Situation
Heliopolis lay northeast of Memphis, on the east bank of the Nile, at latitude 30° N, and near the commencement of the Pharaonic Canal connecting the Nile to the Red Sea. It was the boundary town between Lower and Middle Egypt, where the river craft paid tolls when ascending or descending the Nile.
According to tradition, the first fort was built by the Persians in about the 6th century BC., but at that time it was on the cliffs near the river. When the Romans took possession of Egypt, they used the old fort for a while, recognizing its strategic importance on the Nile, but because of problems of water delivery, the Roman Emperor Trajan relocated the fort to its present location, which at that time was nearer to the River. Since then, the Nile's course has moved some 400 metres (430 yards) to the north.
Read more about this topic: Babylon Fortress
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