Faiyum

Also known as Fayum, Fayyum, Fayoum, Fayyoum, Fajjum, Madinat al-Fayyum, Medinet-el-Fayoum, Krokodilopolis

Faiyum ( ; , ) is a city in Middle Egypt. Located southwest of Cairo, in the Faiyum Oasis, it is the capital of the modern Faiyum Governorate. It is one of Egypt's oldest cities due to its strategic location.

AI overview

Faiyum is an ancient city located in an oasis southwest of Cairo that serves as the capital of the modern Faiyum Governorate. It is considered one of Egypt's oldest cities because of its advantageous geographical position in the region.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

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Place details

Locality: قسم ثالث
Region: الفيوم
Country: مصر
Population: 519,047
Timezone: Africa/Cairo

via OpenStreetMap · GeoNames

Key facts

Settlement.name: Faiyum
Settlement.settlement_type: City
Settlement.pushpin_map: Egypt
Settlement.pushpin_label_position: left
Settlement.pushpin_relief: yes
Settlement.pushpin_map_caption: Location within Egypt
Settlement.subdivision_type: Country
Settlement.subdivision_name: Egypt
Settlement.subdivision_type1: Governorate
Settlement.subdivision_name1: Faiyum
Settlement.established_title: Inhabited
Settlement.area_total_km2: 18.5
Settlement.elevation_m: 29
Settlement.population_total: 440,000
Settlement.population_as_of: 2024
Settlement.population_density_km2: auto
Settlement.population_density_sq_mi: auto
Settlement.population_density_metro_km2: auto

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Official name: الفيوم
Population: 315940
Elevation: 29
Image: MadinatFayyumWaterWheel.jpg

Show 4 more facts

Commons category: Faiyum
P8168: Temuco
native label: الفيوم
P12749: carbon monoxide

Sources (9)

via Wikidata · CC0

Travel guide

Understand

Fayum is a forgotten gem off Egypt's beaten track. Archaeological evidence has found occupations around the Fayum dating back to at least the Epipalaeolithic. Middle Holocene occupations of the area are most widely studied on the north shore of Lake Moeris.

In ancient Egypt, the city was called Shedet, a centre of the cult of the crocodile god Sobek (Koinē Greek: Σοῦχος Soûkhos, Latin: Suchus). In consequence, the Greeks called it "Crocodile City" (Koinē Greek: Κροκοδειλόπολις Krokodeilópolis), Crocodīlopolis in Latin. The city worshipped a tamed sacred crocodile called in Koine Petsuchos, "the Son of Soukhos", adorned with gold and gem pendants. The Petsoukhos lived in a special temple pond and was fed by the priests with food provided by visitors. When Petsuchos died, it was replaced by another.

Under the Ptolemaic Kingdom, the city was for a while called Ptolemais Euergétis (Koinē Greek: Πτολεμαῒς Εὐεργέτις). Ptolemy II Philadelphus (309–246 BC) renamed the city Arsinoë and the whole nome after the name of his sister-wife Arsinoe II (316–270 or 268), who was deified after her death as part of the Ptolemaic cult of Alexander the Great, the official religion of the kingdom.

Under the Roman Empire, Arsinoë became part of the province of Arcadia Aegypti. To distinguish it from other cities of the same name, it was called "Arsinoë in Arcadia".

Get in

By microbus from different regions in Cairo e.g. Ramsis Square and also from different regions in Giza e.g. El-Remaya Square (Shotting Square) and El-Moneeb. There are slow trains from Cairo too.

See

North of Lake Qaroun: Petrified Forest Cannon Balls Valley

Buy

Local crafts of Fayoum Glazed Pottery (Tunis Village, South west of Lake Qaroun) Pottery (El Nazla village, Ibshaway) Carpets (Desya Village) Palm products (Al A'lam -Ka'aby) Patch work (Khalta village, South west of Lake Qaroun)

Eat

You can find local food of Fayum in one of the Eco lodges in Tunis village and the restaurants in lake Qaroun. Fast food is also served in all the restaurants of Fayum city,