
Riding motorbike over the Nile on Cairo's 6 October bridge (Photo: Salma Shukrallah)
Earth's longest river, the Nile, passes through Egypt before reaching the Mediterranean Sea. It is Egypt's main source of water, providing it with over 95 percent of the vital resource.
Population is concentrated in 7.7 per cent of Egypt’s total area, mainly the Nile Valley and the Delta.
In Egypt's capital of Cairo, a city of almost 17 million residents, the river is rife with activity.

Fisherman cast their nets at dawn while the majority of Cairo's residents are still asleep (Photo: Osman El-Sharnoubi)

A long view of the Nile in Cairo's Al-Manial district (Photo: Randa Ali)

A fisherman unties his net on the banks of the Nile (Photo: Osman El-Sharnoubi)

And a fish is hooked! (Photo: Lamia Hassan)

A public bus is reflected on the river under Qasr El-Aini Bridge near downtown Cairo (Photo: Osman El-Sharnoubi)

Some families in Cairo make homes out of boats (Photo: Osman El-Sharnoubi)

Egyptians enjoying the morning view of the Nile at a restaurant near Cairo's upscale district of Maadi (Photo: Zeinab El-Gundy)

A small informal settlement on an island in the Nile, with the tall apartment blocks of Maadi in the background (Photo: Lamia Hassan)

A barge travels upstream (Photo: Mai Shaheen)

Kids hanging out on Al-Mansterly bridge in Cairo's Al-Manial district (Photo: Randa Ali)

Al-Mansterly bridge (Photo: Osman El-Sharnoubi)

Hanging out on Al-Manstrly bridge (Photo: Randa Ali)

Boats pass through the reflection of a tower in Cairo (Photo: Osman El-Sharnoubi)

Garbage is a common site on the Nile's banks (Photo: Lamia Hassan)

A man fishes on a concrete piling south of Cairo (Osman El-Sharnoubi)

A view of Cairo's luxurious Nile Towers, partly owned by Egyptian business tycoon Naguib Sawiris (Photo: Lamia Hassan)

A boy about to jump in for a swim under a bridge near Maadi (Photo: Osman El-Sharnoubi)

First built in the 8th century, the Nilometer was used to measure the clarity and water level of the Nile during the annual flood season. It is no longer in operation. (Photo: Lamia Hassan)

Many Egyptians take up fishing as a hobby (Photo: Osman El-Sharnoubi)

The sun sinks behind buildings in Egypt's capital (Photo: Rowan El-Shimi)

Jet skiing in the Nile (Photo: Rowan El-Shimi)

For only a few pounds, Egyptians can take a small river ride (Photo: Randa Ali)

A boy selling cotton candy to passengers on a boat (Photo: Randa Ali)

The Nile is often lit up at night with the colorful lights of boats (Photo: Randa Ali)
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