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Nile River....
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There is no better way to trace the course of Egyptian history than
to follow the course of the Nile. The river has been Egypt's lifeline
for millenniums, fertilizing the narrow strip of land along its bank
with a deposit of silt after each annual inundation - now controlled by
the High Dam at Aswan. Along its length Pharaohs, nobles and lesser
mortals have all built monuments and tombs to immortalize themselves. |
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The Nile is Associated with Life. "Egypt is the gift of
the River Nile", said
Herodotus, the great Greek historian, on his only
visit to Egypt. Egyptians would still agree wholeheartedly with his words
today. At the end of every year, they are eager to hear good news about
the water level in the River Nile. In 1994 the volume of inlet water was
considered high. In the High Dam Lake, water reached its highest ever
level.
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Alexander the Great
then extended both Alexandria and Cisostris canals. The latter joins the
River Nile and the Red Sea, and was
later rebuilt by Amr Ibn El-As. In 1861, Mohammed Ali constructed barrages
to substitute the basin irrigation system with a year-round system.
Several waterways, such as El-Mahmoudia, El-Ibrahimia and El-Ismailia,
were then dug. In 1901 a new dam was built in Aswan, which was then
elevated many times later until finally, Egyptians built the High Dam in
Aswan. |
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The River Nile's downstream surface is 2.9km2. It is
considered the longest river in the world, as it flows for 6690km,
starting from Tanganicka Lake to the Mediterranean Sea. On its journey it
passes through nine different countries; namely Tanzania, Kenya, Zaire,
Burundi, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Uganda, the Sudan and Egypt. Along its way it
encounters many rocky waterfalls, makes sudden deep drops, then flows
along rapidly up and down to reach Egypt's land quietly and safely. If you
ever visit Egypt and drink water from the
Nile even once, you will be sure
to come back. Indeed Egyptians, as well as all their guests, believe in
that. |
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