Egypt’s Oasis of El Fayoum

This artificial oasis, also known as Joseph’s canal, was produced not by water springing out from the earth, but by a lengthy canal naturally formed by the flooding Nile that dates back to Biblical times and was named after Joseph, the biblical figure who founded the oasis.

Located between the Nile and the large lake of Birket Qarun, this region is vast.

It is this massive lake, which on a rough day resembles the sea in appearance, that lends the Fayoum its distinct character and atmosphere.

The lake was formerly a popular duck hunting destination, and the hotels on its southern side were frequented by celebrities like Winston Churchill and King Farouk as they aimed their rifles at soaring ducks in the sky.

While duck hunting continues on this lake and in the adjoining Wadi Rayyan, another artificially built expanse of water, there is significantly more bird viewing on this lake and in the nearby Wadi Rayyan.

Lake Qarun was formerly a freshwater lake, but that was a long time ago.

This has been shown by the presence of fish bones and freshwater plankton remnants in mud deposit samples.

If you want to enjoy a memorable trip in Egypt, check out our Egypt Excursions with our certified Egyptologist and Egypt travel guide.

During ancient times, the floodwaters of the Nile were strong enough to replenish the lake’s water supply.

As a result of the British introduction of both a dam at Aswan (which served as a precursor to the later high dam) and an irrigation system that included more extensive canalization along the Nile in the 1900s, the water entering the lake has tended to be more runoff from agriculture rather than fresher water flowing directly from the Nile.

Because of the increase in salinity, the fish that are presently being captured in Lake Qarun is mostly marine species that have been brought from the Mediterranean.

Located inside the Fayoum Oasis itself is a rather contemporary center town surrounded by a densely populated area of palm tree plantations.

There are old water wheels to see, as well as remains of Pharaonic and Roman origin, some of which may be found in the desert north of Lake Qarun, and plenty of ruins of Pharaonic and Roman origin.

Camels, rather than donkeys, undertake a lot of the donkey labor in the oasis, where they graze on green grass known as berseem rather than on the tangled thorns of the desert.

There are two lakes joined by a tiny waterfall, which is the only one in the Egyptian desert, in the Wadi Rayyan protected area, which is part of Fayoum. Fayoum also contains the protected area of Wadi Rayyan, which is part of Fayoum.

Wadis and hills may be explored, but there is also the monastery of Wadi Rayyan, where contemporary day monks continue the traditions of their forefathers, who constructed rock caves here at the beginning of Christianity.

It is possible to see the lake from the tourist center at Wadi Rayyan, which is often visited by birds traveling south and north from Africa to Egypt, who see this large expanse of water as a natural resting area.

The Whale Valley is located to the west of the Fayoum and is included in a trip that will be explained later in this book.

For the time being, it should be noted that Whale Valley, also known as Wadi Hitan, is home to some of the best-preserved fossil bones of extinct whales found anywhere on the planet.

This haunted house is enormous and unusual, and it is worth a visit.

Don’t miss to check our Egypt Vacation Packages