The Faiyum Oasis is a basin in the desert immediately west of the Nile south of Cairo in Egypt. In 2300 BC, a canal was built from the Nile to the lake, widening the oasis and serving the surrounding area with irrigation. Cities and towns such as Faiyum, Karanis, and Philadelphia developed around the oasis, and a diverse society of mixed Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Syrian, Libyan, and other origins emerged.