{"id":14999,"date":"2023-11-22T16:50:29","date_gmt":"2023-11-22T15:50:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aboutriver.com\/?p=14999"},"modified":"2023-11-22T16:50:29","modified_gmt":"2023-11-22T15:50:29","slug":"what-did-the-nile-river-provided-ancient-egypt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aboutriver.com\/what-did-the-nile-river-provided-ancient-egypt\/","title":{"rendered":"What Did The Nile River Provided Ancient Egypt"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Deeply entrenched in history, the Nile River is the longest river in world and a vital resource to Ancient Egypt, providing natural resources and essential goods to the once powerful civilization. Flowing north from the African Great Lakes to the Mediterranean Sea, the Nile is 6,852 kilometers long, playing an indelible role in the prosperity of the country for thousands of years.<\/p>\n

Irrigation was the most important contribution of the Nile to the development of Ancient Egypt. The ability to grow crops such as wheat and barley provided the Egyptians with a surplus of food, allowing them to use more of their resources and energy elsewhere. Irrigation also allowed for a stronger sense of community for the Ancient Egyptians, as the ability to farm near the river provided a closer connection to shared resources. Over 3,000 years ago the Egyptians were able to develop the first dams to control annual floods and regulate irrigation, providing the basis for the agrarian society that Ancient Egypt is best known. <\/p>\n

The Nile also provided a form of public transportation. Boats and barges were essential in connecting the people and goods of Ancient Egypt, as it was often easier to move goods via water than it was over land. Large ships known as obelisks were used to transport granite and stone, by holding up to 150 tons of cargo, and were then used to help build the pyramids. The river also allowed trade and interconnectivity with other cultures and civilizations. Allowing for commerce and military activities, the Nile provided the Ancient Egyptians with a major economic advantage and helped spread its cultural influence.<\/p>\n

In addition to providing major resources, the Nile River was also a source of faith and religion for the Ancient Egyptians. Being the longest river in the world, the Egyptians considered it to be the source of life and fertility. They connected the river to various gods, with the river being seen as a deity in its own right, known as Hapi. This goddess of fertility and abundance was seen by the Ancient Egyptians as being the giver of life and the bringer of death. They also worshipped a wide variety of river gods, believing everything in the river was linked to a divine power.<\/p>\n