Lake Mareotis
| Lake Mariout | |
|---|---|
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| Coordinates | 31°09′11″N 29°53′55″E / 31.153056°N 29.898611°ECoordinates: 31°09′11″N 29°53′55″E / 31.153056°N 29.898611°E |
| Lake type | Brackish |
| Basin countries | Egypt |
| Settlements | Alexandria |
Lake Mariout (Arabic: بحيرة مريوط Boḥēret Maryūṭ , IPA: [boˈħeːɾet mɑɾˤˈjuːtˤ]), also spelled Maryut or Mariut, is a brackish lake in northern Egypt. The lake area covered 200 km² and had a navigable canal at the beginning of the 20th century, but at the beginning of the 21st century, it covers only about 50 km².
The name derives from Mareotis or Marea, the name of the lake in ancient times.
At least 250 years ago, the lake was fresh water, and much of it would dry up during the period just before the Nile flooded again. A storm in 1770 breached the sea wall at Abu Qir, creating a sea-water lake known as Lake Abu Qir. The salt waters were kept separate from Lake Mariout by the canal that allowed fresh water to travel from the Nile to Alexandria. As part of the Siege of Alexandria, on 13 March 1801, the British cut the canal, allowing a great rush of sea water from Lake Abu Qir into Lake Mariout. Lake Abu Qir ceased to exist, and Lake Mariout became brackish instead of fresh.
It is separated from the Mediterranean Sea by the narrow isthmus on which the city of Alexandria was built. The lake shore is home to fisheries and saltworks. As far back as the early 1900s, it was documented that salt was being refined from the western part of the lake. Some of the marshy areas around the lake have been reclaimed for new building as the city grows and how to manage the pollution that goes into the lake has been considered.
According to some records, a homonymous nome (Ancient name: Mareotis) was located on the shores of this lake.
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Wikipedia