The fan-shaped Delta region of Egypt covers the area from Cairo to the
Mediterranean - the River Nile splits into two branches at Qanater and
then flows to the coastal cities of Rashid (Rosetta) and Damietta. The
whole of the Delta is farmland, irrigated by a web of tributaries and
canals and is said to be one of the most fertile agricultural regions
in the world. In pharaonic times there were five tributaries of the
Nile, but by the time of the Islamic invasion three of them (the
Canopus, Sebennytus and Pelusium branches) had become dry. The coastal
area extends roughly between Alexandria to the west and Port Said at
the head of the Suez Canal to the east.
The city of Qanater, about 16km north of Cairo, is famed for its
barrages built in the nineteenth century, which divide and control the
waterways of the Nile Delta by a series of locks and canals producing
the fertile region we see today. The most important coastal city, and
that most often visited by tourists, is Alexandria, to the west of the
Rosetta mouth of the Nile. Being easily accessible by road or rail
from Cairo the city's beaches are a vacation haven for Egyptians
during the hot summer months.
Ancient records tell of many important cities and ports which
flourished in the region during Egypt's long history, though there are
few monuments remaining to tell its story. In Upper Egypt's dry
climate the monuments are for the most part well-preserved, but the
moist climate and high water table of the Delta which has made it into
the most cultivated land in Egypt has had the effect of causing many
of the ancient structures to vanish under the plough. Large monuments
were quarried over and over for their rich commodity of stone and
mudbrick buildings have long vanished in the Delta's damp climate. In
the past few decades, however, the Delta region has become a focus for
archaeological work. Sites which were previously thought to be of
little interest are beginning to produce rich finds and monuments
thought to be long vanished are now being discovered beneath the
surface with the aid of the latest technological methods.
During the Second Intermediate Period the foreign Hyksos rulers
brought the Delta to prominence by establishing their capital at
Avaris in the north-east Delta. These people, who were originally
Asiatic immigrants from Canaan, gradually became more and more
powerful until they dominated Lower Egypt around the seventeenth
century BC, ruling through vassal overlords. They controlled many of
the trade routes by land and sea from their strategically positioned
city in the north and went on to form an alliance with the powerful
kings of Kush (Nubia) until the whole of Egypt fell under their rule.
For over a century the Hyksos ruled by means of superior military
technology, possibly including the introduction of the 'composite bow'
and the horse and chariot - previously unknown in Egypt. The Hyksos
were eventually expelled by the Theban King Kamose at the end of the
Second Intermediate Period, an event which was to lead to the golden
age of Dynasty XVIII and a whole new era in Egyptian history.
For many centuries the Hyksos capital of Avaris was a lost city and
its ancient walls have only been discovered over the past two decades
by an Austrian Expedition led by Professor Manfred Bietak, near the
modern village of Tell el-Daba. Other important Delta towns have also
been re-excavated more thoroughly in recent years with the aid of
modern technology. To the north-east of Tell el-Daba, beyond the town
of Qantir, is the site of Per-Rameses (Piramesse). This was the Delta
estate of Rameses II and capital of the region during Dynasty XIX and
early Dynasty XX, after which it was abandoned, leaving little in situ
at the site today. Further to the north-east, near the village of San
el-Hagar is the ancient site of Tanis, famous for the rich burials of
Third Intermediate Period kings, the capital of the 24th nome and once
one of the Delta's greatest cities.
Near the town of Zagazig in the eastern Delta is the site of Bubastis,
the mound of Tell Basta which was home to the cat-goddess Bastet and
capital of the 18th Egyptian nome. Its great temple, which today is no
more than a pile of rubble, dates back to the Old Kingdom and was
added to by many pharaohs up to the Third Intermediate Period. There
is also a cat cemetery at Bubastis where many statuettes of bronze
cats were found in underground galleries.
Many sites in the central Delta may be reached from Zagazig (el-Zaqaziq),
or from Tanta, which is the largest of the Delta cities. Extensive
remains of a Ptolemaic temple of Isis at can be seen at Behbeit
el-Hagar, near the town of Mansura. Mansura itself played an important
part in the early Islamic history of Egypt at the time of the Crusades
during the thirteenth century. Not far from here, though difficult to
find, is the village of Tell el-Rub'a, site of ancient Mendes where
remains of a Dynasty XXVI temple enclosure are still intact. On the
road back to Cairo from Zagazig or Tanta is the town of Benha, and to
the north-east of here is the ancient mound of Tell Atrib (Athribis),
where some of the streets and temple ruins can be seen. To the
north-east of Tanta is the village of Samannud and the remains of
ancient Sebennytus, while to the north-west, near the village of Sa
el-Hagar is ancient Sais, but there are few remains at these sites.
The main road from Cairo to Alexandria travels through the cultivated
area of the western Delta in which the Greek town of Naucaratis lay.
Greek settlers used this town as a trading post and centre of commerce
during the seventh century BC, though there is little to see today.
Travelling north-west towards Alexandria we come to the town of
Damanhur, to the east of which was the ancient site of Buto at Tell
el-Fara'in. Dedicated to the cult of the cobra-goddess Wadjet, this
important site consisted of three mounds of towns and temples,
occupied from Predynastic to Roman times.
There is also a desert road to Alexandria which leads from the Giza
Pyramids road, turning off just before the Mena House Hotel. This is a
slightly longer route to the coast, but visitors may wish to see the
Wadi Natrun, with its Coptic monasteries set in what was once a
cultivated oasis. Four of the monasteries which may be visited are at
Deir el-Amba Bishoi, Deir es-Suriani, Deir Abu Makar (St Makarios) and
Deir el-Baramus. Natron, the natural salt used in the mummification
process, came from this valley in ancient times.
The city and port of Alexandria was founded on the site of an Egyptian
fort, Rhakotis, in 331 BC by Alexander, who turned it into a vital
part of the Hellenistic world. It subsequently became one of the most
important cities of the Roman Empire, famous for being the home of
Cleopatra VII and a great city of culture and learning. By the fourth
century AD, Alexandria was a centre of Christianity, later conquered
by the Muslims and went into a decline with the establishment of a new
capital in Cairo. Today, most of its ancient structures have been lost
in the harbour or lie beneath the modern city buildings, although a
great deal of excavation has taken place over recent decades, both in
the city and the underwater area of the harbour. It's long history of
foreign conquest and its location on the Mediterranean coast has given
the city a cosmopolitan flavour, still more European than Egyptian.
The Delta Region has always been somewhat isolated from the rest of
Egypt and the Nile Valley. The village people are different - dressed
in brightly coloured clothing and wide-brimmed conical hats they have
rarely been influenced by foreign visitors. Until recent years travel
was restricted and difficult, but the roads are now all open. |
