El Nabatat Island or (Geziret El Nabatat (Plant Island) or the Botanical Island or Kitchener's Island) is a small, oval-shaped island in the Nile at Aswan, Egypt. It is less than a kilometer long and its width is less than ½ a kilometer. The Aswan Botanical Garden is located on the island.
The island was previously known as Kitchener's Island, named after Lord Kitchener who owned it.
He was gifted the island, when he served as Consul-General in Egypt from 29 September 1911 to June 1914.
With the aid of the Ministry of Irrigation, Kitchener rapidly transformed the small 750m long island into a paradise of exotic trees, many from India, and plants in gardens with view walkways. It later passed into the property of the Egyptian government and was used as a research station called the Botanical Research Institute, Aswân Botanic Island.
The island, as a whole, constitutes the Aswan Botanical Garden. One can view the many types of subtropical, exotic, and rare plantings and trees such as the Royal Palm tree and the Sabal Palm tree. The collection was begun by Lord Kitchener and cared for since. The gardens are popular among the local people and tourists, as a place to go for a quiet afternoon away from the noise of the city, and for weekend picnics. The island and gardens can be reached by felucca that reach the Southeastern side of the small island.
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