The Faiyum Depression is located c85km to the southwest of Cairo. Thanks to a large Nile-fed lake (Birket Qarun) the area was occupied from prehistoric times onewards. Because the lake is fed by the Nile via a natural channel and not y artesian waters the Faiyum is not, technically, an oasis. Today it is an important agricultural area, and attracts both local and, increasingly, foreign tourism. Plans to develop the northern shores of the Faiyum lake have caused considerable concern due to the threat to archaeological sites in the area (see The Endangered Faiyum) by Geoffrey Tassie. The Faiyum is a lovely area with richly coloured fields crossed by irrigation channels, the bright blue lake at its core, all framed by the yellow desert sands. At the right time of year you can see fields of sunflowers.
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