Full Answer
Why did the Nile flood every year?
Ancient Egyptians believed that the Nile flooded every year because of Isis 's tears of sorrow for her dead husband, Osiris . This section needs additional citations for verification.
When did the Nile River start to rise?
The first indications of the rise of the river could be seen at the first of the cataracts of the Nile (at Aswan) as early as the beginning of June, and a steady increase went on until the middle of July, when the increase of water became very great.
Where does the Nile River get its water from?
Most of this rainwater is taken by the Blue Nile and by the Atbarah River into the Nile, while a less important amount flows through the Sobat and the White Nile into the Nile.
Did the British improve Egypt’s flood control system?
Although the British, during their first period in Egypt, improved and extended this system, it was not able to store large amounts of water and to fully retain the annual flooding.
How did the Nile floods influence the development of the Egyptian calendar?
How did the Nile's flooding develop the Egyptian calendar? They developed the calendar based on when the expected the Nile to flood.
Is the land along rivers fertile?
It either provided good soil for farming or washed away crops. The land along rivers is usually fertile enough for farming, so these areas are very attractive as locations for settlements.
Why is the Nile flooded?
Ancient Egyptians believed that the Nile flooded every year because of Isis 's tears of sorrow for her dead husband, Osiris .
When did the Nile rise?
The Nile continued to rise until the beginning of September, when the level remained stationary for a period of about three weeks, sometimes a little less. In October it often rose again, and reached its highest level.
Why was the Sennar Dam built?
During the 1920s, the Sennar Dam was constructed on the Blue Nile as a reservoir in order to supply water to the huge Gezira Scheme on a regular basis. It was the first dam on the Nile to retain large amounts of sedimentation (and to divert a large quantity of it into the irrigation canals) and in spite of opening the sluice gates during the flooding in order to flush the sediments, the reservoir is assumed to have lost about a third of its storage capacity. In 1966, the Roseires Dam was added to help irrigating the Gezira Scheme. The Jebel Aulia Dam on the White Nile south of Khartoum was completed in 1937 in order to compensate for the Blue Nile's low waters in winter, but it was still not possible to overcome a period of very low waters in the Nile and thus avoid occasional drought, which had plagued Egypt since ancient times.
How did the Egyptians start irrigation?
Whilst the earliest Egyptians simply laboured those areas which were inundated by the floods, some 7000 years ago, they started to develop the basin irrigation method. Agricultural land was divided into large fields surrounded by dams and dykes and equipped with intake and exit canals. The basins were flooded and then closed for about 45 days to saturate the soil with moisture and allow the silt to deposit. Then the water was discharged to lower fields or back into the Nile. Immediately thereafter, sowing started, and harvesting followed some three or four months later. In the dry season thereafter, farming was not possible. Thus, all crops had to fit into this tight scheme of irrigation and timing.
What are the three seasons of the Egyptian year?
The Egyptian year was divided into the three seasons of Akhet (Inundation), Peret (Growth), and Shemu (Harvest). Akhet covered the Egyptian flood cycle. This cycle was so consistent that the Egyptians timed its onset using the heliacal rising of Sirius, the key event used to set their calendar .
What would happen if the flood was too large?
If a flood was too large, it would damage villages, dykes and canals.
When is the Nile festival?
It is celebrated by Egyptians as an annual holiday for two weeks starting August 15, known as Wafaa El-Nil. It is also celebrated in the Coptic Church by ceremonially throwing ...