Fayyum Oasis

Fayyum offers a glimpse of a kinder, gentler Egypt that most tourists never see. A little more than 100km from Cairo, Fayyum is a large oasis spreading west and north of the Nile Valley along an offshoot of tlie river. Although occasionally victim to tlie grime, crowding, and overnight modernization that plague many parts of Egypt, Fayyum remains primarily agricultural, producing everything from chrysanthemums to straw hats. Those passionate about the pastoral will find an overnight stay blissful; otliers can easily visit as a daytrip from Cairo or as a stopover on a journey south or north. One warning: the worthwhile spots in Fayyum are scattered outside the main city, so you’ll need the better pan of a day to enjoy them.

Unlike the other oases of Egypt, Fayyum shares in the life and culture of the Nile and has done so since it was first developed by the rulers of the 12th dynasty (19th and 20th centuries BC). The Ptolemies, through canal-building and irrigation, made the area into a rich province with its capital at Crocodopolis (near tlie site of modern Fayyiim), the center of a cult that worshipped Sebak and other reptilian deities. Roman conquerors used Crocodopolis as a vacation resort as well as one of the primary granaries of the empire.

Distanced from the long arm of persecuting authorities, this oasis was an early center of Coptic Christianity; it also sheltered a large population of exiled Jews in the 3rd century AD. The Muslims believed the extensive canals and agriculture to be the work of the biblical Joseph during his stay in Egypt; the main waterway, the Bahr Yusef, is named for tlie technicolor-bedecked interpreter of dreams. Lake Qaroun to the north is a popular beach resort, and the local government is attempting to develop the rest of the area for tourism.