Faiyum Oasis, Egypt

100 km southwest of Cairo is a place where smog-soaked Cairo residents find refuge. Greenery and peace is Faiyum's calling card. It is fed by a branch of the Nile - the Bahr-Yussef River, and since ancient times Faiyum has been of great importance for agriculture. Due to its area of ​​over 1000 square kilometers it is ideal for growing cereals, cotton, figs, grapes, roses and olives.
The city of Faiyum itself is a modern city, but there are no people willing to live in it. The heart of this place is Lake Qarun, formed 70,000 years ago. The lake is not suitable for swimming, but it brings pleasure when one is carried on board a rented boat.
A beautiful view is revealed from the rooms of the luxury hotel Auberge du Lac, which once served as the hunting residence of King Farouk. Lake Qarun is a favorite place not only of the human race. Many birds find their paradise for migration in it. From the historical monuments Faiyum has something to present. A small temple from the time of the pharaohs is preserved and accessible - a temple of the Ptolemies in Qasr Qarun, dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek.
Charged with the honor of being a famous landmark in Faiyum is Karanis - a city from the III century BC. There are also pyramids in Faiyum - four in number, all east of the oasis. Some of them are quite decadent and are of interest only to the most zealous researchers, but the one in Medum is quite interesting and quite unconventional.
Although generally not a well-known tourist destination, Faiyum has something that it is quite famous for. It is about the so-called Faiyum portraits painted in the I-III century. They are famous for their proverbial realism, inspired by the way they are portrayed. They were reflected until a human battle, and immediately after the death of the images were imposed on his face after the mummification of the corpse. Once discovered, they were separated from the mummies and can now be seen in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.