Shellal is a small ancient village on the banks of the Nile, south of Aswan in Upper Egypt. It was the traditional northern frontier of the Nubian region with both the Egyptian Empire and the Roman Empire. During the period of ancient Egypt, it was a very important quarry area for granite production. A canal was excavated in the vicinity of Shellal under Merenre Nemtyemsaf I during the Old Kingdom period in order to facilitate the navigation of the first-cataract of the Nile. This canal was restored under Senusret III in the Middle Kingdom period Nowadays it is possible to see some unfinished granite works on the site ; some of the objects on display include incomplete statues of Osiris and Ramesses II and unfinished Roman baths.