Nile River

River Nile

The Nile River is one of the largest waterways on our planet. The river is over 6700 kilometers long and for a long time it was considered the longest in the world. Then it was found that the distance between the source and mouth of the Amazon is greater. It is safe to say that the river almost completely provides for the existence of the population of Africa. The Nile is distinguished by its unusual “behavior”. In the hot season, it does not dry up, but comes out of the banks, changing its hue and coloring the nearby land in red.

• Historical information
• The source and tributaries of the Nile
• The Nile Basin and Valley
• Cruises on the Nile

Historical Information

Source and tributaries of the Nile

Since antiquity, scientists have been trying to figure out how the river fills with water. There have been a great number of conjectures about it, but none of them is one hundred percent correct. For a long time in art, the Nile had the image of a certain deity with a wrapped head, which was a symbol of ignorance. At the moment there is no single point of view regarding the origins of the river, it is only established that the water stream originates on the East African plateau and falls into the sea. Its fullness is provided by numerous tributaries, the most important of which are the Blue and White Nile. They are so named because of the hue of the water, which is colored by the clay suspended in it. The Nile changes its color during the flood season – it can be red or green. This is due to the presence of rock minerals and tropical plants in the water.

Nile Basin and Valley

The Nile Basin is home to a large number of nations such as: Egypt, Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda. One-fifth of the riverbed falls on Egyptian territories, the remaining waters are distributed among other countries. All cities of Egypt are located in the valley of the water stream, so the Nile is traditionally associated with this state. The nearby area is a kind of tourist oasis. It is a real find for connoisseurs of history and archeology. Near the Nile are the most famous cultural monuments – the Pyramids of Giza, the Valley of the Kings, the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, the Luxor and Karnak temples, the Great Sphinx.

Near Cairo begins the Nile Delta, which is 260 kilometers long along the Mediterranean coast. The mouth of the river got this name because of its visual similarity to a letter of the Greek alphabet. Here the Nile valley ends and it flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The beginning of the delta and the Nile rapids limit the area of Upper Egypt, an area where ancient monuments built during the Middle Kingdom and the Roman-Byzantine period are concentrated. In the city of Kom Ombo you will see numerous mummies of sacred crocodiles. Abydos is known as the center of worship of Osiris, the god of the dead. Just as Muslims seek to make the Hajj to Mecca and Christians make the pilgrimage to Jerusalem, ancient Egyptians wanted to visit Abydos during their lifetime or asked to be buried here. The poor people, unable to build a tomb in a given place, took the mummies of dead relatives here for worship.

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A little upstream of the Nile you can see the tombs of Beni-Hasan and the necropolis at Tuna el-Gebel. Here the temple of Speos Artemidos, created in honor of the lioness goddess Sekhmet, has been preserved. Near Sohag, the secluded Red and White Monasteries await you, where you can take in the ascetic atmosphere and way of life of the primitive Christians.

Nile Cruises

Traveling on the Nile has been popular among tourists since the 19th century. The cruise is made on a special liner on the stretch from Luxor to Aswan, the total length of the route is about 220 kilometers. During the trip, the ship stops in several towns, where there are tours of the remains of temples. The historical settlements located on the Nile are Aswan and Abu Simbel, Karnak and Luxor, Cairo and Abydos. You can enjoy not only an informative program, but also a measured rest on board. The trip lasts 4-5 days, the price of the trip includes three meals a day, tickets for visiting sights and transfer by bus to the place of departure of the liner.

The cost of the cruise differs depending on where you purchase the voucher. It can be bought in a Russian travel agency, in a local agency or from a guide at the hotel. When applying to travel companies in Luxor and Hurghada, you get the opportunity to save about 200 dollars. It is worth taking into account that in this case the payment for missing days in the hotel you will not be compensated by the Russian operator.