Al Fayyum

A painting of a young Greek warrior, on a mummy found in Al Fayyum dating from about AD 150. A number of such mummy portraits have been found in this area.

City and governorate in northern Egypt, 90 km/56 mi southwest of Cairo; population of city (1992) 250,000, and governorate (1997) 1,989,881. Noted for its waterwheels which distribute the waters of the Bahr Yusef Canal, Al Fayyum is a fertile agricultural region producing fruit, cotton, sugar, and attar of roses. Fishing is an important industry together with the raising of livestock. Originally named Crocodilopolis, the oasis of Al Fayyum was the main place of worship of the crocodile god, Sobek, and realistic mummy portraits dating from the 1st–4th centuries have been found in the area.

The Bahr Yusuf Canal, which is connected to the River Nile, was originally designed by the Theban pharaohs, and was later restored by Saladin in the 12th century. The governorate also contains Birkat Qarun, known to the ancients as Lake Moeris; it was formerly the site of a famous labyrinth, which was one of the ancient wonders of the world.