The Nile - On the Banks of the World's Longest River | Free Documentary Nature

[Music] this big river has been dictating egypt's fate for thousands of years it lets life grow at its banks our journey along the nile leads us to the origins of a great civilization that never cease to amaze until today [Music] the people who live at its banks say that the nile is the band that unites and connects egypt near aswan the granite rocks of the first cataract build a natural barrier from here on the river is navigable until its mouth these women are walking to the banks of the nile to baptize a baby the procession looks like a scene from the old testament when little moses was abducted on the nile in a wicker basket and saved by the pharaoh's daughter [Applause] the choir of the relative's chance great god please allow him to grow up the noise is supposed to keep all evil away so the child can grow up without disturbance [Music] the women belonged to the ethnical group of the nubians traditionally these families settled near the border with sudan but they were expelled when the aswan high dam was built the nubians are devout muslims but many of their rights remind us of pre-islamic times [Music] their tradition demands that a miniature ship is sent on its way during a baptism it symbolizes the newborn and its way in life the mother's intercessions accompany the little ship on its journey almighty god please keep all people who could do him harm away from him [Music] our big journey down the river starts in us one we travel from the nile island of elephantine to the camel market in darrow and on to luxor with its famous temples and the valley of the kings near amana in middle egypt the locals proudly preserve their traditions and egypt's garden of eden is located at the fayum oasis the river turns into a delta after cairo and enters the mediterranean sea after 6853 kilometers one of the biggest bird migration routes leads through the valley of the nile near aswan six of the nile islands are classified as nature reserves my name is and i work as an ornithologist at the nature reserve south of aswan i love birds also because of their colors they're both beautiful and valuable here there are ibis over there aswan is an important resting place for migratory birds the ornithologists count them as they pass here on their way to their winter quarters further down south but attiet and her assistant are concerned the banks of the nile are unusually empty will there be less migratory birds arriving in us one this year [Music] local herons are the sole inhabitants of the cataract's rocks the environmentalists claim that migrating stalks from europe were shocked in large numbers [Music] environmentalists barely dared to step on the officially protected nile islands atiyan's team was threatened by poachers too the scientists carefully choose their path they don't want to startle the birds but they are mainly concerned about a confrontation with humans during the revolution and the following political turmoil some of the land that the protected areas was illegally occupied and the city of aswan's growth is out of control ever since unfortunately the migrating birds meet many obstacles here when they come to aswan the natural habitats that used to be here are gone now there is a harbor and other human interference at the banks of the river [Music] and the places where the birds could find food are gone the farmers on this island also refused to give up their land again bad news for atyet and her feathered fosterlings the biggest nile island near as1 is called elephantine during the times of the pharaohs it was a flourishing trade and garrison town with an international flare [Music] elephantine was the perfect junction for passenger and goods traffic [Music] only the old cataract hotel gained fame in modern times thanks to the screen adaptation of agatha christie's death on the nile elephantine greets his visitors with the pharaoh's insignia today archaeologist cornelius von pilgrim researches the vestiges of the past for a long time this region was the southern border of the pharaoh's empire and the nilometer is one of the oldest structures here was important to predict and record the niles water level throughout the seasons it was especially crucial here in aswan where the nile enters the egyptian mainland the pharaoh's tax collectors determined the farmer's dues depending on the inundation of the nile this is how queen hatshepsut was able to finance her monumental temple dedicated to the goddess and herself the inundation of the nile was ritually celebrated here at the temple for the public as well the water was filled in some sort of neck and flowed through a groove to the big celebration yard that was accessible for the regular people they were able to get there via the main road they watched the water rise and were allowed to drink and collect it the island's name elephantine means ivory or elephant and it refers to the town's former significance as a trade post for tusks that were imported into egypt from sudan the town flourished thanks to this trade [Laughter] [Music] further up north a sandstorm is rising the camels already feel it coming [Music] wants to drive his animals over the river to the market before it starts the ferry traffic is halted during a storm hussein is in a hurry he chases his driver [Music] it always takes a lot of time for all passengers and vehicles to embark [Music] cruise ships have the right of way on the nile which means that the ferryman needs to use the gaps and step on it when required but there's rarely as much traffic as today the decline in tourism means a compulsory break for many passenger ships they mastered the greatest obstacle on their way to the market luckily the sandstorm remains on the other side of the river market is legendary already more than one thousand years ago camels were traded here hack hussein safely arrived with his animals twice a week he and his nephew muhammad throw themselves into the fray hussein enjoys the atmosphere that has barely changed since his childhood this market is the biggest in the whole of egypt the animals are distributed from here to the rest of the country to a suit cairo aswan minya you can find everything here the camel's teeth provide an insight into their well-being hussein is an expert in camel assessment it won't take more than two months for this sort of camel to be at slaughter age they're clean and healthy many camels are sold as animals for slaughter but the more precious ones are treated as riding animals and status symbols [Music] hussein also likes to invest in the animal's outfit so that his premium stock makes an exceptional impression on his clients the animal barely resists it doesn't even mind the eyelash cosmetics long lashes are eye catchers the beauty treatment is worth it in order to get rid of dust bugs or dirt once the fur is gone the clients can judge the camel's weight they usually weigh between 300 and 400 kilograms donkeys are treated with a visit to the hairdressers too this animal must have lived through this procedure already countless times we also shear this donkey's fur so that it looks clean and pretty it adorns the rider too as it says in the quran [Music] the triangle supposedly protects from bad luck i learned this profession from my father same as all my ancestors before him this profession is handed down from generation to generation and we can make a living from it [Music] pleasure before business [Music] buyer meets seller one man wants to get a good deal the other wants to achieve a good price off they go our camel train from sudan takes 40 days to the egyptian border on foot and from there is only three or four additional days negotiations aren't easy the situation suddenly seems to run out of control they shove each other around their tony's harsh and bruised the mediator shouts at them repeatedly but the two opponents don't react the brawl seems imminent you're a crooked one is my maximum get out of the way the buyer vigorously proceeds to action and separates his desired camel from the herd but the transaction still seems to be in the balance again the mediator needs to step in for further the observer on negotiation sidelines is glad that the conflict doesn't escalate some of the men here carry concealed weapons but the insiders know that this is just a well-rehearsed ritual that is part of each decent camel sale and it's celebrated on each market day like this it's a tradition so this transaction comes to a conclusion too after the exhausting market day the men relax at the tea house and pay their dues because it provides for all of us [Music] even among friends it's common courtesy to count the money unlike in europe it's considered impolite if you don't count it there are more than 4 000 sellers at this market you get everything you want camels cars donkeys or sheep everything for traders and clients alike the market is their highlight of the week they meet old friends exchange the latest gossip and arrange marriages and they can smoke their shishes filled with a stimulating tobacco mixture in peace after market close hank hussein buys meat for lunch at the camel butchers he prefers his wife and daughters to stay at home hussein likes to do grocery shopping by himself camel meat is considered a delicacy and is healthy too it's lean and low in cholesterol the butcher is a close relative therefore there's always time for some family [Music] gossip [Music] the women already await the groceries no man who isn't part of the closer family circle is allowed here and the household activities of the man of the house abruptly end here the women reign at home hussein's sister and his daughters prepare the meal for today's feast the lady of the house doesn't show as long as there are strangers in the kitchen area you boil water and add the meat with salt spices and onions you let it cook until it's tender and fry it for a short time in the end that's it the house has a special reception area where visitors are kept separated from the women the first guest to arrive today is imad musa a ship owner from luxor he's looking for a berth for his ship when he needs to spend the night around here river navigation at night is forbidden on the nile due to many shoals i'm doing fine i was at the market today it all went well even though everyone here knows the reason for this visit it isn't mentioned for quite a while they ask each other about their family's well-being and exchange news after the first cup of tea it's the right time for negotiation regarding the anchoring birth of hussein's territory in the kitchen there's a strict hierarchy too the oldest daughter is in command as long as the mother isn't there even roasting the camel meat is a matter for the boss camel meat and beef are brought to the table as well as cooked aubergines tagined from the oven with okra and tomatoes hummus and tahini are mandatory side dishes beside the visitor from luxor there are also two dignitaries from the village some of the plates aren't touched the guests know that they are only put there symbolically they're removed later it's the food for the women who always eat after the men are finished [Music] haiku sends wealth neither shows in his modest clothing nor his lifestyle what matters to him more is the respect people show towards him [Music] only a drive through the family's vast plantations gives an impression of his true property situation all over the country hussein is praised as the mango king both due to the quality and quantity of his produce at the plantation hussein also cares for his little pet zoo it's one of his hobbies the menagerie reminds a bit of biblical times when prophet issa was born in a stable as devout muslim hussein calls jesus christ the main mango harvest is done muhammad is looking for late bloomers that shall provide seedlings for new mango trees in the local nursery hussein's mangoes are sold all over the country whoever owns enough land near the nile is a rich man the river delivers all required water to the doorstep for free the harvest at this plantation averages between 50 and 60 tons of mangoes per year the best quality is taken to alexandria for export he's doing great hussein is only worried about the new bridge over the nile oil has been discovered in the desert nearby our of course the bridge will be of use for people on both sides of the river the land has always been very fertile and will still be able to use it when the bridge will be built we'll see i've been living here since i was 12 or 13. when i was a child the water level was higher the water went up to here back then but then it dropped steadily and now it only reaches that palm tree over there hussein always has the river in his mind the nile formed people's fate in the nile valley until today it's said about life and rivers that everything flows at the tourism center in luxor many people quickly gained a fortune from all the visitors they became more dependent on them than on the nile the balloonists from luxor start their day at four o'clock in the morning and that time it's still icy cold on the edge of the desert but their work has become a routine during the past few years muhammad musa is wide awake and alert every little mistake can result in disaster when you want to get airborne the heated air lifts the balloon one heavy gush of wind and the ground crew would have to fear for their lives i always dreamed about owning my own ballooning company i've been working hard all my life until i achieved it now i own my own hot air balloons it took me 13 years to get there this morning mainly chinese and egyptians booked a flight you only get a license for the foundation of a ballooning company if you followed all rules and regulations security regulations for air traffic are very strict in egypt muhammad has cursed his decision several times already when other balloons collided in the air or their gas bottles exploded there were fatal accidents muhammad also couldn't sleep well due to his worries when political turmoil caused less and less tourists to visit luxor [Music] the higher the sun rises the more it heats up the air causing turbulence then the balloons cannot be steered anymore which is why they only start in still air or when there is only very little wind the morning breeze drives the balloon in the direction of the valley of the kings where many rulers of ancient egypt are buried the mortuary temple of pharaoh ramses is almost within reach [Music] in the east the sun rises over the fields the smoker burning cane fields colors the morning air above the nile the sahara spreads out behind the rocks with the pharaoh's graves from here on it's nothing but four thousand kilometers of desert to morocco the bird perspective shows the former reach of the yearly inundation of the nile settlements were only built behind that area agricultural life still works similar to many millennia ago many farmers must have been glad that the pharaoh's tax collectors couldn't count the crop yield and the livestock from above too shortly before the landing there's a problem the wind turns and drives the balloon in the direction of the planted fields it needs to land but it all goes well [Music] almost every family alongside the river is dependent on tourism during the political crisis they prayed that the number of visitors would rise again soon [Music] the ragam family's oldest daughter senap was forced to move in with her parents again shortly after the birth of a baby girl her husband left her out of disappointment that she didn't bring her son into the world but he refused to get divorced and only with a divorce certificate would send up be eligible for receiving social benefits now add the yeast today mother and daughter are baking the traditional sun bread slowly living together in such a confined space isn't always easy we put the dough in the fridge if we like to bake bread in two weeks we take it out on the previous evening and add some water and simply bake it biggest worry is that as a single mother she would be a burden to her family the rays of the sun help speed up the dough's fermentation process then it's time to fire up the oven mother shifa has declared this her exclusive task the writing on the oven says in god's name so the bake shall succeed the dough needs to have the right consistency hard on the outside and soft on the inside i'm dead tired during the past days i had to do it all by myself the baking process leaves enough time to prepare the food grandma peels the garlic and her granddaughter does her homework farhar's life is very different from that of the other women in her family at her age she wants to become a doctor and build a big house near the nile um wants to know what her granddaughter's drawing i'm drawing a nile because it's water is better than any other water in the world right beside the house is the onion field even though it's springtime and it's not very hot the field needs to be watered daily with nile water of course the locals couldn't imagine that this amount of water could one day not be available anymore here you already learn about irrigation technique as a child onions are a staple food for the peasant population [Music] now it's time they need to be quick the breads only bake for five minutes in this heat are they ready in a minute we've got two bread sizes today first farhar's small bread needs to be taken out of the oven it's hot we eat this bread with everything and don't need to buy anything it replaces rice or noodles and it stays fresh in the fridge for up to 20 days it only needs to be heated the yard is also the family's living room the carpet is for eating and preying on all the garden produce it brought to the table spinach leeks rice and onions this lures other inhabitants to the table as well the pigeon is unaware that it might land in the same pot one day senap doesn't want to depend on her relatives all the time she did an apprenticeship as a seamstress at a welfare facility that is sponsored by donations it needs to be black not white in the meantime senap also started to train women who are also dependent on an income of their own like her but i do both and have been working here for seven years now you can do that at home as well i've been working here for three months now and i learned embroidery and other things after the training i want to work from home because of my children i hope that this will help me in the future for senna and her trainees the workshop is the chance of their lives their self-made bags fill them with self-confidence my name is [Music] i'm a dealer and this is my bag [Applause] [Music] [Applause] and i created this this is the oven and the sun breads just like at home [Music] bought a canvas in town and he's on his way back to the village where he lives when lake nasa was flooded in the 1960s 50 000 nubians had to leave their villages gamal's family was among those displaced they found a new home further down the [Music] river yamaha's main purpose in life is preserving nubian culture [Music] i didn't study arts or have any education in regards to painting [Music] says that we need to paint our house with white chalk for that occasion but i didn't like that so i decided to paint it colorfully in our traditional style i bought colors and that's how it all started two years ago i bought some wood panels and painted on them my first painting is there on the wall i'm quite proud of it gamal's paintings tell the stories of nubian everyday life like about the language of the alda bajas the door locks if the lock is pulled out it means the owners are at home if it's in the middle it means they will be back shortly and if it's closed completely it means nobody's home and they won't return for a while you only need to look at the lock in order to know this was [Music] everyday life in upper egypt is shaped mainly by islam following the religious commandments prayers and frequent visits to the mosque are essential for gamal too but the nubian traditions contain much older rituals gamal's son puts his hand in red paint in the old days they used animal blood the so-called hand of fatima shall ward off the evil eye this protective magical symbol dates back to the pre-islamic folk religion [Music] most towns along the nile were founded during the times of the pharaohs la cada has existed for 5 000 years too many coptic christians live here adel habashi's family has been dealing with woven fabrics for as long as he can remember some of the female weavers are recognizable as cops not only because of the images of saints on the wall because those women aren't afraid to open their mouths in public this is quite unusual in the egyptian provincial regions the thermometer has risen up to more than 40 degrees celsius every movement is exhausting now i started to learn weaving when i was 15 years old my grandfather painted fabrics and worked on the loom my sister worked from home and she taught me how to weave my father also painted fabrics our family has been doing this work for a very long time we exclusively sell these shores to tourists in hergada laksa and charm el sheikh depends on tourism an uncertain future in times of crisis [Music] karun lake is a natural wonder in the middle of the egyptian desert water emerges from the deep fed by the nile the great river brings life to the inhospitable sahara [Music] the fishermen don't mind where the water originates from the high salinity also allows sea dwellers like souls or prawns to thrive and those fishing are happy about that no matter if they use a boat or wings for the catch like this kingfisher [Applause] even more than 9 000 years ago fishermen cast their nets and fish hooks here as archaeological finds documented but the water now has become saltier than in the sea the freshwater animals are dying out but karum lake is still a little paradise in the middle of the desert [Music] the failure oasis only exists because of this water it's egypt's garden of eden but the desert belt of sand and stone around the oasis is getting tighter and tighter these rocks used to be the seabed remains of the tethys ocean that covered this land 40 million years ago [Music] erosion wears away the sandstone but petrified sea dwellers bear witness to the dramatic changes of the past today every living thing seems to have gone from here [Music] but some have specialized in adapting to this deserted land for mansur talba the desert is the perfect workplace it has been feeding his family for as long as he can remember mansoor invited his son to join him on a very special training outside so that this know-how will be passed on to the next generation humans usually avoid encountering the animals that live hidden under these rocks mansour earns a lot of money from catching them in order to survive his work day he needs to be very careful take the scorpion i first remove the poison so that you can touch it then it's not dangerous anymore you think you can catch scorpions on your own now okay now you saw how to remove the poison and catch them you need to grab them by the tail that's their weak spot now isn't over yet the family business deals with another desert animal that requires even more caution i'll now teach you how to catch snakes as this is our profession my grandfather told it to my father my father taught me and now it's your turn [Music] [Music] [Music] um you need to grab the cobra from behind its head it's very dangerous and poisonous as it's such a dangerous snake we need to press its head down and grab it from behind once again in order to catch it and to be safe you always need to grab it from behind its head do you like it what do we do with the cobra we take it to the snake farm and sell its poison the bar yusuf the waterway of joseph connects the freyjam oasis with the noil further up north the river changes its shape and turns into a delta for thousands of years cairo egypt's capital has been located here all around the metropolis villas bear witness to its former glory as remains of an era where sultans and pashas ruled the land cairo the strong cairo the conquerors the biggest city in the arab world bears many colorful names but it's in danger of being suffocated by its size 20 million people live here basma al gabriel leads egypt's first motor scooter club for women to the lion's den the historical center of this mall basma prepares the scooter riders for confrontations but most of the club members only dare to hit the streets as a group it's a real dare for the young women and only few club members joined today they were attacked several times from out of car windows but on this public holiday the women finally decided to do this adventure ride from the outskirts of town to where the action is i usually don't get in trouble not only because i'm a woman but because i ride a motor scooter i try to encourage the women because it's rather uncommon in egypt for women to do that therefore i established a blog called girls go wheels where the girls can chat and talk about their experiences their destination is many of the houses are 500 years old this used to be the biggest bazaar in africa especially the spice bazaar attracts a lot of people with its selection of oriental range of products for their club's anniversary the women are looking for choice ingredients and spices this is egyptian salab from orchard route it's very sweet only the best please you've got no wi-fi here a client endlessly talked to his wife about what he was supposed to buy in the end it was just one little thing is that all that's it the young women are on their way back by daylight they are proud because they mastered the big city traffic challenge behind cairo lies the vast river delta [Music] now the nile flows slowly through the flat agricultural land after 6853kg the nile enters the mediterranean sea this is where our journey along the cradle of a great civilization ends [Music] you

Channel: Free Documentary - Nature

Views: 404,158

Rating: 4.7658081 out of 5

Keywords: Free Documentary, Documentaries, Full documentary, HD documentary, documentary - topic, documentary (tv genre), nature documentary, Free Documentary Nature, Nile, Nile River, Egypt, Nile Valley, ancient egypt, Sudan, White Nile, Blue Nile, Longest River, World's Longest River, Africa, North Africa, Aswan Low Dam, Luxor, Cairo, Giza, Pyramids, egyptian pyramids, giza pyramids, Night Boat to Cairo, nile flooding, Travel Egypt, Egypt Tourism

Id: 5U2JXUVdVS4

Length: 52min 30sec (3150 seconds)

Published: Wed Jan 20 2021