640:
672:
699:
660:
534:, while the downstream portion is occasionally referred to as the "Egyptian" Nile. The geological distinction between these two portions of the river is considerable. North of Aswan, the river bed is not rocky, but is instead composed of sediment, and far from being a shallow river. It is believed that the bedrock was previously eroded to be several thousand feet deep. This created a vast canyon that is now filled with sediment.
711:
723:
38:
687:
135:
594:
about 2700 stadia, then turns back to the south and the winter sunset for about 3700 stadia, and it almost reaches the same parallel as the Meroë region and makes its way far into Libya. Then it makes another turn, and flows northward 5300 stadia to the great cataract, curving slightly to the east;
579:
from 760 to 656 BC. Besides the
Kushite invasion, for most of Egyptian history, the Nile's cataracts, particularly the First Cataract, primarily served as a natural border to prevent most crossings from the south, as those in said region would rely on river travel to venture north and south. This
671:
639:
530:, the landmass is lifted, keeping parts of the river bed exposed. These distinctive features of the river between Aswan and Khartoum have led to the stretch being often referred to as the
633:
537:
Despite these characteristics, some of the cataracts which are normally impassable by boat because of the shallow water have become navigable during the flood season.
580:
allowed Egypt's southern border to be relatively protected from invasions, and besides brief
Kushite rule, it remained a natural border for most of Egyptian history.
614:
526:
has diverted the river's course to the west, while keeping its depth shallow and causing the formation of the cataracts. Even as the river bed is worn down by
560:'s six primary cataracts could be accurately described as waterfalls, and given a broader definition, this is the same with many of the minor cataracts.
408:
306:
259:
195:
357:
751:
462:
55:
826:
121:
102:
74:
165:, where the surface of the water is broken by many small boulders and stones jutting out of the river bed, as well as many rocky
722:
842:
169:. In some places, these stretches are punctuated by whitewater, while at others the water flow is smoother but still shallow.
81:
59:
750:
Thurmond, Allison K.; Stern, Robert J.; Abdelsalam, Mohamed G.; Nielsen, Kent C.; Abdeen, Mamdouh M.; Hinz, Emily (2004).
88:
698:
70:
48:
513:
932:
927:
659:
729:
710:
890:
790:
766:
678:
256:. It is located 10 km south of the former site of Wadi Halfa, at the current location of the town (
95:
686:
895:. Vol. VIII. Translated by Jones, H. L. Harvard University Press – via Bill Thayer.
822:
782:
618:
604:
449:
774:
922:
572:
519:
522:
active and this activity has caused the river to take on "youthful" characteristics. The
770:
603:
The six cataracts of the Nile are depicted extensively by
European visitors, notably by
917:
550:
347:
300:
571:
to the first cataract, while further upstream, the land was controlled by the ancient
912:
906:
778:
644:
609:
576:
233:
846:
583:
523:
816:
629:
625:
564:
253:
37:
868:
17:
568:
351:
147:
786:
628:
has filled most of the area between the first and second cataracts (known as
478:
464:
424:
410:
373:
359:
322:
308:
275:
261:
211:
197:
398:
643:
Boat travelling to the Second
Cataract of the Nile carrying photographer
591:
456:
158:
590:
It has a similar shape to a backwards letter N. It flows northward from
134:
527:
886:
452:
402:
150:
638:
596:
249:
241:
189:
181:
166:
162:
133:
613:(1899), where he recounts the exploits of the British trying to
557:
509:
154:
31:
232:). Its former location was selected for the construction of
549:("to flow down"), although the original Greek term was the
518:
Geologists indicate that the region of northern Sudan is
595:
then 1200 stadia to the smaller cataract at Syene (i.e.
448:
The Sixth
Cataract is where the Nile cuts through the
350:, and since 2008, is submerged under the reservoir of
634:
International
Campaign to Save the Monuments of Nubia
62:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
586:gave a precise description of the Cataract-Nile:
818:Evaporites:Sediments, Resources and Hydrocarbons
588:
248:The Second Cataract (or Great Cataract) was in
545:The word "cataract" comes from the Greek word
177:Counted going upstream (from north to south):
188:The First Cataract was located just south of
8:
632:), and its monuments moved as part of the
615:return to the Sudan between 1896 and 1898
556:. However, contrary to this, none of the
122:Learn how and when to remove this message
742:
655:
236:, the first dam built across the Nile.
7:
60:adding citations to reliable sources
25:
821:. Berlin: Springer. p. 352.
759:Journal of African Earth Sciences
599:), and then 5300 more to the sea.
779:10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2004.07.027
721:
709:
697:
685:
670:
658:
36:
47:needs additional citations for
27:Series of six whitewater rapids
397:The Fifth Cataract is between
346:The Fourth Cataract is in the
1:
138:The six cataracts of the Nile
677:Second cataract in 1854 by
575:that would later take over
567:extended from south of the
252:and is now submerged under
949:
728:Sixth Cataract in 1908 by
507:
514:Messinian salinity crisis
510:Nile § Ancient Niles
299:The Third Cataract is at
146:are shallow lengths (or
843:"Cataracts of the Nile"
730:Sir Henry Rider Haggard
619:forced to leave in 1885
71:"Cataracts of the Nile"
648:
601:
139:
815:Warren, John (2006).
642:
144:Cataracts of the Nile
137:
56:improve this article
849:on 17 February 2010
771:2004JAfES..39..401T
679:John Beasley Greene
474: /
425:18.3856°N 33.7769°E
420: /
369: /
323:19.7135°N 30.3729°E
318: /
276:21.8115°N 31.2159°E
271: /
212:24.0354°N 32.8721°E
207: /
752:"The Nubian Swell"
649:
617:, after they were
563:In ancient times,
140:
873:Ancient Egypt 101
605:Winston Churchill
173:The Six Cataracts
132:
131:
124:
106:
16:(Redirected from
940:
897:
896:
883:
877:
876:
865:
859:
858:
856:
854:
845:. Archived from
839:
833:
832:
812:
806:
805:
803:
801:
795:
789:. Archived from
765:(3–5): 401–407.
756:
747:
725:
713:
701:
689:
674:
662:
647:(period 1850-98)
498:
497:
495:
494:
493:
491:
486:
485:
480:
475:
472:
471:
470:
467:
444:
443:
441:
440:
439:
437:
432:
431:
430:18.3856; 33.7769
426:
421:
418:
417:
416:
413:
393:
392:
390:
389:
388:
386:
381:
380:
375:
370:
367:
366:
365:
362:
342:
341:
339:
338:
337:
335:
330:
329:
328:19.7135; 30.3729
324:
319:
316:
315:
314:
311:
295:
294:
292:
291:
290:
288:
283:
282:
281:21.8115; 31.2159
277:
272:
269:
268:
267:
264:
231:
230:
228:
227:
226:
224:
219:
218:
217:24.0354; 32.8721
213:
208:
205:
204:
203:
200:
127:
120:
116:
113:
107:
105:
64:
40:
32:
21:
948:
947:
943:
942:
941:
939:
938:
937:
933:Rivers of Sudan
928:Rivers of Egypt
903:
902:
901:
900:
885:
884:
880:
867:
866:
862:
852:
850:
841:
840:
836:
829:
814:
813:
809:
799:
797:
793:
754:
749:
748:
744:
739:
732:
726:
717:
714:
705:
704:Fourth Cataract
702:
693:
692:Third Cataract
690:
681:
675:
666:
663:
654:
573:Kingdom of Kush
543:
516:
506:
489:
487:
483:
481:
479:16.29°N 32.67°E
477:
476:
473:
468:
465:
463:
461:
460:
435:
433:
429:
427:
423:
422:
419:
414:
411:
409:
407:
406:
385:Fourth Cataract
384:
382:
378:
376:
374:18.91°N 32.36°E
372:
371:
368:
363:
360:
358:
356:
355:
333:
331:
327:
325:
321:
320:
317:
312:
309:
307:
305:
304:
286:
284:
280:
278:
274:
273:
270:
265:
262:
260:
258:
257:
222:
220:
216:
214:
210:
209:
206:
201:
198:
196:
194:
193:
175:
157:river, between
128:
117:
111:
108:
65:
63:
53:
41:
28:
23:
22:
18:Fourth Cataract
15:
12:
11:
5:
946:
944:
936:
935:
930:
925:
920:
915:
905:
904:
899:
898:
878:
860:
834:
827:
807:
796:on 25 May 2011
741:
740:
738:
735:
734:
733:
727:
720:
718:
716:Fifth Cataract
715:
708:
706:
703:
696:
694:
691:
684:
682:
676:
669:
667:
665:First Cataract
664:
657:
653:
650:
542:
539:
505:
502:
501:
500:
490:Sixth Cataract
446:
436:Fifth Cataract
395:
348:Manasir Desert
344:
334:Third Cataract
297:
287:Great Cataract
238:
237:
223:First Cataract
174:
171:
130:
129:
44:
42:
35:
26:
24:
14:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
945:
934:
931:
929:
926:
924:
921:
919:
916:
914:
911:
910:
908:
894:
893:
892:The Geography
888:
882:
879:
874:
870:
864:
861:
848:
844:
838:
835:
830:
828:3-540-26011-0
824:
820:
819:
811:
808:
792:
788:
784:
780:
776:
772:
768:
764:
760:
753:
746:
743:
736:
731:
724:
719:
712:
707:
700:
695:
688:
683:
680:
673:
668:
661:
656:
651:
646:
645:Francis Frith
641:
637:
635:
631:
627:
622:
620:
616:
612:
611:
610:The River War
606:
600:
598:
593:
587:
585:
581:
578:
574:
570:
566:
561:
559:
555:
552:
548:
540:
538:
535:
533:
532:Cataract Nile
529:
525:
521:
515:
511:
503:
496:
458:
454:
451:
447:
442:
404:
400:
396:
391:
353:
349:
345:
340:
302:
298:
293:
255:
251:
247:
246:
245:
243:
235:
234:Aswan Low Dam
229:
191:
187:
186:
185:
183:
178:
172:
170:
168:
164:
160:
156:
152:
149:
145:
136:
126:
123:
115:
112:December 2018
104:
101:
97:
94:
90:
87:
83:
80:
76:
73: –
72:
68:
67:Find sources:
61:
57:
51:
50:
45:This article
43:
39:
34:
33:
30:
19:
891:
881:
872:
863:
851:. Retrieved
847:the original
837:
817:
810:
798:. Retrieved
791:the original
762:
758:
745:
623:
608:
602:
589:
584:Eratosthenes
582:
562:
553:
546:
544:
536:
531:
524:Nubian Swell
520:tectonically
517:
484:16.29; 32.67
379:18.91; 32.36
239:
179:
176:
143:
141:
118:
109:
99:
92:
85:
78:
66:
54:Please help
49:verification
46:
29:
869:"Geography"
853:17 February
630:Lower Nubia
626:Lake Nasser
565:Upper Egypt
551:plural-only
482: /
455:, close to
428: /
377: /
326: /
279: /
254:Lake Nasser
215: /
907:Categories
800:21 October
737:References
569:Nile Delta
554:Κατάδουποι
508:See also:
488: (
457:Bagrawiyah
434: (
415:33°46′37″E
412:18°23′08″N
405:, Sudan. (
383: (
352:Merowe Dam
332: (
313:30°22′22″E
310:19°42′49″N
303:/Hannek. (
285: (
266:31°12′57″E
263:21°48′41″N
221: (
202:32°52′20″E
199:24°02′07″N
148:whitewater
82:newspapers
787:1464-343X
399:Abu Hamad
153:) of the
889:(1932).
547:καταρρέω
450:Sabaluka
159:Khartoum
767:Bibcode
652:Gallery
624:Today,
541:History
528:erosion
504:Geology
469:32°40′E
466:16°17′N
364:32°22′E
361:18°55′N
96:scholar
923:Rapids
887:Strabo
825:
785:
512:, and
453:pluton
403:Atbara
301:Tombos
167:islets
151:rapids
98:
91:
84:
77:
69:
918:Nubia
794:(PDF)
755:(PDF)
597:Aswan
592:Meroë
577:Egypt
250:Nubia
242:Sudan
190:Aswan
182:Egypt
163:Aswan
103:JSTOR
89:books
913:Nile
855:2014
823:ISBN
802:2006
783:ISSN
558:Nile
401:and
161:and
155:Nile
142:The
75:news
775:doi
607:in
459:. (
354:. (
240:In
180:In
58:by
909::
871:.
781:.
773:.
763:39
761:.
757:.
636:.
621:.
244::
184::
875:.
857:.
831:.
804:.
777::
769::
499:)
492:)
445:)
438:)
394:)
387:)
343:)
336:)
296:)
289:)
225:)
192:(
125:)
119:(
114:)
110:(
100:·
93:·
86:·
79:·
52:.
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.