Ancient site · Faiyum
Karanis
An ancient farming town of the Ptolemaic and Roman eras at Kom Aushim, in the north-eastern corner of the Faiyum Oasis.
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The story
Karanis was an agricultural town on the site of present-day Kom Aushim, in the north-eastern corner of the Faiyum Oasis, during the Ptolemaic and Roman periods. It was one of several towns founded in the third century BC by Ptolemy II Philadelphus in the Arsinoite nome. It covered roughly 60 hectares, with a peak population estimated at about 4,000 people. In the first century BC the town expanded northwards when Augustus sent workers to clean the canals and restore the dikes, bringing productivity back to the area. It was occupied until about the seventh century AD and then gradually abandoned for reasons that remain unclear.
Good to know
- The town covered about 60 hectares, with a peak population estimated at around 4,000.
- Karanis was founded in the third century BC under Ptolemy II Philadelphus.