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Fayoum history
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Fayoum Governorate is one of the governorates of northern Upper Egypt and its capital is Fayoum City, which is one of the largest natural oasis in Egypt. Fayoum is considered one of the most important tourist areas in Egypt, as it contains all the elements of tourist attraction, as it is characterized by the beauty of nature and its moderate climate throughout the year. Prehistoric civilizations appeared in it, leaving their immortal mark through the Pharaonic, Greek, Roman, Coptic and Islamic monuments. 3200 years BC, its capital was Ihnaysa, where King Mina built an earthen dam in front of the Lahun opening above the rocky bottom of Bahr Youssef. The kings of the Third Dynasty obtained stones from Mount Qatrani to use in paving the Great Pyramid Temple in 2600 BC. At the beginning of the dynastic era, some villages appeared east of the depression, where people settled on the banks of Lake Maurice and worked in agriculture and fishing. When the reclaimed area increased, its name became (Bar Sobek), meaning the house of the crocodile, due to the abundance of crocodiles in the area, which were worshipped in Fayoum under the name of the god "Sobek". During the era of the 12th Dynasty (1891-1778 BC), its kings took an interest in the region, so they dried up large parts of the lake. King Amenemhat I (1991-1972 BC) took an interest in agriculture, repaired the course of Bahr Youssef, built dams, and chose a site where the city of (Shedet) was built and established. A pyramid for him in Hawara and built the Labrant Palace and erected two statues for him and his wife in Behemu. Amenemhat III completed the irrigation projects and reclamation of the lands that were flooded by Lake Moeris, and built his temple at the city of Madi. King Senusret also erected a pyramid for himself in Lahun. Fayoum dates back millions of years, as civilization began there in the Stone Age. It had its status in the Middle Kingdom and the Twelfth Dynasty, and during the Greek, Roman, Coptic and Islamic eras, which left behind monuments that still exist and include unique elements in their design, such as the Fayoum obelisk with a round head unlike other obelisks, and the Fayoum pyramids whose doors open to the south, unlike the Egyptian pyramids whose entrances open to the north. Fayoum is known for the different levels in its land. It reaches from -26 meters below sea level in the south to -42 meters below sea level in the north. Thus, the roaring waterwheels and water mills that operate by the force of this water rotate on it. Fayoum includes two lakes: Lake Qarun, and Lake Wadi El Rayan.
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