Nilometer

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  • Address
    Sharia al-Malek as-Salih, Rhoda

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Built in AD 861, the Nilometer was designed to measure the rise and fall of the Nile, and thus predict the fortunes of the annual harvest. If the Nile rose to 16 cubits (a cubit is about the length of a forearm) the harvest was likely to be good, giving people reason to celebrate, though also to fear the higher taxes that came with abundance. The conical dome was added in a 19th-century restoration.

The measuring device, a graduated column, sits well below the level of the Nile in a paved area at the bottom of a flight of steps.