The Fayûm and Lake Mœris

In the late nineteenth century a small team of British engineers set out to transform the ancient irrigation network of Egypt’s Fayum basin, and Major R. H. Brown recorded their work in vivid detail. With a background in Indian railway construction, Brown spent countless scorching summers walking the banks of the Bahr Yūsuf, measuring water levels and sketching canals that had lain dormant for centuries. His narrative blends technical description with a keen sense of place, letting listeners picture the flat, fertile plains that once attracted pharaohs and Caesar alike.

Beyond the engineering, the book turns to the enigmatic Lake Moeris, a body of water described by Herodotus but whose exact location has puzzled scholars for generations. Brown presents photographs he took himself, together with scaled maps and diagrams that illuminate both the terrain and the ambitious projects meant to revive it. The result is a clear, engaging account that invites anyone interested in history, geography, or the art of large‑scale water management to explore a forgotten corner of the world.