worked in the Hydroproject PIU during the construction of the Aswan hydroelectric complex:

Alenin O.G.	Zorin L.M.	Martsinovsky N.P.	Pakhanov V.V.
Alliluyev L.S.	Ivanov V.I.	Makeev E.P.	Pershanin E.A.
Baranov V.I.	Kolchev B.V.	Mitrushkin N.V.	Prokopovich I.A.
Buzin S.V.	Korotovskikh M.E.	Mishin Yu.K.	Rozhkov I.N.
Vaniev V.I.	Krapivin A.S.	Morozov P.N.	Romanov S.I.
Volobuev A.G.	Krasilnikov G.A.	Mukhamedov A.G.	Semenkov V.M.
Godunov B.I.	Kuznetsov L.A.

Aswan Dam (Egypt) - description, history, location. Exact address, phone number, website. Tourist reviews, photos and videos.

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The Aswan Dam is the pride of Egypt, which was designed in the 1960s. Soviet engineers. The dam allowed the country to completely switch to year-round irrigation of its lands.

But, on the other hand, the Aswan Dam brought with it troubles, in particular, the destruction of ancient monuments located in the path of the water. Some monuments were saved, such as the Tower of the Winds. They were moved to other places.

What to see

The Aswan Dam is accessible not only to specialists, but also to tourists. Anyone can come here on a tour from seven in the morning to five in the evening.

Travelers from Russia will be especially interested here. The fact is that next to the Aswan Dam there is a Soviet-Egyptian memorial. It is dedicated to the Soviet people who helped the Egyptians build the dam. The memorial is a huge tower in the shape of a lotus. The bas-relief of the building may even seem something familiar and familiar to Russians, because it is made in the traditions of socialist realism.

There is a small observation deck on the roof of the memorial that can accommodate about four people at a time. It offers stunning views of the Aswan High Dam and Lake Nasser. Such beauty is truly breathtaking.

On the eastern side, for tourists who come to see the Aswan Dam, there is a pavilion in which a gigantic model of this structure is stored - 15 m.

It is noteworthy that the plans were made in Russian and Arabic. You can probably guess why.

Stop in the middle of the dam, here you can feel the full power of the Aswan Dam: 40 meters wide and four kilometers long. Don’t be afraid to look down; because of the fence, you won’t be able to estimate the height of the dam. But you can admire the view of the Kalabsha Temple, which is located behind Lake Nasser. From here you can clearly see the huge power plant, whose power is 2000 megawatts, and the network of irrigation canals.

The Aswan Dam is not only a powerful and beautiful structure, but also very dangerous for all of Egypt.

The Aswan Dam is not only a powerful and beautiful structure, but also very dangerous for all of Egypt. If trouble happens and the dam begins to rapidly collapse, then most of the country’s territory will be washed away into the Mediterranean Sea. That is why the Aswan Dam is carefully guarded, and visiting it is possible only in organized groups and under the close supervision of police officers.

Egyptians see the Aswan High Dam as a symbol of their future. Thanks to her, Egypt got the opportunity to actively develop and become one of the recognized tourist centers.