Fayoum Waterwheels

The Faiyum depression lies below the level of the Nile valley, so water brought in by the Bahr Yusuf canal runs downhill through it, and that fall is enough to drive undershot waterwheels without any animal or engine power at all. The wheels are large timber structures, four to five metres across, turning continuously on the current and lifting water into higher irrigation channels, and the system in principle goes back to the Ptolemaic period. They have become the emblem of the province: four of them stand together in the middle of Faiyum city as a monument, and dozens more work in the countryside around it. They creak audibly and constantly, which is the detail that people remember. Concrete and diesel have replaced some, but many are still made and repaired by local carpenters.

What you actually see

• The four city wheels - the group in central Faiyum used as the town emblem.
• Working wheels in the fields - dozens still lifting irrigation water.
• Timber construction - wheels built and repaired by local carpenters.
• The constant creaking - the sound the province is known for.

When to go

October to April. Any time of day, since the wheels never stop; morning light on the canal is best for photographs. One to two hours to see the city group and drive out to working wheels in the fields.

Honest expectations

The city wheels sit in a busy traffic circle with rubbish in the canal, which spoils the picture for many visitors. The rural wheels are better but need a driver who knows where they are. There is no interpretation anywhere. Faiyum city itself is congested and unlovely.

Nearby

Lake Qarun is north; Hawara and Lahun pyramids lie to the east and south-east.