A brick-paved garden path framed by large trees, potted agaves, and trimmed hedges leads toward the distinctive conical stone tower of the Nilometer (Miqyas Al-Nil) on Rhoda Island, Al-Manial, Cairo. The Nilometer is one of the oldest surviving Islamic-era structures in Egypt, originally constructed in 861 CE during the Abbasid period to measure the annual flooding levels of the Nile River. The whitewashed building to the right and the lush garden setting reflect the preserved historic character of the site.