The Nile River | History, Definition, Facts

The lifestyle and society of Ancient Egypt were significantly shaped by the Nile River. The Ancient Egyptians had access to food, travel, supplies for construction, and more because of the Nile.

Concerning the Nile River

The longest river in the world is the Nile. It’s length exceeds 4,100 miles! The Nile flows through many distinct African nations, including Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, and Burundi, in northeastern Africa. The White Nile and the Blue Nile are the two principal tributaries that feed the Nile.

Egyptian Upper and Lower

Through Egypt and into the Mediterranean Sea, the Nile River flows north. Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt were the two divisions of ancient Egypt. Because Upper Egypt is to the south and Lower Egypt is to the north, this situation appears a little perplexing on a map. This is so because the names are derived from the Nile River’s flow.

Fertile Land

Fertile soil was the most crucial item the Nile gave the ancient Egyptians. While the majority of Egypt is desert, the soil is fertile and ideal for cultivating crops along the Nile River. Wheat, flax, and papyrus were the three most significant crops.

Wheat was the primary food source for the Egyptians. They baked bread with it. They helped the Egyptians become wealthy by selling a large amount of their wheat around the Middle East.

Flax – Linen cloth for clothes was made from flax. The Egyptians mostly utilized this kind of fabric.

The plant known as papyrus was seen growing along the Nile’s shores. This plant was used to the Ancient Egyptians for making paper, baskets, rope, and sandals, among other things.

Flooding

Every year, the Nile would overrun its banks around September and flood the surrounding land. Although it initially seems unpleasant, this was one of the most significant occasions in Ancient Egyptian culture. The flood revitalized the farmlands by bringing in rich, black soil.

Building Supplies

The Ancient Egyptians received a lot of building supplies from the Nile River. They created sun-dried bricks using the mud from the riverbanks. Homes, walls, and other buildings were constructed with these bricks. The hills that surrounded the Nile were also used by the Egyptians as quarries for limestone and sandstone.

Transportation

Since the majority of Ancient Egypt’s major cities were constructed along the Nile River, the river served as an important thoroughfare for the entire Empire. The Nile was frequently traversed by boats carrying passengers and cargo.

The Nile’s seasons

Even their calendar was designed with the Nile River in mind. Their calendar was divided into three seasons. The time of the Nile’s flooding, known as Akhet, was regarded as the beginning of the season. The growing season (Peret) and the harvesting season (Shemu) were the other two seasons.

The Nile River: Interesting Facts

The “Gift of the Nile” was what the ancient Egyptians named the fertile, flood-damaged black soil.

The Aswan Dam prevents the Nile from inundating contemporary cities.

The name “Aur” (which means “black” and refers to the soil’s color) that the Ancient Egyptians gave the Nile refers to its origin in that color.

Using a Nilometer, the Egyptians gauged the height of the yearly flood. They were able to predict how well the crops will do that year because to this.

Each year, the flood was brought on by a combination of torrential rains and snowmelt in the southern region near the Nile’s source. The goddess Isis was said to have shed the flood’s tears in memory of her deceased husband Osiris, according to ancient Egyptian theology.