Faiyum

The city extends across a fertile depression with canals and waterways, located 100 kilometers southwest of Cairo at the heart of the Faiyum Oasis.

Founded as Shedet in ancient Egypt, the settlement became known as Crocodilopolis during the Ptolemaic period due to the local worship of the crocodile god Sobek.

The region produced exceptional Roman-era mummy portraits, painted with encaustic wax techniques, representing a fusion of Egyptian and Greco-Roman artistic traditions.

The Bahr Yussef canal system supplies water throughout the city, supporting agriculture and connecting multiple districts through a network of bridges.

Lake Qarun, the remnant of ancient Lake Moeris, contains saltwater fish populations that sustain a local fishing industry in this desert environment.

Location: Faiyum Governorate

Elevation above the sea: 29 m

Part of: Lower Egypt

GPS coordinates: 29.30000,30.83333

Latest update: May 28, 2025 18:15