Lake Mariout
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| Lake Mariout | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 31°09′11″N 29°53′55″E / 31.153056°N 29.898611°ECoordinates: 31°09′11″N 29°53′55″E / 31.153056°N 29.898611°E |
| Lake type | brackish |
| Basin countries | Egypt |
| Surface area | 250 km² |
Lake Mariout (Arabic: بحيرة مريوط) (also spelled Maryut or Mariut) is a salt lake, or rather brackish, with an area of about 250 square km in northern Egypt. It is separated from the Mediterranean Sea by the narrow isthmus on which the city of Alexandria was built. The lake shore is home to fisheries and saltworks. Some of the marshy areas around the lake have been reclaimed for new building as the city grows.
The name derives from Mareotis, the name of the lake in ancient times.
In Hellenistic times the semi-monastic community of Therapeutae was liocated by the shores of this lake.
Nile perch lives in the lake, although it principally needs fresh water to live in, and the lake contains some salt.
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