Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Daily Photo: Karanis, Faiyum

Karanis is located at Kom Ushim in the Faiyum Depression, to the southwest of Cairo. It is a ruined Graeco Roman frontier settlement, one of the largest towns in the Faiyum, founded in the 3rd century BCE and home to around 3000 people. Mud brick walls of temples and houses survive, as do items of every day life made of stone. The town was located near to the edge of the lake, known then as Lake Moeris, and today as Birket Faiyum. The lake's levels have changed considerably over the millennia, and sites which were once located at the edge of the lake are now a considerable distance from it. A small museum is located at the site, which houses artefacts from all over the Faiyum. The Faiyum is the only place I have visited in Egypt which is frequently cloudy and windy. The Tour Egypt website has a useful summary of the site.







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