LAKE MARIOUT

Next to Africana Hotel. Its ancient name is Mareotis. It was indispensable to maritime traffic in the time of Cleopatra VII, when Egypt was the granary of the Roman Empire. It was very close to Lake Idku. Both lakes flowed into the canopic branch of the Nile. Today, the lake, which is the natural habitat of some bird species, is threatened by nearby polluting industries. The Nile perch is present in Lake Mariout, although it is more of a freshwater fish. There are fisheries and saltworks around the lake.