Siwa Oasis is situated in the Western Desert close to the Libyan border. It
is Egypt's most remote oasis town and the Siwans have developed their own distinct
Berber culture. Siwans speak their own language and their jewellery and crafts are
exquisite. A decent road and a small airport have certainly put the Siwa Oasis on
the tourist map but it is still off the beaten track. As well as its unique culture,
the Siwa oasis is known for its geographical beauty, hot springs and the fact that
Alexander the Great traveled here to visit the Oracle of Amun.
It's a wonderful place to relax, swim and eat some olives. The old town of Siwa
dates back to the 13th century and its mud and brick architecture looks gnarled
and quite unique
Bahariya Oasis is easy to reach from Cairo (you will pass through much desert) ,Bahariya
is in the middle of Egypt's Western Desert , about 365 kilometres south-west of
Cairo and it is the best starting point for the Black and White Desert . Set in
a depression covering over 2000 sq. km. , Bahariya Oasis is surrounded by black
hills made up of ferruginous quartzite and dolorite. The oasis is provided with
water by many springs. The most famous of these, a thermal spring with medicinal
and restorative properties, comes out in the Bedouin
village of Bawiti. Wildlife
is plentiful, especially birds such as wheatears , Bahariya Oasis might also appeal
rock hounds . Golden Mummies were discovered - 'Valley of the Mummies' is the biggest
of its kind . Estimates are the four-mile strip of desert holds 5,000 - 10,000 mummies.
The mummies are covered with a thin layer of gold and wearing gypsum masks. Sumptuous
gilded death masks depict lifelike faces of real people, rather than stereotypical
images.They were found in four tombs in the town of Bawiti in Bahariya Oasis.
Dakhla Oasis lies to the northwest of Kharga and is also about 310 km to the southeast
of Farafra. This oasis consists of 14 settlements and has a population of about
70,000 people. Dakhla is the farthest oasis out of Cairo and is considered one of
Egypt's most beautiful oasis.
Dakhla sits in a depression surrounded by pink cliffs. There are about 30,000 acres
of cultivated land. Most of its 70,000 or so residents are farmers who constantly
fight the battle of the dunes that threaten their fields and orchards. The fields
and gardens are filled mostly with mulberry trees, date palms, figs and other citrus
fruits. Dakhla has retained most of its culture and charm even though it has increased
in size by about double and government funding and technical training has revitalized
the economy. Dakhla is the only place in Egypt where new water wheels which are
driven by buffaloes are constructed. They are made of palm timber and clay jars
and are called saqiyas. The oasis is connected to Kharga by a 120 mile (200 km)
road that has buses running daily.
Research has found that the Oasis has been inhabited since prehistoric times, and
that there was once a huge lake here. There are neolithic rock paintings that
indicate that the lake was frequented by elephants, buffaloes and ostriches. As
the lake dried up, the inhabitants migrated to the Nile valley and were probably
some of its first settlers.
Farafra Oasis, known as Ta-iht or the Land of the Cow in pharaonic times, is a single
village. The most isolated of the New Valley Oases it is renowned for its strong
traditions and piety. According to folklore, the villagers once lost track
of time and had to send a rider to Dakhla so they could hold the Friday prayers
on the right day. The oldest part of the village, on a hillside, is next to peaceful
walled palm groves; a short ride away there are hot sulphur springs at Bir Setta
and swimming at El-Mufid Lake.
Mostly inhabited by Bedouins, the small mud-brick houses all have wooden doorways
with medieval peg locks. As in other oases, many of Farafra's houses are painted
blue (to ward off the Evil Eye) but here some are also decorated with landscapes,
birds and animals, the handiwork of local artist, Badr. A combination house, museum
and studio exhibiting his paintings and ceramics is situated in a garden full of
sculptures made from objects found in the surrounding desert. Another local, known
as Mr. Socks, sells beautiful hand-knitted camel-hair sweaters, socks and scarves.
Day trips by jeep and camel treks from here to the White Desert, Bahariya, Dakhla
and Siwa
Kharga Oasis must be one of the most beautiful places in the world, especially at
sunset; everything you see at this "green island in the middle of a yellow ocean
of sand", is natural! Whether you are sleeping under the stars, or just relaxing
between the high palm-trees, you will find a feeling of integration with the environment.
The first time I saw the El-Kharga Oasis, a bright light came to my eyes and I could
not overcome the emotion, even I wondered "what better place to go than El-Kharga
Oasis?" During my short stay in this splendid place I realized that I did not look
at my watch as often as I usually do in Cairo, since it seemed that time did not
matter here; I even walked around more than I do in the city, the fantastic, pure,
atmosphere encouraging me to explore, as I found that I was feeling less tired than
normal. No doubt the stay in that wonderful place was a kind of recuperation from
the gloomy crowded life of the Egyptian capital. Everything around me was clean,
quiet, and simple, and for a moment a thought came into my head about buying a house
there.
El-Kharga Oasis is about 550Km from Cairo, but it is nearer to Luxor than any other
Egyptian town, and was called the Oasis of Thebes by the Ancient Egyptians. There
are several monumental sites here, the most important being the Temple of Hebes.
It is situated 3Km north of the Oasis, and was dedicated for the worship of the
Triad of Thebes, Amon, Mut and Khonso, dating back to the 26th Dynasty.
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