MEAN MONTHLY TEMPERATURE (CENTIGRADE). (From Tables compiled by Capt. H. Lyons, R.E.) Cairo Beni Suwêf (Rest Asyût Aswân Camp) Sept. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec 123 138 169 212 248 27°7 286 281 256 23'6 189 148 109 130 15 2 19'3 22'7 248 25°7 261 240 22'0 17'1 12'9 12'6 141 16 8 20'8 24'9 26'9 281 272 253 23 2 18'5 15'0 10'6 13'5 169 219 258 287 29'9 29°5 266 236 17.8 13.8 15 4 17 4 211 241 16'9 28 6 236 18 2 170 168 175 209 26'6 303 333 339 320 30 4 Aswân (Reservoir) 14'5 185 214 26°1 30'0 32'4 327 32'4 30°3 27'9 217 MEAN MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE (CENTIGRADE). Cairo 182 211 24°2 | 286 | 32'6 | 351 361 349 322 30°1 24 3 20 2 Beni Suwêf Asyût 20 2 247 28 4 336 39°3 423 42'3 39'2 376 35'8 296 24'9 311 362 391 414 415 419 397 388 317 27°3 MEAN MINIMUM TEMPERATURE (CENTIGRADE). 6.9 8.2 9'9 128 15'9 18°5 208 208 18'9 171 123 8.8 6'3 7'2 90 119 146 174 19'0 20'1 182 165 11'9 8.2 5'8 7°2 95 132 173 196 21°3 210 19'7 173 12'2 8.5 6'7 94 140 185 212 226 22'9 20'7 17'4 109 7'0 7'6 9'3 127 16'1 12'9 9'6 (Rest 99 107 12'9 18'7 213 24 3 255 248 23°3 21°2 175 115 Camp) Aswân (Reservoir) g'o 115 13.8 18.3 220 242 247 250 230 20'7 15'3 11'4 Dryness of the air: No matter how hot the weather, the air of Egypt is always light, fresh, and invigorating, and in places which are quite away from cultivated lands only a minute amount of moisture exists in it. Another important characteristic of the Egyptian climate is its uniformity, and in this respect it probably is unique. How long this will last it is hard to say, for there is no doubt that the large surface of water in the Suez Canal, and the extensive irrigation works which are increasing yearly, to say nothing of the enormous lake which has been formed by the waters held up by the Aswân Dam, have produced local disturbances of the atmosphere, and contributed in some places to make the winters less dry and the summers less hot. The evenings and the mornings are beautifully cool, and the thermometer does not often fall below 40° in Cairo. The average temperature of Lower Egypt ranges between 75° and 90° in summer, and between 45° and 60° in winter, and that of Upper Egypt between 90° and 100° in summer, and between 60° and 70° in winter. Cairo Gîza.. Asyût Aswân MEAN RELATIVE HUMIDITY (PER CENT.). Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. RELATIVE HUMIDITY (8 OR 9 A.M.). 84 74 68 65 64 73 76 80 80 77 86 45 48 бо 67 72 งง88 བ38ས 68 36 40 74 19 18 27 28 36 63. 27 28 37 42 47 54 The principal health resorts of Egypt are Alexandria, Cairo, Menȧ House and Helwân, both near Cairo, Luxor, and Aswân. Alexandria (see p. 119) possesses a healthy sea-shore climate, which is on the whole drier than that of Cairo. The mean rainfall is about 8:57 inches, and the mean temperature 69° F. = 20 ̊5 ̊C.; the mean winter temperature is 60° F., and, generally speaking, Alexandria is warmer by night than Cairo. The prevailing wind blows from the north in summer, and from the north-west in winter. Close to Alexandria is Ramleh, which is much frequented by tourists and residents who wish to live close to the sea. Alexandria MEAN TEMPERATURE (CENTIGRADE). Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. 142 155 17'0 19'2 21'9 24°3 262 269 25°9 24°1 199 162 14'0 15°3 16'9 191 22'0 24 7 270 276 265 249 20'3 16'1 13'2 15'2 17'5 208 23'9 265 28°5 28°3 26'1 238 187 15'1 13'6 15'5 18'0 217 25°3 27'6 29'4 29°2 27°1 248 19'1 15'4 Cairo (see p. 141) possesses a dry and salubrious climate in winter, and the city is thronged at that time with seekers after health and pleasure. It is the headquarters of the Egyptian Government, and the visitor may, if he pleases, amuse and interest himself from morning to night for some B weeks. The climate is not so dry as formerly, and in recent years the cold in winter has become sufficiently intense to necessitate the building of fire-grates in dwelling and other houses. In December, January, and February, the mornings and evenings are often very cold. Rain falls on from 25 to 30 days, and the sky is often overcast by clouds which are blown over the city by a strong wind from the north-west. In April the Khamsîn wind makes Cairo hot and stifling, and in the summer the heat and moisture together make it close. Each year that passes brings with it a considerable improvement in Cairo as a health resort, and the authorities spare neither pains nor expense in the carrying out of systems of drainage and other sanitary works, and in the cleansing of all parts of the city. The modern hotels are large, commodious buildings, which have been planned with due regard to the comfort, well-being, and health of European and American travellers, and the most approved methods of ventilation and sanitation have been adopted in them. The regular sweeping, cleansing, and watering of the streets, and the abolition of several old, narrow streets of houses, have made the European quarter of Cairo, in which the hotels are situated, an extremely pleasant place in which to live. The native quarters of the city of Cairo also have for years past occupied the serious attention of the Government, and the Egyptian is no longer allowed to live amid dust and dirt as formerly. Many of the streets in the native quarters of the city are now paved with asphalt, some E.30,000 having already been spent in this work alone; and E.11,000 was spent in making the new thoroughfare called the "Boulevard Abbâs" in 1905. At the present time more than one-half of the roads and streets in Cairo are paved. In 1902 it was decided to devote a sum of LE.10,000 a year to establish free taps in Cairo from which the poorer classes could obtain pure water, and the Government voted £E.20,000 to enable the Water Company to improve the quality and increase the supply. That such measures tend to promote the general health of the whole city is too obvious to need mention, and when all the schemes now under discussion have been carried out, Cairo will be as healthy a dwelling-place as any large Oriental city can be. Menȧ House was built by Mr. Locke-King, and is situated on the skirt of the Libyan Desert, near the Great Pyramid of Cheops, about eight miles from Cairo. The air here is cleaner, drier, and fresher than at Cairo, but the cold at night in December, January, and February is sometimes unpleasant; in November, and in the latter part of March and April, the weather is perfect. In addition to health a variety of amusements may be obtained here, and Cairo is easily reached by means of the electric tramway. Helwân (see p. 218) is a small town which lies on the right or east bank of the Nile, about 16 miles to the south of Cairo, and contained in 1907 about 4,119 inhabitants. This town, which stands about halfway between the river and the irrigated lands, owes its importance entirely to the sulphur and salt springs which come to the surface here in great abundance; the water has a temperature of 91, and the percentage of sulphur and salt held in solution is very large. These sulphur springs are thought by some to have been famous in very ancient days, and their healing properties were probably well known to those who gave to the place where they rise the name of “Helwân.” Fresh water is brought into the town from the Nile, about three miles distant. The air of Helwân is clean and free from sand and dust, and the restfulness of the place is very grateful; from the middle of November to the middle of April the climate is most beneficial for the sick and suffering. The baths which have been built during the last few years leave little to be desired, and it is not to be wondered at that it has recently become the fashion for the inhabitants of Cairo to resort there. The springs have been found specially beneficial in the various forms of skin disease to which residents in so hot a climate are subject. The Khedive TAWFIK PASHA built a little palace there, and his luxurious bath-house may still be inspected. Helwân is easily reached by trains which run frequently, the journey lasting from 30 to 45 minutes. The Observatory at Helwân (lat. 29° 51° 33°5" N., long. 31° 20′ 30'2′′ E., altitude 115 metres) is open to visitors from 3 to 5 p.m. daily, and at other hours by permission of the Superintendent. A Reynolds' 30-inch reflector has recently been mounted there, and a comparator," for determining with precision the length of bars by comparing them with the standard 4-metre compound bar of platinum and brass, has been erected in a double-walled building. Luxor (see p. 384 ff.) lies on the right or east bank of the Nile, about 450 miles to the south of Cairo, and can be easily and comfortably reached both by boat and by train. The wind is far less strong at Luxor than at the northern health resorts, the climate is more equable, the air is drier, sunshine is constant, rain falls very rarely, and the regular warmth is extremely grateful to delicate folk. From December to March it forms a most agreeable place to live in, and the Luxor Hotel is well provided with means for recreation, besides being most comfortable. There is a church in the hotel grounds, and an English clergyman ministers during the winter. The temples of Luxor and Karnak on the east bank, and the temple of Madînat Habu, the Ramesseum, the Tombs of the Kings, the great Theban Necropolis, etc., on the west bank, form objects of the deepest interest, and afford means of occupation, to say nothing of instruction, which are well-nigh endless. Archæological investigations of a most comprehensive character are being carried out by representatives of the Egyptian and European Governments, and visitors to Luxor are in the fortunate position of seeing and hearing of the most recent discoveries in Egyptology as soon as they are made. It Aswân (see p. 489 ff.), at the foot of the First Cataract, is about 583 miles south of Cairo, and, like Luxor, may be easily and comfortably reached by boat and train. is the driest and warmest health resort in Egypt, and as rain is rare, and there is no dew, the place forms an ideal abode for invalids and others whose comfort, or may be their very existence, demands a high temperature by day and warm, dry nights. The west wind passes over hundreds of miles of blazing desert, and is almost as dry as it is possible to be, and the north wind, owing to the little vegetation near the town, is also extremely dry, and to these causes must be attributed the wonderful crispness and bracing quality of the air, which is so beneficial to every visitor. In recent years large, commodious, and comfortable hotels have been built, one on the Island of Elephantine, one at the southern end of the town, and one close to the foot of the Cataract, and every attention is paid to cleanliness, sanitation, and drinking water, and three and a half months in winter, i.e., from the last week in November to the second or third week in March, may be passed most pleasantly at Aswân. In January the mornings are cold, but this hardly matters to those who have not to leave their hotels early; care should be taken by boating parties to provide warm wraps if they intend to remain on the river after sunset, both for comfort's sake and for the prevention of chills. |