 Waterfalls between Upper and Lower Lake in Wādī er-Raiyān | ||
| Wādī er-Raiyān · وادي الريان | ||
| Governorate | Faiyūm | |
|---|---|---|
| height | −36 m | |
no tourist info on Wikidata:  | ||
| location | ||
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The Wadi er-Raiyan (also Wadi el-Rayyan, Wadi el-Rayan, Wadi Raiyan, Wadi Rayyan, Arabic:وادي الريان, Wādī ar-Raiyān, „Ar-Raiyān Valley“) Is a depression southwest of the Faiyūm in the Western desert in Egypt. The creation of the double lake, Faiyūm Lake, as a water reservoir has changed the area permanently since 1973. The valley became the Nature reserve explained.
background
Location and landscape
The depression or today's nature reserve Wādī er-Raiyān are between 29 ° 0 'to 29 ° 24' N and between 30 ° 0 'to 30 ° 33' E. The depression is about 15 kilometers southwest of the western border of the el-Faiyūm, 40 kilometers southwest of the city el-Faiyūm, 80 kilometers from the Nile and 150 kilometers from Cairo. The depression is at its deepest point 60 meters below zero.
The depression is characterized by a desert landscape. It consists of limestone massifs and mountains, stone desert and partly sand dunes. Fossils, mostly nummulites and mussel shells, are also found in the limestone cliffs.
Up until the flooding of today's lakes, there were only four sulfur-containing springs in the southwest of the depression, but they almost completely dried up at the end of the 19th century.
With the filling of the Nile flood catchment basins from 1973, it changed the landscape as well as the flora and fauna considerably.
Naming
The origin of the name is controversial. The name er-Raiyān may be derived from the Arabic word rawiya (روي) For "drink your fill" or "be watered" from.
From the historian Aḥmad Muḥammad el-Maqqarī (around 1577–1632) a story has come down to us that is supposed to explain the name, but cannot be historically proven.[1] It goes back roughly to the time of the Israelites' exodus from Egypt.
After Joseph lost the favor of the king er-Raiyān ibn el-Walīd (Arabic:الريان بن وليد), Joseph asked er-Raiyān ibn el-Walīd to be rewarded for his services. By drawing lots, Joseph received the desert land west of the Nile. He had canals built and made the Faiyūm fertile. One of the canals, the Joseph Canal, still exists today.[2] The king is said to be buried here in the er-Raiyān with all his gold and jewels.
history
In ancient Egypt, the springs in the southwest of the valley served as water points for caravans on their way to the valley el-Baḥrīya. The depression could be reached in five to six days via the 240 to 270 kilometers long Darb el-Faiyūm or Darb er-Raiyān.
In Roman times the source el-ʿAin el-Wasṭānīya was settled. Mud brick buildings could be found here. In the realm of today Wādī-er-Raiyān monastery graves were dug in the rock.
In the period that followed until the end of the 19th century, the valley was completely uninhabited. The springs were only used by Bedouins.
A Coptic Orthodox rock monastery has been maintained in the extreme southeast of the valley since 1962.
Research history
Researchers have been reporting on Wādī er-Raiyān since the beginning of the 19th century. Among other things, these were the French in 1819 Frédéric Cailliaud (1787–1869),[3] 1820 the British Giovanni Battista Belzoni (1778–1823),[4] 1824 the French Jean Jacques Rifaud (1786-1852),[5] 1840 the British John Gardner Wilkinson (1797–1875),[1] as well as the Germans in 1886 and 1900 Georg Schweinfurth (1836–1925)[6] or. Georg Steindorff (1861–1951)[7]. Belzoni reported that he had found a small temple here. In 1942 and 1944 the Egyptian Egyptologist examined Ahmed Fakhry (1905–1973) the valley and found traces of settlement from Roman times.
Geological studies, some of which also dealt with the question of creating a water reservoir, came from, for example Gertrude Caton-Thompson (1888–1985)[8] and William Willcocks (1852–1932)[9] and many others.
Creation of a water reservoir
Since 1822, in the time of the viceroy Muḥammad ʿAlī, the British promoted cotton cultivation in the Nile Delta. Due to the British-American War in Canada in 1812 and the Indian Wars in the United States, it was no longer possible to import cotton from there. The main problem in Egypt was the year-round supply of water, which was hardly possible with the unregulated Nile. In the period that followed, several hydraulic structures, mostly dams, were planned. The dam north of Cairo, the Barrage du Nil, was built from 1835 and completed in 1890.
The idea of using the Wādī er-Raiyān as a catchment basin for excess water from the Nile was developed by Linant de Bellefonds (1799-1883), since 1831 chief engineer of the Egyptian building administration, and presented in 1882 by the American Frederick Cope Whitehouse (1842-1911). But it was not until 1943 that the first attempt was made to dig a canal from Ihnāsīya of the Nile into Wādī er-Raiyān. But the canal remained unfinished.
Preparations for a project to remove water from the Qarun Lake into the wadi. In March 1966 the decision in favor of this project was given. During the construction of the Lake Nasser however, the work was postponed until the end of the 1960s. In March 1973, the 14-kilometer-long, partially underground canal was completed and flooding of the upper lake could begin. About ten cubic meters of water get into the Obersee through the pipe with a diameter of about 3 meters. Since the 1980s, the lower lake has been supplied with water via a canal from the upper lake. The difference in height between the two lakes created a small waterfall, the only one in Egypt.
The upper lake today covers an area of 55 square kilometers. It is up to 25 meters deep and its salinity is 0.6%. The lower lake is 58 square kilometers and up to 30 meters deep. Its salt content is higher and is 1.5%.
economy
Since 1984 attempts have been made to open up the former desert land. To the west of the lower lake were two 1 Villages(29 ° 10 ′ 11 ″ N.30 ° 19 ′ 42 ″ E) built for 15,000 residents and irrigated 5,000 hectares from the water of the lower lake, which was brought here via pumps and a pipe.
The upper lake in particular is used for fish farming and offers work opportunities for 1,800 fishermen. The native fish here include the Nile perch (Lates niloticus), the tilapia (Tilapia sp.), the carp (Cyprinus carpio), the African catfish (Clarias gariepinus), the sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax), the great head mullet (Mugil cephalus) and the sea bream (Sparus aurata).
In Wādī er-Raiyān, oil is extracted from ten wells.
Landscape protection
There are a variety of animal and plant species in Wādī er-Raiyān. There are around 40 species of birds, 13 of which are native, nine of which are mammals (including the dune gazelle (Gazella leptoceros), the Dorcas gazelle (Gazella dorcas), the Rüppellfuchs (Vulpes rueppelli) and the fennec (Vulpes zerda)), 11 reptile and approx. 15 plant species.
In 1989 the depression with a size of 1,759 square kilometers was declared a protected area in order to preserve the ecosystem, but also to meet the demands of agriculture and tourism. Since the end of the 1990s, trained personnel have been provided by the Egyptian environmental authority Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA) with the support of International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) and the Italian government.
getting there
There is no public transport to reach the valley. You need your own vehicle or a taxi. All-terrain vehicles should be used for the slopes. A taxi ride out of town el-Faiyūm costs around LE 300.
The Wādī er-Raiyān can be reached via the trunk road from Cairoon the south bank of the Qārūn Lake leads past. This road passes the lakes on their west side and continues towards the south of the lower lake Beni Suef away. In the area of the lower lake, the road runs west to circle the area of the villages. At 1 Branch to the valley of the whales(29 ° 11 '46 "N.30 ° 20 ′ 19 ″ E) branches off a slope to Valley of the Whales from.
A piste begins on the north side of the Obersee and encircles both lakes in the east and joins the main road again in the south of the Untersee. There is a bridge in the area of the canal north of the visitor center between the Upper and Lower Lakes. A slope branches off from the slope on the east side of the lakes Madīnat Māḍī from.
Admission to the nature reserve including the Valley of the Whales costs $ 5 per person and LE 5 per vehicle.
To drive along the slopes you need an all-terrain vehicle or a pickup and a local driver.
mobility
Many sights are in the area of the trunk road or the slopes. Walking distances are hardly longer than a kilometer.
Tourist Attractions
Faiyūm Lake
The most important sights are of course the lake landscape, the so-called el-Faiyūm lake (Arabic:بحيرة الفيوم, „Buḥairat al-Faiyūm“), With the small ones a few meters high 1 Waterfalls(29 ° 12 '54 "N.30 ° 25 ′ 21 ″ E), Arabic:شلالات, Schalālāt, „water falls“, And the surrounding limestone mountains and witness mountains. The Wādī er-Raiyān is also a popular destination for many Cairo residents, who especially come here on Fridays and Saturdays.
South of the waterfalls is the visitor center with toilets, which is open daily from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., a car park, a campsite and a swimming area.
The is located about 7 kilometers southwest of the visitor center 2 el-Gebel el-Mudawwara(29 ° 11 '20 "N.30 ° 21 '39 "E), a Zeugenberg, too Gebel Madwera, Arabic:الجبل المدورة, „the round mountain“.
South of the villages you can see the in a south-westerly direction 3 Gebel el-Mungar(29 ° 7 '33 "N.30 ° 17 ′ 17 ″ E), Arabic:جبل المنجر, Ǧabal al-Mingar, „Planed rocks“.
The rises on the east side of the lower lake 4 el-Gebel el-Muschgiga(29 ° 7 '59 "N.30 ° 27 '59 "E.), Arabic:الجبل المشججة, „the split mountain“, Whose distinctive feature is a large vertical crevice.
Sand dunes are also part of the landscape.
Sources in the southwest of the reserve
About 10 kilometers west of the lower lake is an area with four sulphurous 5 swell(29 ° 4 ′ 19 ″ N.30 ° 19 ′ 9 ″ E). There is only limited access for scientists and the park administration to this area!
The four springs are from north to south (1) el-ʿAin el-Baḥrīya (Arabic:العين البحرية, „the northern spring"= ʿAin el-Mungar,عين المنجر, „the plane source"), (2) el-ʿAin el-Wasṭānīya (العين الوسطانية, „the middle source"), (3) el-ʿAin el-Qiblīya (العين القبلية, „the southern source"= Umm er-Raiyān,أم الريان) And (4) el-ʿAin esch-Sharqīya (العين الشرقية, „the eastern spring"). The springs have partially dried up today. In the area of the springs there are tamarisks, date palms and various bushes (camel thorn Alhagi graecorumwho have favourited Knotweed Calligonum polygonoides and Calligonum comosum, the foxtail plant Cornulaca monacantha, Nitraria retusa from the order of the soap tree-like and the yoke leaf plant Zygophyllum album). Lime brick ruins from Roman times were found 150 meters southeast of the source el-ʿAin el-Was ausānīya.
activities
In the area of the visitor center a Bathing beach created.
On the west side of the lower lake and on the east side of the same lake, one or three shelters made of reed were built for the Bird watching built. The shelter on the west side is about 4 kilometers north of the southern tip of the lake near the trunk road. The northernmost shelter on the east side is about 7 kilometers south of the canal between the two lakes, another two about 6-7 kilometers from the southern tip of the lower lake in the area of the Gebel Muschgiga. Guides cost around LE 50 for a period of 3 hours.
Birds that can be observed include the little egret (Egretta garzetta), the cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis), the gray heron (Ardea cinerea), the purple heron (Ardea purpurea) and flamingos (Phoenicopterus ruber).
behaviour rules
There are a number of prohibitions in the protected area. These include the ban on hunting or catching animals and the ban on the destruction and collection of fossils. There is a driving ban outside of the marked slopes. Campfires are not allowed.
kitchen
There is a café in the visitor center area.
accommodation
There are two campsites in the area of the lower lake. The first is on the west side south of the visitor center. There is another campsite on the east side of the lower lake, roughly in the middle of the east bank.
Also in the entrance area of the Valley of the Whales there is a campsite.
The costs for a campsite are LE 10 per person and day or LE 5 per vehicle and day.
Practical advice
The visitor center is looked after by Mohammed Hwihi. The park administration is on Tel .: 20 (0) 84 683 0535, Email: [email protected] reachable.
trips
The Coptic Orthodox is located about 13 kilometers west of the lower or southern lake Wādī-er-Raiyān Monastery.
About 20 kilometers northwest of the depression you get to the Valley of the Whales.
From the piste on the east side of the lakes, a piste branches off in the area of the southern tip of the upper lake Madīnat Māḍī from.
For all these excursions you need an all-terrain vehicle or a pickup and a local driver.
literature
- : Wadi el-Rayyan. In:Annales du Service des Antiquités de l’Egypte (ASAE), ISSN1687-1510, Vol.46 (1947), Pp. 1-19.
- : The Fayoum and Wadi el-Rayan. Cairo: American University at Cairo Press, 1996, Egypt Pocket Gude, ISBN 978-977-424-815-3 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ 1,01,1: Modern Egypt and Thebes: being a description of Egypt; including the information required for travelers in that country; Vol.2. London: Murray, 1843, P. 25 f.
- ↑The canal is named after the general and ruler Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn Yūsuf bin Aiyūb, known as Saladin.
- ↑: Voyage a Méroé, au fleuve blanc, au-delà de Fâzoql dans le midi du Royaume de Sennâr, a Syouah et dans cinq autres oasis .... Paris: Imprimerie Royale, 1826, Pp. 33-36.
- ↑: Voyages en Egypte et en Nubie… suivis d’un voyage sur la cote de la Mer Rouge et a l’oasis de Jupiter Ammon; t. 2. Paris: Librairie Française et Etrangére, 1821, Pp. 172-174.
- ↑: Tableau de l’Égypte, de la Nubie, et des lieux circonvoisins ou itinéraire a l’usage des voyageurs qui visitent ces contrées. Paris et al.: Treuttel et Würtz, 1830, P. 292.
- ↑: Travel to the depression area around the Fajum. In:Journal of the Society for Geography in Berlin, ISSN1614-2055, Vol.21 (1886), Pp. 96-149, plate 2, especially pp. 115-123.
- ↑: An archaeological journey through the Libyan desert to the Amonsoasis Sîwe. In:Dr. A. Petermann’s messages from Justus Perthes ’geographic institute, Vol.50,8 (1904), Pp. 179-187, in particular pp. 186 f.
- ↑: The Desert Fayum. London: Royal Anthropological Inst., 1934, Pp. 9, 18.
- ↑: The Wadi Rayan Reservoir and the Drainage of Egypt. Cairo, 1932.
