Wadi El Rayan: Is a unique natural Egyptian Protectorate in Faiyum Governorate, under the supervision of The Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA).

Geography

The valley of Wadi El-Rayan stretches on an area of 1759 km2. About 65 km southwest of Faiyum city and 80 km west of the Nile

Nile

The Nile is a major north-flowing river in North Africa, generally regarded as the longest river in the world. It is long. It runs through the ten countries of Sudan, South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and Egypt.The Nile has two major...

 River. The reserve is composed of: A 50.90 km2-Upper lake, 62.00 km2-Lower lake, Waterfalls between the two lakes. In addition to springs

Spring (hydrosphere)

A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...

, of which three are sulphur springs at the southern side of the lower lake, with extensive mobile sand dunes. Wadi El Rayan Waterfalls considered to be the largest waterfalls in Egypt

Egypt

Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...

.

Jabal Manqueer Al-Rayan at the south and southeast of the springs where marine fossils and archeological remains are found. Also, Jabal Madwera near the lower lake, which is known for its extensive dune formations.

Flora and fauna

The vegetation is confined to inter-dune areas around springs and at the base of large dunes. The vegetation cover is made of 13 species of perennial plants and a few individuals of Calligonum comosum and Zygophyllum album.
Wadi El Rayan is also important because it accommodates one of the world's few remaining populations of the endangered Slender-horned gazelle

Rhim Gazelle

The rhim gazelle , also known as the slender-horned gazelle or sand gazelle, is a slender-horned gazelle, most adapted to desert life. There are fewer than 2500 in the wild.-Description:...

. The Dorcas Gazelle

Dorcas Gazelle

The Dorcas Gazelle , also known as the Ariel Gazelle, is a small and common gazelle. The Dorcas Gazelle stands approximately 55-65 cm . Dorcas gazelle have a head and body length of 90-110 cm and a weight of 15-20 kg...

 is still found in the area in small numbers while both the Fennec Fox and Rüppell's Fox

Rüppell's Fox

Rüppell's fox , also spelled Rueppell's fox and also called the sand fox, is a species of fox living in North Africa and the Middle East, from Morocco and the Sahel region to the Afghanistan hills. and SW Pakistan It is named after the German collector Eduard Rüppell...

 are scarce. There are 11 species of reptiles, 9 species of mammals, 13 species of resident birds, and 26 migrant and vagrant birds.

See also

• Faiyum
• Crocodilopolis
  Crocodilopolis
  Crocodilopolis or Krokodilopolis or Ptolemais Euergetis or Arsinoe or Krialon was an ancient city in the Heptanomis, Egypt, the capital of Arsinoites nome, on the western bank of the Nile, between the river and the Lake Moeris, southwest of Memphis, in lat. 29° N...
  
  
• Faiyum mummy portraits
• Faiyum Governorate
• Fayum alphabet
  Fayum alphabet
  The Fayum alphabet is a Greco-Phoenician abecedary shown on four copper tablets discovered in Fayum, Egypt. The tablets are dated to around 800 BC and represent the earliest known link between Greek letter forms and their Phoenician parent forms...
  
  
• Lake Moeris
  Lake Moeris
  Lake Moeris is an ancient lake in the northwest of the Faiyum Oasis, southwest of Cairo, Egypt. It persists in modern times as a smaller lake called Birket Qarun. The lake's surface is 140 ft below sea-level, and covers about ....
  
  
• Bahr Yussef
  Bahr Yussef
  The Bahr Yussef, which roughly translates from Arabic as "the waterway of Joseph", is a canal which connects the Nile River with Fayyum in Egypt. This was originally in prehistoric times a natural offshoot of the Nile which created a lake to the west during high floods. Beginning with the 12th...
  
  
• Roman Egypt