The Faiyum Depression
FaiyÛm, or Fayum, both, an Egyptian oasis in the Libyan Desert. It is about 60 miles (97 km) southwest of Cairo. Since ancient times the FaiyÛm has been irrigated by the Bahr Yusef, a dry bed of the Nile made into a canal. Cotton, rice, sugar, olives, figs, and grapes are grown in the oasis. Birket Qârûn, a lake to the northwest, occupies part of the ancient Lake Moeris, which was used as a vast reservoir by the ancient Egyptians to store the waters of the Nile.
Many archeological remains have been found in the FaiyÛm, including a 3,000-room labyrinth and many papyrus scrolls in ancient Egyptian and in Arabic. A present-day province named FaiyÛm covers 692 square miles (1,792 km2). Its capital is El FaiyÛm, with a population of 250,000.