Due to the canals, in the area, Medinet El-Fayoum has been called the Venice of Egypt. The city of close to half a million people was first known as Crocodilopolis, and later Arsinoe, and has a substantial Coptic presence.  It is the capital of the province and lies at the center of the depression, and also the transportation network of the area.  All of the canals, roads, and train rails in the Fayoum converge at Medinet El-Fayoum, including the famous Joseph's Canal, though to have been built by the biblical Joseph. 

The city's dominate attractions are the water wheels built by the Greek settlers, the canals, and the Obelisk which stands at the city's northern entrance and was erected in honor of Senwosret I (12th Dynasty).  This monument was originally found in two pieces during the 18th century and was recently reconstructed and erected in the City.  It is thought to be the only Obelisk in Egypt with a rounded top, and has a cleft where a golden statue of Ra was originally placed.

The canal is the main avenue for most commerce in the city. The covered market place and the adjacent street of gold smiths found across the 4th bridge to the west of the central tourist office, are worth a visit . 

 

 

The Fayoum is a wonderful area of Egypt with a rich and interesting history. It is an area where Egyptians often vacation and which is constantly growing more popular among Europeans. This 692 sq. mile depression was a lush paradise during prehistoric times. It's water level was eighty-five meters higher than today (currently 45 meters below sea level) and the Nile regularly flooded through the low mountains separating it from the Fayoum. At 215 square km,  the current lake Qaroun remains Egypt's largest salt water lake. The prehistoric people who lived here were, at first, nomadic hunters and gatherers, but later began harvesting plants near the lake. This developed into what is said to be the earliest agricultural area in the world, where fences were erected and guarded warehouses built. It has remained an agriculture center, well known for it's fruits, vegetables and chickens.

But agriculture is not the Fayoums only claim for being first.  The Greek mummy portraits found in the Fayoum are said to be the worlds first true life portraits, and examples can be found in area museums.  In addition, a paved road, which has been noted as a landmark of engineering by engineering societies along side the Eiffel Tower and Statue of Liberty, is said to be possibly the first paved road in the world and dates to over 4,500 years.  And finally, the worlds first dam was probably built here in order to control the Nile floods into the area.

The peacefulness of the area is a relief from the hustle and bustle of Cairo, from which it is a brief trip. Bird life still abounds around Lake Qaroun, bordered by semi-nomadic Bedouin settlements and fishing villages. Here, on the edge of the desert, you can sail, windsurf, swim and fish. Other places of outstanding natural beauty near Fayoum are the hot springs at Ain al-Siliyin, where you can bath and the waterfalls at Wadi al-Rayan, 40km towards Bahariyya, also suitable for swimming and picnics.

Fayoum is not a true oasis since it depends on Nile water instead of underground springs or wells. The ancient Bahr Yussef canal runs through the center of the city and irrigates the land. Only two hours from Cairo by road, Fayoum is renouned for its year-round warm climate, numerous water wheels (introduced by the Ptolemies in the 3rd century) and lush agricultural land. Cotton, clover, tomatoes, medicinal plants and fruit are all grown here. The local Souk (market) in Fayoum City sells copperware, spices and gold jewelry and there is a special pottery market once a week.

 

 

 

Karanis and Kom Aushim (Kom Ushim) 

 number of different nationalities through the centuries. In 165 AD, Karanis suffered, as did the rest of Egypt, from the plague which reduced its population considerably. By 171, we know that fourteen percent of the population were Roman army veterans, who lived in simple mud-brick houses with three rooms and a courtyard. Nevertheless, as in most societies, there were apparently times more prosperous than others. We find at Karanis some imported items, including glass from Alexandria and perfume flasks from Syria, showing some level of luxury. Unearthed household objects include beautiful locally made glass lamps, decanters and flasks as well as terracotta lamps and statuettes. Yet, in the final analysis, we must be careful not to ascribe any real wealth to the district.

Today, we know that over the centuries many different occupations were practiced in this community. Though a few of the residents were well educated and affluent, most were not. Many of the people worked on state owned property. However, others made or imported pots for the local wine and the olive oil industries, which were then filled by others and exported. There were also wool shearers, weavers, fullers and wool sellers who provided a complete textile industry. This was all evidenced by some 3,500 pieces of textiles unearthed during the excavations. Of course there were also carpenters who made everything from tools to toys, and even a hairdresser, and we also have records of hairdressers, flutists and doctors, though some of these trades may have only been temporary occupations.

However, the vast majority of the populations were farmers who worked both their own land and the land owned by the state. Actual remains of foodstuffs found at the site include wheat, barley, lentils, radishes, dates, figs, peaches, pistachios, walnuts and olives, which were pressed for oil in at least two presses. Of these crops durum wheat was by far the most important, both for the town's own subsistence and for the payment of taxes to the Roman state. Interestingly, these  farmers not only kept domestic animals such as dogs, cows, pigs, mules, camels, pigeons and horses, but also antelope and crocodiles. 

This population also paid heavy taxes, mostly consisting of grain. Egypt is often referred to as the breadbasket of the Roman Empire, and the growing of grain was mandatory. However, other professions paid their taxes in kind, so, for example, the potter also supplied the state with pots. There was also a meat tax which was used to feed the troops in the area. 

early first century AD, when a second temple was constructed. However, this prosperity and growth slowed around the middle of the second century, perhaps due to the plague of 165 AD.

The beginning of the third century AD saw a renewed prosperity, and many houses previously abandoned were rebuilt and reoccupied. However, the town's most flourishing period was the second half of the third century, though this seems to have ended with a break in occupation marking the town's most serious decline. At that time, most of the houses were abandoned, and at least the northern temple fell into disuse. Streets became narrower, twisted about, and appear to have been littered with debris. Coins recovered from the site cannot be dated past 429 AD, and the town seems to have ceased to exist by the mid-fifth century AD.

The temple is built entirely of stone in a style typical of the Ptolemaic Period, with its foundation resting on bedrock. The temple is more or less conventional, consisting of a quay at the head of a processional way, leading through a paved colonnaded courtyard to the temple proper, which has three rooms. The largest of the three chambers gave access to a vestibule from which the sanctuary was entered. Deep niches in the walls of the vestibule were used to contain the mummies of the sacred crocodiles, which were used in ceremonies. In the sanctuary, a large altar reveals a low hidden chamber which can be entered through a low opening along one side, from which priests possibly issued oracles. However, the use of these chambers is not certain. The forecourt and pylon were probably built after the temple itself. The roof of this temple provides a good view of Karanis and the fertile land to the south.

The Southern Temple was probably abandoned about the same time as the Northern Temple, the reason probably being the introduction of Christianity within the area.  

Hundreds of common houses have been unearthed at Karanis, among some more splendid ones.  For example, the ruins of a mudbrick house with a stone entrance once belonged to a local banker.  It was here that twenty-six thousand coins in jars and cloth bags was unearthed. In general among all the houses, notable was the liberal use of wood for supports, protection of corners or window frames and doors. Interiors were normally covered with a lime as well as a black wash, and sometimes the walls of niches were decorated with paintings. These painted niches possibly served as shrines, while the plain niches were probably used as cupboards or as places for lighted lamps. Windows were simply high slits to let in light and air. They were covered with wooden beams and were shut by stuffing baskets between the bars. In larger houses, many had stairways that descended into vaulted basements and up to a flat roof terrace. Normally, though, the courtyard was the center of household activity, where milling, baking and cooking took place, as evidenced by the many millstones, mortars and ovens observed in these areas.

There are several other notable ruins within the area.  One is the ruins, excavated by Cairo University in association with the Institut Francais d' Archeologie Orientale, is that of a large Roman Baths that contains ample evidence of the splendor in which the Romans bathed. It consist of a cold water bath (frigidarium), a hot water bath much like a steam bath (caldarium), and then another hot, but dry bath not unlike a sauna (laconium). A tepidarium served as an intermediate room between the hot and cold chambers. Bathers could pass through each chamber and finally into a large area where they could recline and rest (apodyterium). The baths were heated by ceramic pipes came up from the floor and that remain at the site. We believe that men may have bathed separately, rather than in groups as was the custom in Rome.

Other ruins relate to the local agricultural activity. Six dovecotes, most with towers as tall as two stories used to house pigeons, were unearthed at Karanis. Some of these were attached to the upper stories of homes, while at least two were commercial operations. Not unlike modern dovecotes in the Fayoum today, they were made of mudbrick in which pots were placed for the pigeons to nest, one bird per pot. The pots were inserted into deep nooks in the walls and painted white, a color that was thought to be soothing to the birds. The two larger dovecotes could house 1,250 birds, which, together with the manure they produced, was sold to the public. The smaller dovecotes were used for family needs only.

 

 

 

 

 

Hawara Pyramid (Amenemhet)

 

After the failure of his Dahshur Pyramid after almost 15 years worth of work, he more or less completely abandoned that pyramid and started completely over with a new pyramid located near the modern village of Hawara el-Makta, not far from Senusret II's pyramid at el-Lahun (Kahun). The pyramid lies on a long spit of low desert, and was built vary differently then his pyramid at Dahshur. The name of this pyramid has never been discovered for certain, but it might have been called "Amenemhet Lives". 

The Lepsius expedition attempted to enter the pyramid in 1843, and about 1883, Luigi Vassalli tried again, but not until Petrie in 1889 was the interior actually investigated. Petrie was working with Wainwright and MacKay at the time and it took him two difficult seasons to finally reach the burial chamber.  

There was apparently a valley temple connected with the pyramid by a  a causeway that lead to the enclosure wall that surrounds the entire complex. The causeway appears to enter the enclosure wall near its southwest corner. However, neither the valley temple nor the causeway, for the most part, has been investigated seriously. 

Petrie not only investigated the pyramid fairly thoroughly, he apparently also closely examined the huge mortuary complex associated with the pyramid. The reason that modern and not so modern travelers call this the Labyrinth is because of the complex, but splendid mortuary temple located on the pyramid's south side.. Herodotus, Diodorus Siculus, Strabo and Pliny all make reference to this structure. According to Diodorus, Daedalus was so impressed by the temple that he built his own labyrinth for Minos in Crete based on Amenemhet III's temple.