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The Nile River:

The Nile River General Information

Egypt is characterized by its unique location between the three contents; Europe, Asia and Africa. surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea from the North , and by the Red Sea from the East, while Sudan creates it Southern boarders, and Libya forms the Western boarders

The Nile River divides Egypt into two sides, while the Suez Canal provides a third division with the Sinai Peninsula. The Nile River in egypt forms a highly cultivated land for Nile River Valley and Nile River Delta, that small, narrow strip part of Egypt embraces more than 90 percent of the population. The rest of the landscape is mainly plane desert, with few oases scattered here and there. That explains the great Egyptian Nile River civilization that took place on the boarders of the fertile land of the River Nile.

Facts about the Nile River in Egypt:

The Nile River is about 6695km (4184 miles) in length starting from the White Nile and receiving its sources from; Lake Victoria, Uganda and the Blue Nile; Lake Tana & Ethiopia. The name of the Nile River is derived from the Greek word "Nelios", which means the River Valley. The Nile River and its branches flood through nine countries which are; Ethiopia. Zaire, Kenya, Tanzanian, Rwanda, and Burundi, Uganda, Sudan, & Egypt.

Cairo, El-Fayoum, Aswan, Luxor, Aswan, are among the most important & major cities in Egypt that are located on boarders of the Nile River, while Alexandria, Damietta and Port Said are from the cities that lies near the Rosetta Nile River branch. Aswan High Dam is the major dam on the River Nile. The Nile River flows from South down to North till it reaches the Mediterranean Sea. It is said in some resources that it discharges about 300 million cubic meters per day.

You should never miss the breathtaking views overlooking the Nile River. Many of the floating restaurants spreading along the Nile River boarders, would take you on a Nile River cruises for two hours while dining, during this exotic short Nile River cruises you will be able to see the beautiful sunset scenery in the Nile, and also will have a very nice picturesque views for Cairo by Night.

For a more adventurous, unique experience you can just rent a Felucca or a sailboat from those founded by the boarders of the Nile River for an hour or two, and enjoy the same extraordinary, charming views of the Nile River, the surrounding hotels and Nile River cruises. This is considered to be a nice day out to enjoy with a large number of friends or family.

The River Nile breeze in Summer or winter will awaken your senses. Though, we recommend a night or sunset Nile River trip by boat or nile cruise in the Summer time for a cooler Summer breeze, and a daytime nile river cruise in winter time to enjoy the Sun warmth.

The Nile River Tourist information

" Egypt is the gift of the River Nile ", said Herodotus, the great Greek historian, on his visit to Egypt

" If you ever visit Egypt and drink water from its Nile, you will sure come back to it once again " a saying that is believed in by both Egyptians & Foreigners.

About 5,000 years ago, a remarkable civilization, grew up along the banks of the Nile River in Egypt. It flourished for over 3,000 years, longer than most other civilizations in the world's history. No other civilization in the time of the pharaohs could compete with Egypt's magnificent buildings, its wealth, or its long centuries of peace. To a large extent, this is because other civilizations did not have Egypt's main advantage , its great Nile River.

The Nile River history and information: Egypt's two most important areas are the Nile River Delta and the Nile Valley. The Nile River Delta is the heartland of Egypt. The ancient Egyptians believed that the water of the Nile River came from a "mysterious heaven of plenty". All of Egypt depended on the Nile River for water, food, and transportation. The need to maintain irrigation channels as well as the convenient transportation that the Nile River provided were some of the reasons Egypt was the first country in the world to have a national government. The availability of this unlimited supply of water allowed the creation of a society which produced the wonders of ancient Egypt.

Ancient Egypt was a long, narrow country through which the Nile River flowed. Deserts bordered the country on the east, south, and west. The Mediterranean Sea lay to the north. The Nile River flowed north out of central Africa through the Egyptian desert to the Mediterranean. The Egyptians called the desert "Deshret", meaning Red Land. Egyptians were always blessed by the Nile River and as way to show appreciation they have always tried to build dams, barrages to maintain it and preserve it water in inundation seasons. We will find that, Akhenaton thanked gods for the Nile River in lengthy prayers, while Amenamhat III built EI-Lahoon dam in Fayoum city to manage the irrigation system. Another dam was then constructed at Madris Lake, topped by a 100km bridge.

Alexander the Great then extended both Alexandria and an old canal used to be called "Sisostris canal", which joins between the River Nile and the Red Sea, and was later rebuilt by Amr Ibn El-As. In 1861. During the reign of Mohammed Ali, he constructed barrages to substitute the basin irrigation system with a year-round system. Several waterways, such as El-Mahmoudia, El-Ibrahimia and El-Ismailia, were then dug. In 1901 a new dam was built in Aswan, which was then elevated many times later until finally, Egyptians built the High Dam in Aswan.

The Nile River High Dam:

The Nile River flooded its banks each year. The Nile River flooding used to start in July, when the rainy season began in central Africa . The rain raised the level of the river as the Nile flowed northward. The Nile River High Dam protected Egyptians against the annual River Nile inundation, saved the excess water to be used later at different times, and thereby spared them the sufferings of drought. The High Dam is the most important project that Egyptians have implemented for Nile River water management. In fact, it is a landmark in their history. This distinguished dam reflects positive results on various areas such as irrigation, agriculture and power generation. Hundreds of feddans are now continuously irrigated instead of using the basin system, and more than a million feddans are now reclaimed. Moreover, electrical power is generated on daily basis. The Nile River's downstream surface is 2.9km 2 . It is considered the longest river in the world, as it flows for 6690km. .  

During the Ancient Egyptian period, most farm laborers worked in the royal family's large lands. In return, they received small amounts of crops as their faire, landowners had to turn over a large percentage of all farm production to taxes. On the other hand, some farmers were able to rent fields from rich landowners. Wheat and barley were the main crops of ancient Egypt. Other crops included lettuce, beans, onions, figs, dates, grapes, melons, and cucumbers. Date and grape crops were used to make wine. While flax, was used to make linen. The Egyptians raised dairy and beef cattle, goats, ducks, geese, and donkeys. Some people kept bees for honey.

As for using the Nile River in recreation in the ancient Egyptian history, Ancient Egyptians enjoyed numerous leisure activities. They fished and swam in the Nile River. Sailing on the Nile River was a popular family activity. Adventurous Egyptians hunted crocodiles, lions, hippopotamuses, and wild cattle with bows and arrows or spears.

Behind Aswan high dam, be ware of the fearsome reptile; the Nile Crocodile; one of the gigantic animals to be seen at that area. These Nile River Crocodiles recently started to show up again, they have a hard skin that grows with them, they reach about 10 feet in length and 1500 pounds in weight, the crocodile's nostrils and eyes are on top of the head, therefore they can see and breathe while the rest of the hiding in the water. Nile crocodiles are so savage, the eat almost everything, even each others sometimes.

The Nile River Cruises:

Nile river cruises: A first time visitor to Egypt, who wants a classical, full of mystery experience, would be recommended to go on a Nile River cruise at Luxor and Aswan. The historical and natural scenery you will be seeing in this Nile river cruise are unforgettable, remarkable and charming. Also, it would be a new, relaxing experience other than traveling by train or plane, as you will be having your hotel and even hotel room all traveling with you. During your Nile River Cruise, you will be visiting ancient Egyptian temples, tombs and sightseeing at Luxor and Aswan. Nile River Cruises trips vary from four, five till seven nights. Usually, these nile river cruises usually accompanied by a guide.