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Tommy Oberlander
Mr. Plinske
English II Honors
22 February 2017
Al-Fayoum

Al-Fayoum is an ancient place in Egypt that has strived for thousands of years. The city,

or known as an oasis, has been around for thousands of years. There are many outstanding facts

about this place. The lifestyle, historical events,other information, and how it connects to The

Alchemist are just the beginning.

The culture of Al-Fayoum is interesting in multiple ways. The name comes from the

Coptic word phiom or payomj, meaning lake or sea. In fact, the oasis was call the inland

sea(Centre). Al-Fayoum had multiple name changes before it got its name it has now. The city

name went from Shedet, or known as Crocodilopolis, to Arsinoite to Madinet el Faiyum to

Al-Fayoum(Tour). Fayoum was identified by Nun, the primeval ocean(Dunn). Since the area

survives of off the rivers, which includes the Nile, the land is great for farming. In fact, the

people there at the time made Fayoum into the Garden of Egypt(Centre). Also there were 114

villages in the oasis. Next, there has been many changes in power, religion, and languages

spoken. There were mainly Greeks and Macedonians, but also Jews, Persians, Arabs, Syrians,

Thracians, and Samaritans(Dunn). There was no racial purity in the area, but if there was, it did

not survive. Eventually, Christianity became the official religion in 395 AD(Dunn). Their

lifestyle included men marrying around the ages of 18 to 20 years old, while women married at

about 15 years old(Dunn). The sacred animal was the crocodile, which is the reason why the city

was named Crocodilopolis a long time ago. They also celebrate Arsinoeia, a festival, every
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August because of Arsinoe who had a city named after her(Dunn). Lastly, they dine on gazelle,

hartebeests, and catfish.

Al-Fayoum has had a rough history. The oasis had suffered plagues and depressions

within the city. Back in 460 BC, Herodotus visited Al-Fayoum and said it was flooded(Centre).

Therefore, it was a lake named Lake Moeris. But before this there were droughts in 4000

BC(Dunn). This caused many problems since they could not get water from the rivers. After the

drought, Arab conquerors came in and blocked canals and built bridges(Centre). With this being

said, there have been vast depressions. Fayoum has been hit with many depressions which

caused economical issues that made people abandon their towns(Dunn). Along with all the

depressions, Fayoum also faced war. At first there was a war between the Arabs and Fayoum.

Then later on the Murad and the French were at war near Fayoum. With all these wars, Fayoum

was invaded and destroyed by the Fatimid Army(Dunn). Therefore, there were more economical

issues. However, Britain took power and built outposts surrounding Fayoum. Lastly, the

governor improved the canal systems(Dunn).

There are many facts about Al-Fayoum. Some other information is people mined salts,

limestone, and chert. Also, it was the first region in North Egypt to practice agriculture(Centre).

Al-Fayoum is also not a true oasis since it depends on the water from the rivers, and also it has

remained undeveloped. Its geographical location puts it two hours away from Cairo. In addition,

the water wheel was the most dominate attraction(Tour). Lastly, the income for the people was

really high compared to other people throughout Egypt.

All the information given relates to The Alchemist because Santiago stays in

Al-Fayoum on his way to pursue his Personal Legend. Also, there was a war going on in the
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story just like there was one happening a long time ago. The last connection is how close Cairo is

to Al-Fayoum since that is where he had to go.

In conclusion, Al-Fayoum has had quite a history, especially since it dates back to

prehistoric time. With the the problems Al-Fayoum has faced, it still stays where it is in Egypt.

And it connects into The Alchemist in multiple ways.

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Works Cited

Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. "Oasis of Fayoum, Hydraulic Remains and Ancient Cultural

Landscapes." Oasis of Fayoum, Hydraulic Remains and Ancient Cultural Landscapes -

UNESCO World Heritage Centre. UNESCO, 28 July 2003. Web. 08 Feb. 2017

Dunn, Jimmy. "Tour Egypt." The History of the Fayoum Oasis in Egypt. Tour Egypt, 12 June

2011. Web. 08 Feb. 2017

"Tour Egypt." Tour Egypt Presents the Fayoum Oasis in Egypt. Tour Egypt, 15 July 2011. Web.

08 Feb. 2017.