Fayum

or Fayoum, a district of ancient Egypt lying west of the Nile and southwest of Cairo. It is a circular basin about thirty miles in diameter. It lies below the surface of the Libyan desert, and is connected with the valley of the Nile by a narrow pass threaded by an ancient canal. It was and is well watered. It contains about 500 square miles and sustains a population of a quarter of a million persons. Lake Birket lies in the northwestern part. Herodotus described a vast reservoir thirty miles in circumference, used to store the waters of the Nile, Lake Moeris, he called it. The closest examination fails to locate the embankment of any such lake satisfactorily. It is believed he may have visited the country in a time of overflow and have been deceived by local dikes. The soil produces crops of wheat, flax, hemp, rice, cotton, and sugar-cane; orchard fruits, including oranges, peaches, pomegranates, olives, figs, and grapes are abundant. Roses grow luxuriantly. Garden vegetables are plentiful. Archaeological finds of great antiquity have been located in the Fayum. A famous palace, known as the Labyrinth, has given up many treasures. See Egypt; Nile