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A voyage along the fabled Nile River
uncovers Egypt's ancient history
The Enduring Nile
The world's longest and greatest river, the Nile radiates
a mythic quality, packing centuries of history into each of
its meandering bends. This mighty, deep blue waterway
is often referred to as the lifeblood of Egypt—ancient
civilisations used it as a natural barrier against foreign
invaders, a vital trade route between north and south, a
powerful economic source of sustenance and a place
of hushed worship. Sailing along this legendary river
provides ample opportunity to take in the country's major
cities and ancient tombs and temples—relics of a bygone
past that once unfolded along its palm-fringed banks
thousands of years ago.
Although the Nile is most famously associated with Egypt,
it flows northerly through or along the border of ten
other countries in northwest Africa and empties into the
Mediterranean Sea, 4,132 miles (6,650 km) to the north
of its origin point. The Nile is a result of the merging of
two tributaries: the White Nile originates at Lake Victoria
in Tanzania and flows through the narrow gorge of
Murchison Falls before reaching Khartoum, Sudan, where
it joins with the Blue Nile that rises from a spring far above
sea level in Ethiopia.
