N is for the Nile
The Nile River was hugely important in ancient Egyptian times; without it, they wouldn't have been able to survive. It provided the ancient Egyptians with food, transportation, even building materials.
 |
| Taken from here |
- The Nile is the longest river in the world; over 4100 miles long. As well as flowing through Egypt, it also flows through Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda and Burundi.
- Most of Egypt is desert, apart from the areas along the Nile River. The Nile provided fertile land along its banks, where the rich soil was ideal for growing crops. The ancient Egyptians referred to this soil as the "Gift of the Nile". The three main crops grown by ancient Egyptians were wheat, flax and papyrus. Wheat was the main food staple, used to make bread. They also sold much of their wheat, helping them to gain prosperity. Flax was used to make linen cloth for clothes. Papyrus was used for paper, baskets, rope and sandals.
| Taken from here |
- The Nile would flood annually, around September, bringing fertile black soil so the ancient Egyptians could continue to use it for growing crops. The Egyptians measured the height of this flood using a Nilometer, to determine how good the crops would be that year. The flood was caused be snow and heavy rain near the source of the river, but ancient Egyptians believed that it was caused by the tears of Isis, as she cried for her dead husband Osiris.
- Mud from the Nile riverbanks was used to make sun-dried bricks, used for building. Ancient Egyptians were also able to get limestone and sandstone from the hills alongside the Nile.
- The Nile was a great means of transport in Ancient Egyptian times, since most of the major cities were built alongside it.
- The ancient Egyptian calendar was built around the Nile. It was divided into three seasons: a season for inundation, one for growing and one for harvesting.
The Nile is the perfect example of how man's culture can be shaped by their environment - they had such a close symbiosis with the river :)
ReplyDeleteSophie
Sophie's Thoughts & Fumbles - A to Z Ghosts
Fantasy Boys XXX - A to Z Drabblerotic
Cool post about the Nile. I have been through the Suez canal while serving in the US Navy. I am stopping by on the A to Z Challenge. Seems you are up to the task. Keep up the good work.
ReplyDeleteThe Nile is such a magnificent river, like a main artery leading from the heart, it is the source of life.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't heard that about the tears of Isis, how poetic. :)
ReplyDeleteI haven't read an unreliable narrator lately, but I did watch one. I'm a Teen Wolf fan and through parts of the last season one of the characters wasn't sure what was real and what was dream and neither was the audience. It was nicely done.
Tasha
Tasha's Thinkings - AtoZ (Vampires)
FB3X - AtoZ (Erotic Drabbles)
Wish I had a Nilometer!
ReplyDeleteI should have guessed N would be for Nile. :) Again, more fascinating facts. I need to go look at the old maps again, because I imagine most people in ancient times lived close to the Nile. Given what transportation and water delivery systems were at the time, I doubt many would want to make their home in the desert. Kind of like Arizona. If you look at a night-time satellite picture of Arizona, you see this mass of bright light where Phoenix is, and the rest of the state is relatively dark.
ReplyDeleteImagine what life and culture would have been like without that magnificent river.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could see the Nile even now. :)
ReplyDeleteIt really was and is the center of their culture. So many ancient societies grew up around waterways.
ReplyDeleteIt's a river that has always epitomized the perfect rhythm nature intended.
ReplyDeleteAnd the best part is all the Nile jokes.
ReplyDeleteDid you hear about the man who didn't believe Egypt had a river? He was in de-nile.
What do you call small rivers that run into the big river Nile? Juveniles.
Okay, I'll stop now because this is just getting awkward. ;)
True Heroes from A to Z
I spent Christmas eve on the Nile river, and woke up to air balloons over the water. It was magnificent.
ReplyDeleteMy daughters and I studied the flood cycle with Egypt and it's affect on Egypt's history, culture, and ancient religion, and I think it's just fascinating to think about the ways we are affected by the landscape around us. Plus, I think it's interesting how the fertility of the soil came from the flooding . . . when we/I think of flooding as something bad.
ReplyDeleteYou make me want to go there. :)
ReplyDeleteThe Nile is one awesome river! I'd love to see it in person sometime.
ReplyDeleteYou are still doing a grand job Miss Laura, well done. Those Egyptians would be proud of you.
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for the regular visits, it is appreciated
Rob Z Tobor
Fascinating about the Nile. Truly the life-blood of their civilization. I imagine Egyptian history would have been very different, had that river not existed.
ReplyDeleteIt's the longest river in the world? That's amazing! Hopefully I can see it someday ;)
ReplyDelete