Red Aswan Granite
Red Aswan is Egypt's most famous granite, a coarse-grained pink-to-red stone from Aswan in Upper Egypt, used by the ancient Egyptians for obelisks, columns and monuments. Today this Egyptian granite is cut for flooring, stairs, facades, columns and monumental work, in polished, flamed or bush-hammered finishes.
- Also known as
- Red Aswan Dark, Medium Red Aswan, Light Red Aswan
- Origin
- Aswan, Upper Egypt
- Colour
- Pink to red, coarse-grained with grey quartz and black mica
- Applications
- Flooring and stairs, Facades, columns and entrances, Outdoor paving, plazas and setts, Monuments and memorials, Countertops and bar tops
- Sand Blasted
- Split Face
- Rough
- Leather
- Honed
- Flamed
- Bush Hammered
- Brushed
- Antique
About Red Aswan
Red Aswan is a coarse, often porphyritic granite with pink-red feldspar crystals that can reach several centimetres, the same stone the ancient Aswan quarries supplied for obelisks, sarcophagi and temple doorways. Modern production grades it Light, Medium and Dark by depth of red, and the coarse grain means tiles show more pattern than the finer Red Fersan. It is extremely hard, frost and UV resistant, and is cut into setts and kerbs as well as polished slabs. Flamed finishes are recommended for outdoor floors. Contact us for available sizes and finishes.
Frequently asked questions
Is Red Aswan the granite used in ancient Egyptian monuments?
Yes. The coarse pink-red granite of Aswan was the principal monumental building stone from the Early Dynastic period through Roman times, used for obelisks, columns, sarcophagi and temple linings. The unfinished obelisk still lies in an Aswan quarry.
Is Red Aswan granite suitable for outdoor paving?
Yes. It is dense, very low in absorption and resists frost, UV and abrasion, so it is used for plazas, walkways, setts and external steps. Specify a flamed or bush-hammered finish for slip resistance.
Why do Red Aswan slabs look so different from each other?
The stone is coarse-grained and sometimes porphyritic, with large feldspar crystals and gneissic banding in some blocks. Suppliers sort by Light, Medium and Dark grades, but you should approve a range of slabs for large areas.
