The Nile flows north across northeast Africa for about 7,088 kilometres into the Mediterranean, making it the longest river in the world, though it carries far less water than the Amazon or the Congo. It has two main tributaries: the White Nile, which is longer and begins near Lake Victoria, and the Blue Nile, which starts at Lake Tana in Ethiopia and contributes over twice the White Nile's volume. The two meet at Khartoum, the Sudanese capital, and the river then runs through the Nubian Desert to Cairo before reaching its delta near Alexandria. Most of its water falls as rain in upstream countries such as Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, while Egypt and Sudan are largely desert that depend on it for irrigation. The river has followed its present course for about 15,000 years.

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.