Amazing Things You Should Know About River Nile
Nile basin was once broken into series of separate basins, only the most northerly of which served a river following the present course of the Nile in Egypt and Sudan.
There is a belief that Egypt itself supplied most of the waters of the Nile during the early part of its history. The other theory is that the drainage from Ethiopia through rivers equivalent to the Blue Nile, the Atbara, and the Takazze proceeded to the Mediterranean via the Egyptian Nile since well back into Tertiary times.
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Movement:
In Uganda, the Nile leaves Lake Victoria at Ripon Falls near Jinja, Uganda, as the Victoria Nile. It flows north for some 130 kilometres to Lake Kyoga and makes a great half-circle to the east and north until it reaches the northern shores of Lake Albert shared by the Democratic Republic of Congo, and it is known as Albert Nile.
In South Sudan, the Nile flows south of Nimule where it is known as the “Mountain River” before joining a small lagoon called Lake No, after which it becomes the White Nile due to the whitish clay suspended in its waters.
In Sudan, the Nile flows north to Khartoum and meets the Blue Nile where its course is distinctive since it flows over six groups of cataracts. In the north of Sudan, the river enters Lake Nasser (known in Sudan as Lake Nubia).
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In Egypt, below the Aswan High Dam, the Nile resumes its historic course at the northern limit of Lake Nasser and splits into two branches that feed the Mediterranean.
Antiquity:
Because the Nile originates from Uganda, in the town of Jinja, the place offers a hive of many other activities for anyone interested in a weekend gateway from the bustle of the city including all year white water rafting, Kayaking, Jet boating, bungee jumping to kiss the Nile, Squad biking, horse riding by the shores of the Nile among others.
When you drive out to the source of the Nile, your first encounter is the beautiful gardens in the vicinity. Next are the several craft shops with mostly African pieces sourced from all over the country.
You can then visit and photograph several monuments that have a historical attachment to the Nile. For example, Mahatma Gandhi requested that some of his ashes be sprinkled in the Nile after cremation along many other rivers in the world.
Once on the shores of River Nile, you will take a motorized traditional boat to where the river waters ‘start’ separating from the lake waters, the spot is marked with a signpost.
Over the years because of several dam constructions downstream along the Nile, the water levels have increased upstream making it sometimes impossible to step on the slab by the signpost for photos.
However, you are still able to take them while in the boat with the sign in the background. In the dry seasons when the rains are scanty it is sometimes possible to step on the slab for personal photos.
There is amazing scenery all along the Nile as it curves through Uganda with sections through communities where you have sightings of fishermen, gardens along the Nile, and homes with energetic beautiful children often excited to see boats on the water.
Other sections simply have hotels and factories especially those near the source of the Nile.
Etymology and names:
The standard English names “White Nile” and “Blue Nile”, to refer to the river’s source, derive from Arabic names formerly applied only to the Sudanese stretches that meet at Khartoum.
In the ancient Egyptian language, the Nile is called Ḥ’pī (Hapy) or Iteru, meaning “river”. In Coptic, the word nile, pronounced piaro (Sahidic) or phiaro (Bohairic), means “the river” and comes from the same ancient name.
The Nobiin call river River Nile Áman Dawū, meaning “the great water.” In Luganda the river is called Kiira or Kiyira. In Egyptian Arabic, the Nile is called en-Nīl, while in Standard Arabic it is called an-Nīl.
And in Biblical Hebrew, it is Ha-Ye’or or, Ha-Shi or. The English name Nile and the Arabic names en-Nîl and an-Nîl both derive from the Latin Nilus and the Ancient Greek Νεῖλος. Beyond that, however, the etymology is disputed.
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Amazing Things You Should Know About River Nile
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