East and west of the fertile Nile Valley, Egypt comprised vast areas of desert. Scattered amongst these deserts were oases, which were mainly used as military outposts and stop-overs for merchant caravans. Using a system of canals and reservoirs these oases could be expanded, reclaiming the desert for farming. Fayum, the most prominent oasis in the western desert, was connected to the Nile via the Bahr Yusef canal, and its agriculture thrived. With vineyards and vast plantations, the Fayum region is still of great agricultural importance to Egypt.
