EXPERIENCE THE MAGIC OF FAYOUM
Set on 160 square meters of Lake Qarun’s peaceful shore, just 90 kilometers southwest of Cairo, Byoum Lakeside Hotel enjoys a prime location in the gorgeous Fayoum Oasis.
GETTING THERE
Fayoum is approximately 100 kilometers from Cairo and can be reached by car (1 hour), bus (2 hours), taxi (1 to 2 hours) or train (3 to 4 hours). Booking a car through a travel agent or renting your own vehicle, and driving to Fayoum from Cairo on the Fayoum Desert Road is recommended. Service taxis are available from Giza Square, buses are available from the Ahmed Helmi or Giza bus terminals and trains are available from the Ramses or Giza stations. Transportation to and from Cairo can be arranged for all guests staying at Byoum. Please contact [email protected] for more information.
ABOUT FAYOUM
Byoum Lakeside Hotel is located on the tranquil shores of Lake Qarun in the city of Al-Fayoum, the largest city in the Fayoum Oasis. Fayoum, rich in Ancient Egyptian, Greco-Roman and Islamic history, is also the oldest city in Egypt. Tours of remarkable monuments and cultural excursions to Tunis Village, Wadi El Rayan and the Wadi El Hitan UNESCO World Heritage Site, can all be arranged during your stay at Byoum Lakeside Hotel.
NATURAL OASIS
Fayoum is also famous for its outstanding natural surroundings. As a popular place of refuge from bustling Cairo, Fayoum is framed by the magic and mystery of Egypt’s Western Desert and the undisturbed beauty of Qarun Lake. Located in the heart of the Fayoum Oasis, the city of Fayoum occupies some of Egypt’s most fertile land and is a celebrated region for bird wildlife and desert sports. DISCOVER MORE OF FAYOUM
FAYOUM OASIS
Known historically as the “garden of Egypt” or “earthly paradise”, the Fayoum Oasis is Egypt’s largest oasis—70 kilometers wide and 60 kilometers long—the closest to the Nile River and Cairo. However, by definition, Fayoum is not technically a real oasis as it is watered by the Nile and not natural springs. Dating back to ancient times, water is distributed via a depression and system of canals formed by the Bahr Youssef. The result is an expanse rich in wildlife and a fertile ground for agriculture.
LAKE QARUN
Lake Qarun is the third largest lake in Egypt, occupying the northern side of Fayoum. Referred to as Berka or “the small lake” in Arabic within Fayoum and self-proclaimed as the “world’s most ancient lake” elsewhere, Lake Qarun has an impressive surface area of 214 kilometers and once covered all of Fayoum. It was the Ancient Egyptians who were responsible for digging a series of canals linking the salt water lake to the Nile in the 17th century BC. Today, the Qarun Lake is home to a large colony of flamingos and various migratory birds, and there are numerous fishing communities are located along the shores.
CLIMATE
Fayoum boasts a desert climate and enjoys warm temperatures year round. Winters are dry with temperatures ranging from highs of 11 to 17 °C and lows of 4 to 10 ° January is the coldest month of the year and July is the warmest month of the year with temperatures averaging 28.2 to 36 °C during the summer season (June – August).
FAYOUM FACTS
- The first documented human life in Fayoum dates back to 7200 BC.
- Fayoum was originally called Shedet in Ancient Egypt and was referred to as Krocodilopolis by the Ancient Greeks as it was believed that the crocodiles in Lake Quran were sacred.
- Fayoum is 90 kilometers southwest of Cairo.
- Approximately 3 million people live in the Fayoum Governorate.
- The Fayoum Governorate covers 4,550 square kilometers, of which only 1,450 are cultivated.