“The Sands of Time” for Egypt is less a reference to hour glasses and more a reference to the real environment in which most Egyptians now live. Half-buried monuments, broken temples, and crumbling buildings are everywhere on the Nile flood plain. It is to these most ancient achievements of civilization that people from all over flock. Egypt is an unwitting unifying factor in the world. Although people have been, and continue to be in conflicts regarding race, religion, or national identity, always and to all people, ancient Egypt is the place where everything started. In claiming to be civilized, we acknowledge inheritance of a life- way created by a people long since vanished, in a place few of us have seen.
A visit to Egypt is more often than not a visit to Giza, Luxor, and the Valley of the Kings. The reason these destinations are so overwhelmingly popular is that they are so overwhelmingly popular. As anyone visiting Arizona must see the Grand Canyon, anyone visiting Egypt must visit these sites. But once you’ve seen the “Big Three”, what else is there in Egypt?

Well, there are all the other ancient sights, or sites. Egypt is of course the best place in the world to pick up reproduction Egyptian artifacts (don’t even think about purchasing real ones, it’s usually illegal and is always damaging to research). You can even get a feel for what ancient Egypt may have been like at the Pharaonic Village just outside of Cairo. It’s said to be just like the real thing, with actors playing the roles of Egyptian nobles and peasants, conducting the daily activities of the ancient Egyptians. Because this attraction has actually been used to film documenteries for National Geographic, A&E and the BBC (among others), the authenticity is likely to be quite good.

If you’d like to get a real feel for this ancient land, and don’t really want to deal with all the crowds, you’ll want to leave the Nile. Southwest of Cairo there is a region that has been known for thousands of years, a land of pharaohs and kings, of Egyptians and Romans, Christians, and Muslims. It is a land that was once not only important to Egypt, but also to all of the western world. This land is called the Fayoum Oasis, and the amount of history associated with this region is staggering.

Not a true oasis, the Fayoum Oasis depends on Nile-fed canals for its water. A lush area by Saharan standards, Fayoum crops include tomatoes, cotton, herbs, and a multitude of fruits. To this day, farmers can be seen operating the ancient water wheels that many people have come to associate with Egypt.

Historically, Fayoum has a long and colorful past. For most of history, Fayoum has been a lush and fertile region. First mentioned in a text about the first Pharaoh, Menes, Fayoum became a legendary hunting ground for later Egyptian kings. Also during pharaonic times, this region was considered the breadbasket for Egypt. To ensure its agricultural production, a canal linking the Nile to the oasis was widened by the biblical Joseph, when he was an Egyptian official. Although all but forgotten in later dynasties, Fayoum again gained remarkable notoriety under Hellenic rule.

Recognized for it’s great agricultural potential, the Ptolemies settled many Greeks in the area to help develop the land. Many of the towns that exist today were in fact founded by these Greek settlers. By lowering the depth of the lake, the Greeks brought the region back to it’s former state, with fertile soil and outstanding irrigation potential. The land in the region was worked until it was again an agriculturally productive area. The oasis held on to it’s position as a bastion of agricultural production until Roman influence and eventual Roman stewardship was introduced.

Egypt was used by the Romans as a major source of food, and in turn, most of Egypt’s food came from Fayoum. In Fayoum, the soil 's fertility was depleted, the farmers were conscripted, and those left in the region were very heavily taxed. With such poor governance, the region fell into decline, both culturally (the people) and physically (the land). As a result, many of the towns in the area were abandoned around the fourth century, AD. Unfortunately, the area continued it’s downward spiral even after the Romans lost control of the region. It was only as recently as the late 1800’s that this area was again brought back as a healthy and viable farming region.

As one can well imagine, Fayoum is host to numerous archeological sites. Deserted Christian monasteries, great Islamic mosques, and ancient temples dedicated to forgotten gods dot this landscape. In Fayoum you can see history through the ages, without having to peek over some stranger’s shoulders.

More information on ancient Fayoum can be found in Herodotus’ Histories, information about Egypt in general can be found at the Egypt State Information Service. For lodgings in Egypt, go here.