出典:Wikipedia
出典:『Wikipedia』 (2011/04/12 16:17 UTC 版)
Elephantine (Arabic: جزيرة الفنتين) is an island in the River Nile, located just downstream of the First Cataract at the southern border of Ancient Egypt. This region is referred to as Upper Egypt because the land is higher than that near the Mediterranean coast. The island may have received its name because it was a trading place for ivory. Other theories claim that the island is named after its shape. It is easily verifiable that the island's shape is similar to that of an elephant's tusk. This is the meaning of the Greek word elephas (ελέφας). The layout of islands in the area can be seen from hillsides along the Nile.