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The History of the Fayoum Oasis

The Fayoum, sometimes referred to as the Fayoum Oasis, even though it is not a true
Oasis, is situated not too far south of Cairo. It takes its name from the Coptic word,
Phiom or Payomj, meaning lake or sea. uring very ancient times, it was actually a sea,
and today is well known for the finds of great, ancient whales.
uring prehistory, more people lived in the Fayoum than in the !ile "alley. The land
here was lush, and there was an a#undance of water. $etween %&'' and (''' $C, a time
known as the )arunian period, *outhwest +sians, whom we call ,pi-Paleolithic
)arunians, migrated to the area and settled it, making hunting and fishing their main
occupations. +t the time, plants and animals were just #eginning to #e domesticated. +ll
of this took place around a much larger lake than is there now.
.ater, during !eolithic times /00'' to 1''' $C2, two distinct groups of people e3isted
around the lake shores. These were the early !eolithic Fayumian and .ate !eolithic
4oerian. It was during this period that the first agricultural communities sprang forth.
These people dined on ga5elle, harte#eests or catfish, cooked in rough faced #owls or
cooking pots, and served their friends and family on red polished rectangular earthenware
dishes.
6owever, around 1''' $C, the climate of the Fayoum #egan to dry up, and over a period
of many years, the people left their drought stricken homes and migrated closer to the
!ile. $y a#out 70'' $C, some were living east of the !ile in what is now 4aadi-igla, a
modern su#ur# south of Cairo. From their ancient sites, we know that they had grain
silos, made pottery and used sickles. Once the !ile "alley #ecame dominant, the Fayoum
was all #ut a#andoned, #ecause life along the river was much easier. The Fayoum #ecame
a hunting and fishing paradise, as well as a place to #e mined for its salts, limestone and
chert.
The Fayoum Oasis has come in and out of favor with tourists to ,gypt over the years.
Only a few years ago, it remained a hunter8s paradise #ut hunting also has its more
ancient legends in the Fayoum. It was here, iodorus tells us, that 9ing 4enes, the uniter
of :pper and .ower ,gypt, went on a hunting trip and almost lost his life when his own
dogs attacked him near the lake. 6owever, this legend records that his life was saved #y a
crocodile which carried him across the water to safety. +s a reward, he declared the lake a
sanctuary for crocodiles and founded the city of *hedet, known to the ;reeks as
Crocodilopolis #ut today called 9iman Faris. 6is city #ecame the cult center of the
crocodile god *o#ek, Though the Fayoum was identified with !un, the primeval ocean,
the origin of all life in ancient mythology, *o#ek remained the chief deity of the region
throughout dynastic and ;reek times and into the <oman era. +ll the known temples
were dedicated, or at least co-dedicated, to one or another of his aspects. + sacred
crocodile kept at the main temple at Crocodilopolis was seen and descri#ed #y #oth
6erodotus and *tra#o.
!evertheless, during the early dynastic times, the Fayoum remained mostly undeveloped,
much of it pro#a#ly marsh and swamp, though it was a favored hunting ground for the
,gyptian elite. uring the Old 9ingdom, it was known as Ta-she, or *he-resy /the
*outhern .ake2.
Then in the =&th ynasty, numerous ,gyptian kings #rought new life to the area. They
took up residence at .isht, near#y in the !ile "alley. It was pro#a#ly the founder of this
dynasty, +menemhat I, who, during the first half of the &'th century $C, flooded the
Fayoum to create the famous .ake 4oeris, which was descri#ed =,0'' years later #y
6erodotus. 6e also #uilt his pyramid at .isht. 6is successor, *enusret I, erected an
o#elisk of +#gig, and later, the .ahun pyramid was #uilt for *enusret II. +menemhat III,
who had a long, peaceful reign towards the end of the =>th century $C, added a num#er
of monuments to the region, including the colossi of $iahmu /al *anam2, the temples at
4adinat 4adi and 9iman Faris, and at 6awara he #uilt the famous .a#yrinth and his
own pyramid, the only one to #e #uilt away from the !ile "alley. 6is successor,
+menemhat I", also worked at the temple of 4adinat 4adi.
6owever, after these 4iddle 9ingdom kings, interest dropped off once again until the
Ptolemies and their ;reek rule /after the death of +le3ander the ;reat in 7&7 $C2. <eally,
very little is known a#out the Fayoum during ,gypt8s !ew 9ingdom.
?e actually have considera#le information a#out the Fayoum during ;reek times #ecause
of the many hundreds of papyri that were discovered throughout the area during the past
century. 4ummies were wrapped in old papyrus scrolls, so old cemeteries were and
continue to #e e3cellent li#raries of information a#out the Fayoum.
These documents are diverse, revealing census records, household accounts, fictional
stories and details a#out the army. *o e3tensive are they that we not only know the names
of towns, #ut also their districts and street names. ?e know that men married at around
eighteen to twenty years of age, and women around fifteen. ?e also know that the ;reeks
practiced infanticide, especially if the child was female. :nder ;reek rule, there were ==1
villages in the Fayoum, with si3ty-si3 of them taking ;reek names. There was
considera#le rivalry #etween these villages, sometimes resulting in open hostility. They
stole crops, soil and water rights from each other.
?e also know that there was a thriving tourist trade even then, when pilgrims would
come to feed the sacred crocodiles with fried fish and honey cakes.
The first ;reek ruler, Ptolemy I #egan a process of improving the region #y draining a
part of .ake 4oeris, and thus reclaiming a#out =,&'' s@uare kilometers of e3cellent land.
6is work was continued #y his son, Ptolemy II Philadelphus, who gave parcels of the
new and very fertile land to his ;reek and 4acedonian veterans, which provided the
region with a fresh profusion of humanity. ?ith these efforts, the Fayoum #lossomed into
pro#a#ly the richest and most productive area of the country. These new settlers made the
Fayoum into the A;arden of ,gyptA with new innovations such as the water propelled
sa@ya, or water wheel, now a well known feature of the region.
uring the Ptolemaic Period, settlers in the Fayoum were mostly ;reeks and
4acedonians, #ut there were also groups of Bews, Persians, +ra#s, *yrians, Thracians and
*amaritans. 6ere, an interesting process took place for, unlike the ;reeks in +le3andria
who remained mostly a homogeneous community for many years, the ;reeks of the
Fayoum intermarried with native ,gyptians, as did the other nationalities. 6ence, the
Fayoum #ecame a great melting pot in which racial purity did not long survive.
Ptolemy II named one of the new settlements on the eastern fringe Philadelphia, meaning
A#rotherly loveA, in reference to the sister that he married, +rsinoe. In fact, he also
renamed the whole province in her honor, calling it the +rsinoite nome. Prior to this, the
;reeks had simply known it as Athe 4arshA. !ow, it was divided into a num#er of
districts /merides2, which included 6eracleides in the north, Themistos in the west and
Polemon in the south. :pon her death, +rsinoe was deified #y the Fayoum populous, and
there was a great +rsinoeia festival held annually in the Fayoum during the month of
4isra /+ugust2.
Though the Fayoum pro#a#ly #egan to decline during the late ;reek Period and even as
early as the reign of Ptolemy II, after the fall of Cleopatra to +ugustus in 7' $C, the
prosperity continued for some time. ?hat the <omans found in the Fayoum was a
6elleni5ed landowner gentry in the towns, while the ,gyptians worked and lived in the
more rural areas. They also found clogged canals and #roken dikes, and +ugustus ordered
the <oman army into the Fayoum to clean and repair the water system.
$ut as that great empire #ecame unsta#le and #egan to disintegrate, so too did the
Fayoum. :nder a corrupt local government and mismanagement, along with an
atmosphere of general economic depression, the successful Ptolemaic irrigation system
once again gradually fell into disrepair, and much good land was lost, some forever, to
the desert. $etween the 7rd and 0th centuries +, the towns of 9aranis, $acchias,
Philadelphia, Te#tunis and ionysias declined and were eventually a#andoned.
In addition, while the income of the people in the Fayoum was relatively high, the
average poll ta3 was twice that of any other place in ,gypt. Finally, <ome e3acted too
much from the Fayoum, and the population, which was always re#ellious, #egan to
decline. The region was also hit hard #y plague.
In 7>0 +, the <oman ,mpire was partitioned, and ,gypt came under the rule of the
eastern emperor, ruling from $y5antium. Christianity had #ecome the official religion of
the empire, and in the Fayoum their was once as many as thirty-five monasteries. $ut the
,gyptian church split with the $y5antine in 10= due to a doctrinal issue. For much of
,gypt, the $y5antine rule was not popular, and when the +ra#s came in (1', they were
generally welcomed. $y then, many ,gyptians #elieved that the new regime could not #e
more repressive than the old.
6owever, the Fayoum held out against the +ra# armies, and this was one of the last
provinces of the country to fall to the new rulers of ,gypt. The Fayoum was defended #y
a $y5antine garrison and a native ,gyptian force led #y Bohn of 4aros, who was
stationed at .ahun. ?hen the +ra#s threatened $ahnasa /O3yrhynchus2, south of $eni
*uef, Bohn met them and at first managed to repulse them. 6owever, the +ra#s soon
returned with reinforcements and took the town. Bohn and his men fled further south to
+syut, #ut there they were finally routed and killed. !evertheless, a man named
Theodorus continued to use the Fayoum as a #ase for unsuccessful sorties against
$ahnasa.
!ow, the main $y5antine forces retired to the fortress of $a#ylon /now in Old Cairo2
leaving much of the remainder of ,gypt in +ra# hands. uring +pril of (1=, $a#ylon
also fell, and this marked the end of the resistance from the Fayoum as well. :pon
hearing the news of the fall of $a#ylon, omentianus, who was the prefect of the
Fayoum, fled with his troops during the night, leaving only a token garrison #ehind. +t
the time, Theodorus was away in 4iddle ,gypt, and the +ra#s easily took the Fayoum,
killing the few troops left #ehind. Interestingly however, under the +ra#s, their first
governor of the Fayoum was a Coptic Christian named Philo3enos.
Cet, despite the decline of the Fayoum during <oman times, it remained famed at the
#eginning of the ,arly Islamic Period as a very rich province. ,ven then, legend credits
the Fayoum with some 7(' villages, and it was said that each of these could provide the
whole of ,gypt with food for one day. :nfortunately though, the region continued its
downward course.
?hen the Fatimid army invaded ,gypt, they reached the Fayoum in >=1, invading and
devastating it, #efore finally #eing driven out of the country. The Fatimids made a second
attempt to invade ,gypt five years later when they pushed into :pper ,gypt as far as al-
+shmunein /hermopolis2, south of al-4inya. This time, they sacked +le3andria, as well
as the Fayoum. 6owever, in the Fayoum, the invaders succum#ed to famine and plague,
and were conse@uently una#le to gain the upper hand in a crucial #attle at ;i5a. Though
some forty-nine years later they would return and finally take the country, the Fatimids
were again sent packing #ack home in the spring of >&'.
The Fayoum continued to decline, however. +t the end of the ='th century, the annual
fiscal return of the Fayoum was (&',''' dinars, #ut #y the reign of *alah al-in, during
the latter half of the =& century, this figure had dropped to a mere =10,=(& dinars. Cet,
*alah al-in, known to ,uropeans as *aladin, granted land in the Fayoum to some of his
9urdish and Turkish officers, and even owned land in the province himself. In =&10, +#u
8:thman al-!a#ulsi, a *yrian +mir who was then governor of the Fayoum, wrote a #ook
a#out the province which focused on its famous irrigation system. 6e found it to #e so
neglected that it was hardly functioning at all. The $ahr 4unha canal, #etter known now
as $ahr Cusuf, was so silted up that water only flowed through it during the !ile Flood, a
period lasting a#out four months of the year, and the smaller canals were in no #etter
state. 6e discovered that nothing had #een spent on canal maintenance during the
previous hundred years. 6e did set a#out making improvements during his governorship
#y cutting new channels and clearing old ones. *hortly after his #rief governorship, there
were also two great hydrological works commissioned, including the now ruined wall of
*hidmoh, and a new regulator at .ahun, which was still in use until the middle of the
&'th century.
6owever, the Fayoum continued its decline, particularly during the Ottoman Period. They
controlled ,gypt for over &'' years, #etween =0=% and =%>D. uring this time, the
Fayoum was governed #y a @adi sent once a year from Istan#ul. uring the remainder of
the year, the @adi8s deputy held a divan twice a week, attended #y si3ty +ra# *heikhs. In
=(71, the annual revenue of the Fayoum is reported to have dropped to a mere 0(,'''
dinars. The region had many pro#lems during this period, partly due to its remote
location, which was difficult to access particularly during the flood season. It was also
especially vulnera#le to $edouin and $er#er attacks, a pro#lem that was not completely
#rought under control until the middle of the =>th century. $ut another reason for the
regions continued decline was the discovery of the Cape route to India, which seriously
affected the ,gyptian economy as a whole.
Then, in =%>D, the French army of !apoleon invaded ,gypt and defeated the two
4amluk Period $eys, 4urad and I#rahim, who then controlled ,gypt. This was the
famous $attle of the Pyramids, and afterwards I#rahim $ey fled to *yria. 6owever,
4urad $ey retreated only as far as 4iddle ,gypt, where a force of 0,''' men under
;eneral .ouis Charles +ntoine esai3 de "eygou3 was sent to rout him. The French,
however, never really succeeded in doing so.
The two armies #attled all around 4iddle ,gypt and the Fayoum. First, esai3 tried to
surprise 4urad8s camp at $ahnasa, #ut 4urad was forewarned #y local farmers and
managed to slip away. esai3 pursued 4urad to $eni *uef, where after another #attle
4urad once again escaped. +fterwards, they fought the ne3t #attle at *idmant, just a little
southwest of .ahun, #ut this confrontation was once again indecisive. esai3 camped at
.ahun and then at Fayoum Town, where he was held up for a month #y an epidemic of
conjunctivitis. Cet, when 4urad attacked the de#ilitated ;arrison in the Fayoum on
!ovem#er Dth, he was repulsed. esai3 regrouped at $eni *uef and followed 4urad into
:pper ,gypt, and finally 4urad retreated to !u#ia, leaving esai3 in control of :pper
,gypt.
Then, in =%>>, 4urad reappeared in the Fayoum, though #y now, $onaparte had retired
from ,gypt, leaving his deputy, 9le#er, to negotiate a French evacuation. Part of the
pressure on 9le#er was 4urad8s activities in and around the Fayoum. In Octo#er, esai3
once again assem#led two camel columns to march on 4urad in the Fayoum. They met at
*idmant, #ut 4urad took the offensive, was repelled and pursued, #ut once again
managed to escape.
In fact, peace was eventually made #etween 4urad and the French. 6e was appointed
governor of :pper ,gypt for the <epu#lic of France on 4ay 7', =D''. 6owever, it was a
short governorship, for he died of the plague in :pper ,gypt on +pril &&, =D'=.
?hen the French a#andoned ,gypt in =D'=, a power struggle was created #etween the
Turks and the 4amluks. $etween these two powers was a #rilliant +l#anian coffee dealer
from 4acedonian named 4uhammad +li. Once again, the Fayoum would suffer. In
*eptem#er =D'(, Fayoum town was taken and sacked #y the 4amluk Casin $ey, and a
large part of its population was massacred for its support of 4uhammad +li. Casin
managed to hold on to the Fayoum for almost four years, until 4uhammad retook it in
=D='. That following year, 4uhammad consolidated his power with the famous massacre
of the 4amluks at the Cairo Citadel.
4uhammad +li, often known as the father of modern ,gypt, revived the failing economy
of the country with agricultural reforms, promoting cotton as a cash crop in areas such as
the Fayoum. 6e also managed to largely su#due the nomadic tri#es who raided the
Fayoum, first #y force, #ut when that did not work, #y political appointments and large
land grants. This approach was particularly successful in the Fayoum, where the pro#lem
had #een most serious.
In the more modern era, transport and communications improved in the Fayoum with the
railway system that connected it to the !ile "alley in =D%1, and the network of light
/small gauge2 railways that ran throughout the province. +round the turn of the &'th
century, the $ritish #uilt good roads and revised the irrigation system, reclaiming some
land for agriculture. Finally, the Fayoum #egan to recover from the slump that had #egun
during <oman times.
+round the second decade of the &'th century, the $ritish esta#lished camps within and
around the perimeter of the Fayoum, including outposts manned #y the infantry o protect
it against the *anusi, a threat that never materiali5ed, at least in the Fayoum.
*ince the =>0's and ,gypt8s final independence from colonialism, land reclamation, the
esta#lishment of cooperatives and the rural electrification program, among other projects,
have led the way towards a revival of the prosperity of the Fayoum. Today, it is poised to
also gain new tourism trade as more and more visitors seek out this ancient #read#asket
of ,gypt.
The Fayoum is a wonderful area of ,gypt with a rich and interesting history. It is an area
where ,gyptians often vacation and which is constantly growing more popular among
,uropeans. This (>& s@. mile depression was a lush paradise during prehistoric times. It8s
water level was eighty-five meters higher than today /currently 10 meters #elow sea
level2 and the !ile regularly flooded through the low mountains separating it from the
Fayoum. +t &=0 s@uare km, the current lake )aroun remains ,gypt8s largest salt water
lake. The prehistoric people who lived here were, at first, nomadic hunters and gatherers,
#ut later #egan harvesting plants near the lake. This developed into what is said to #e the
earliest agricultural area in the world, where fences were erected and guarded warehouses
#uilt. It has remained an agriculture center, well known for its fruits, vegeta#les and
chickens.
$ut agriculture is not the Fayoums only claim for #eing first. The ;reek mummy
portraits found in the Fayoum are said to #e the worldEs first true life portraits, and
e3amples can #e found in area museums. In addition, a paved road, which has #een
noted as a landmark of engineering #y engineering societies along side the ,iffel Tower
and *tatue of .i#erty, is said to #e possi#ly the first paved road in the world and dates to
over 1,0'' years. +nd finally, the worldEs first dam was pro#a#ly #uilt here in order to
control the !ile floods into the area.
The peacefulness of the area is a relief from the hustle and #ustle of Cairo, from which it
is a #rief trip. $ird life still a#ounds around .ake )aroun, #ordered #y semi-nomadic
$edouin settlements and fishing villages. 6ere, on the edge of the desert, you can sail,
windsurf, swim and fish. Other places of outstanding natural #eauty near Fayoum are the
hot springs at +in al-*iliyin, where you can #ath and the waterfalls at ?adi al-<ayan,
1'km towards $ahariyya, also suita#le for swimming and picnics.
Fayoum is not a true oasis since it depends on !ile water instead of underground springs
or wells. The ancient $ahr Cussef canal runs through the center of the city and irrigates
the land. Only two hours from Cairo #y road, Fayoum is renouned for its year-round
warm climate, numerous water wheels /introduced #y the Ptolemies in the 7rd century2
and lush agricultural land. Cotton, clover, tomatoes, medicinal plants and fruit are all
grown here. The local *ouk /market2 in Fayoum City sells copperware, spices and gold
jewelry and there is a special pottery market once a week.
Other small villages in the area too small to document independently include )asr )arun
at the western end of $irket )arun and *hakshuk also #y the lake on a #ay.
How to get to Fayoum
From outside ,gypt
International flights direct to Cairo, then either an internal flight /see #elow2 or overland
#y #us or #y car.
From Cairo
Overland
Cou may like to #ook a tour through a travel agent or hire your own transport. $ear in
mind that desert driving has special re@uirements and #e sure to get a suita#le vehicle and
guidance on possi#le ha5ards. 'therwise you can travel to each location #y #us or service
ta3i and arrange trips from there.
FayoumF
*ervice ta3is from 4idan ;i5a /;i5a *@.2 or #uses from the +hmed 6elmi or ;i5a
terminals. $y train from <amses or ;i5a stations.
FAYOUM OASIS
Fayoum Oasis is Egypt's largest oasis, populated by more than 2 million. It is not a pure oasis
like the other ones of Egypt, as most of its water comes from the Nile.
ut it is a depression, and it has its own artesian wells, allowing water to reach the surface
from underground reser!oirs.
"he e#tent of it is $uite grand, and the green gardens seem to go on and on. Its !illages are
simple and far too often filthy, making a stark contrast to the gardens and the splended past.
Fayoum's history goes back in time as far as Egypt's. Its earliest recorded name, in the time of
the pyramid builders, was "o%&he. 'ith the construction of irrigation canals in the ()th
century *E, the oasis became the most fertile region in Egypt. "he +th century *E king
,tolemy 2 ,hiladelphus named it after his sister-wife .rsinoe.
'ith the introduction of /oman control a few centuries later, a new ta#ation system ruined
local farmers and resulted in a decline of the oasis that would last for almost (011 years,
before 2ohammed .li introduced new programmes, promoting agriculture.
Fayoum City
Fayoum city is a pleasant !illage gone town. 2ore than 311,111 people li!e here. &ome ha!e
called it a miniature !ersion of *airo, but it is really more a !illage of larger houses. "he ri!er
scene, howe!er, is nice, cutting through the most popular downtown sections of the place.
.part from the downtown, Fayoum has fairly little to offer. "here are really 4ust two sights in
town. In addition to the water wheels, the most memorable is the obelisk of &esostris ( which
stands in a roundabout (1 minutes walk from downtown. It is about (3 metres high and is the
only obelisk with a rounded tip. &esostris ( made Fayoum into the most important centre of
Egypt in his time, almost +111 years ago.
Lake Qarun
'ater not mo!ing is apparently a great attraction in Egypt, and 5ake 6arun is the largest lake
in the entire country, +7 metres below sea le!el. It is gradually de!eloping into a resort, both
with beaches, beach resorts and now also holiday houses. Early in the day, green fishing boats
rest on the eerie calm lake, almost melting with the sky. Only the backdrop of the Egypt
desert in the north breaks this unity.
ird watchers can ha!e nice time here, with 88 species nest around the lake, including
flamingoes. 5ake 6aroun was too salty for fish for a long time, until marine species were
introduced in the ()91's. "hese include eel, mullet, sole and shrimp.
ut apart from a beautiful sight or two, I belie!e that most foreigners can calmly lea!e 5ake
6arun to the Egyptians themsel!es. "he amenities here area limited, and if a la:y day on the
beach is your thing, the /ed &ea resorts, as well as 2arsa 2atruh and .le#andria has a better
offer.
I remember a trip with a rowing boat here one day in ())). Out on the lake, I disco!ered the
true depth of the e#pression; <&o what=<
Dimai
>imai was originally a ?raeco%/oman town called &oknopaiou Nesos, which means <Island of
the *rocodile god< in ?reek. .lthough it dates back to ,tolemaic period, it was probably
settled for milennias before this.
>imai was the first of the original ancient settlements of Fayoum to be abandoned, and lies
today in an arid region where no agriculture is any longer possible. >imai one of is the sight
around Fayoum offering least information of its past, although a processional way to the
remains of a temple dedicated to &oknopaios still e#ists. "here are also remains of the
mudbrick wall that ringed the city, a wall that was (1 metres high and 7 metres thick.
Karanis
"he history of @aranis goes back to the 3rd century *E, when ?reek mercenaries founded it,
and lasts until the 7th century *E. "he location was strategic, midway between the old centres
of northern Egypt and the increasingly important Fayoum Oasis.
It was clearly a rich town, although ne!er large. ,erhaps up to 7,111 people li!ed here, but 2
temples were built to worship !ariations o!er the god &obekA ,etesouchos and ,nepheros.
&outhern "emple at @aranis.
"he "emple of the &outh is slightly better preser!ed than the "emple of the North. "he layout
of the two is $uite similar, and they both contain the fascinating house of the crocodile, where
a li!e crocodile li!ed and was !enerated. It lies in the heart of the temple, and has a small
door on the side leading into a room about 0 s$uare metres large. .round this, there area a
number of rooms and staircases leading one story up, from where humans could deal with the
crocodile.
"he town of @aranis is all o!er the area, but most of it is little e#ca!ated. "he ?reaco%/oman
bath house mentioned in guide books is little more than a bath tub with a roof where there
now only are some remains of the original wall%decorations left.
*rocodile sanctuary at Northern "emple at @aranis.
Medinet Madi, or Narmuthis
Entrance to the temple area at 2edinet 2adi.
Facade of the &obek part of the twin temple at 2edinet 2adi.
/emains of the &pin# a!enue.
"he best%preser!ed interior decorations from the temple part dedicated to the serpent%goddess /enenutet.
&econd temple at 2edinet 2adi. "his has a twin sanctuary.
'ell%e#ca!ated ruins of Narmuthis.
?etting to 2edinet 2adi, or Narmuthis, is half the fun. I had a ta#i dri!er :ig:agging through
the poorest !illages of Fayoum, on badly surfaced roads late in the afternoon. 'hen we finally
made it out there, all you could see from a distance was a small s$uare shape on top of a long
mound.
.fter running across the field and climbing up the mound, and seeing that the shape was only
a palm frond hut, I shouted a bad word. ut then suddenly, I saw 2edinet 2adi appearing
underneath me. .nd it was $uite a surprise, with its long temple and a ruined city in the
background.
2edinet 2adi is considered to be the most interesting site around Fayoum, yet it is one of few
such places in Egypt where there is no entrance fee.
"he main temple of 2edinet 2adi was built under the pharaohs .menemhet 3 and +, who
belonged to the (2th >ynasty. It was dedicated to two deities, the popular crocodile%god
&obek and the serpent%goddess /enenutet. Inside the latter sanctuary some wall%decorations
can still be made out.
Monastery of the Archangel Gabriel
"he legendary background for the 2onastery of the .rchangel ?abriel, or >eir al%2alak
?hobriel, goes back to the 7th century, when the grandson of the king had a !ision of Birgin
2ary and the two archangels ?abriel and 2icheal at this place.
For centuries the monastery was neglected to the ad!antage of other nearby monasteries. It
lies on an ele!ated limestone rock on the slope of the Na$lun 2outain.
.lthough some parts of the present structure may date back to the 7th century, it is belie!ed
that the main church was largely rebuilt and redecorated late in the ()th century. ut during a
())9 restoration, ((th century paintings of saints like ?abriel, Birgin 2ary and Cesus were
disco!ered.
In ())( mutilated (2 skeletons were disco!ered near the monastery. "he *optic *hurch
declared them martyrs, and relics of the find has been distributed to churches all o!er Egypt
and e!en abroad.
.fter more than (111 years of acti!ity, the monastery would be abandoned. ut in modern
times, it is being repopulated by *optic monks.
"here is an annual moulid dedicated to ?abriel on >ecember (8. "his is one of few times
through the year, when the place gets crowded
racticalities
Hotels and Alternatives
Fayoum city's selection of hotels are mainly ( star or less, with one 3 star e#ception. Out of
the main city there are a few more elections, and one high standard hotel. ,rices are O@.
Restaurants and alternatives
"he selection of nice restaurants in Fayoum resembles the selection of hotels. ut the hotel
restaurant at 6ueen Dotel does a decent dinner in fine surroundings Ebut without a single
windowF, but they should learn to put on some music when both hotel and restaurant is
empty.
Gour best choice in Fayoum is one of the many stylish fast food 4oints. &ome of these are sit%
down places, and although their interior seem to be inspired by 2c>onald's, they actually
ser!e good food.
Transportation
Of reasons described below, mo!ing around Fayoum is best done by ta#i. 2o!ing around 2'>
destinations should cost EH211 or less EI paid 211, but am not a great hagglerF for (%3
tra!ellers.
?etting to and from can be done either by bus, minibus, train or hired ta#i. "here is no specific
rule to what is best, ask at your hotel for information.
Police and Security
O!er recent years, Fayoum has of some odd reason 4oined the rest of the Nile south of *airo in
ha!ing police control e!ery mo!ement of 'estern !isitor. "his in!ol!es that you will most likely
ha!e to hire a ta#i for tra!elling, and get a police man get into the front seat. "his is not all
bad, most of the police men try to help you as much as they can.
Local destinations
Going net
Qasr
el!
"agha
In between the
petrified remains
of a thick forest
from anti$uity,
and on an
outlying scarp of
the 6atrani 2ountain, lies a temple now called 6asr el%&agha. 'e do not know to which god or
gods it was intended to be dedicated. &ince it ne!er was completed, there is a total lack of
frie:es and inscriptions.
Its date has been set to no later than the 2iddle @ingdom. "his can be seen from its plan, but
Destination Distance Direction
Travelling
time
Best
with Alternatives
5ake 6arun 21 km N 31 min *ar, ta#i 5ocal buses
6asr el%&agha 81 km N by NE 2%3 hours +'> car %
>imai 01 km N by NE (.7%2 hours +'> car /owing boat
@aranis 27 km NE 31 min us *ar, ta#i
Imm el%rigat 71 km & (.7 hours +'> car %
2onastery of
.rchangel
?abriel
37km & ( hour +'> car 5ocal bus J
walking
2edinet 2adi +1 km ' ( hour *ar, ta#i 5ocal buses
6asr 6arun 37 km N' ( hour *ar, ta#i 5ocal buses
'adi /ayan 01 km ' by N' (.7 hour *ar, ta#i %
,yramid at
Dawara
(7 km ' 31 min *ar, ta#i %
,yramid at
Illahun
27 km ' 71 min *ar, ta#i %
,yramid at
2eidum
+1 km ' ( hour *ar, ta#i %
Destination Distance Direction Travelling
time
Best
with Alternatives
*airo 81 km N (h (7min us "rain
2onastery of &t.
.nthony
(81 km E 2.7%3 hours *ar, ta#i us J hitch
hiking
2inya (71 km & 2h 31min *ar, ta#i us
the construction techni$ue is uni$ue in Egypt. "he blocks used are irregularly shaped, but
ha!e corners and angles that fit together as a 4igsaw. y this the structure is held together,
but it calls for more imagination; It resembles an Inca stucture of &outh .merica.
It appears that there were no nearby settlements to the temple, but there were !illages in
prehistoric times on a flat plain to the south.
Qasr Qarun and Dionysias
6asr 6arun is a a temple dedicated to the Fayoumi god &obek, built during ,tolemaic times. It
appears immediately as strangely simple and s$uare from the outside, since it is like a
complete rectangular bo# with slightly tilted walls.
Its interior is distinguished by a ma:e of rooms, and stair cases, all ending on th roof. .nd this
is part of the attraction, since only few of Egypt's temples ha!e roofs and only few of these
ha!e access allowed.
"here is not much to see inside the temple, since all decorations are gone, all but the ones
abo!e the doors. ut for early European tra!ellers, 6asr 6arun was a destination moti!ing
$uite acti!e tra!elling. "here was for long a theory that the ma:e of the temple, as well as the
city near it, was the famous ancient 5abyrinth described by Derodotus and &trabo.
Of the city >ionysias, little of interest remains. "he foundations and sometimes e!en walls of
many houses peek through the sand, but no systematic e#ca!ations ha!e been conducted
here and you get no feeling of how the ancient city must ha!e looked like
#mm el!$aragat, or %ebtunis
Near the modern day !illage of Imm el%aragat lies the ruins of the ancient town of "ebtunis.
'hile dating back to the New @ingdom, the ruins are from the period from the ,tolmaic rulers
to the /omans, +th century *E until 3rd or +th century *E.
.t the site, there is a small temple dedicated to a local !ariation of &obek, &oknebtynis, and a
stone%pa!ed processional way leading to the temple. "his is protected by two lion statues
made from limestone. "here is also a crocodile cemetery, where more than (111 mummified
crocodiles and sarcophagi were found in ()11.
"ebtunis was also the site for the find of a !aluable temple library with numerous literary,
medical and administrati!e documents as well as religious te#ts
&ater 'heels
Fayoum has a great number of water wheels, perhaps as many as 211. "his was an important
addition to Fayoum's economy in the 3rd century *E, allowing the stream of the ri!er to ha!e
water lifted up to a le!el where it could be transported into the fields for irrigation.
"he two best places to see water wheels are either in Fayoum *ity, which has + standing ne#t
to another. 3 km north of town, there is a cluster of 9 water wheels.
&adi (ayan
In ()00 the old plan of leading surplus water from the 6arun 5ake to the empty depression of
'adi /ayan was reali:ed. &ince then, a new world, limited in !egetation, but $uite rich in bird
life, has de!eloped.
'adi /ayan has two fairly large lakes, connected by a little ri!er and Egypt's only water falls.
Egyptians are $uite thrilled by the place, and e#cursions and trips are arranged out here for
both school children as well as adults.
For me as a Norwegian, a 3 metre high water fall is nothing special, but I do get the point of
tra!elling out here. "he entire setting is both weird and $uite beautiful. Gellow, creamy sand
dunes creep in on the new lakes, the water has a sweet, blue colour, and the bird life is richer
than most other places around Egypt.
"rips with rowing boats appears to be the thing to do, ne#t to swimming and sipping a cold
soft drink or a tea in the nearby coffee shops.

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