A closer look
One of the most fascinating historical sites in Cairo is literally just a measuring stick in a hole. For centuries, the Nilometer on Roda Island wasn't just a hydrological tool; it was the ultimate arbiter of life and death. During the annual flood season, priests would read the water levels in this submerged stone chamber. If the water was too low, everyone starved. If it was too high, floods destroyed the crops. If it was just right, the government immediately used the data to jack up taxes on the peasantry. Today, tourists pay admission to look down the very shaft that historically guaranteed their financial ruin.
