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BAHARIYA OASIS :
Oasis of
temples and Golden Mummies
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.
There are 7 oasis communities of
“mainimportance” among a handful of smaller places . Getting to the
oases is straightforward . There are good roads and plenty of public
transportation that costs next to nothing compared with Western price
levels.
The oases are famed for their numerous mineral and sulphur-rich springs,
distinguished by their unique chemical composition which places them at
a high level world-wide. In addition, the silt contained in these wells
has numerous curative properties for the treatment of bone, stomach,
chest and skin ailments. Most of the wells are found in the Fayoum,
Kharga, Dakhla, Farafra, Bahariya and Siwa Oases as well as in the
Qattara Depression .
The Western Desert is another land of history and beauty . The desert
with its oases abound in legends . Pharaohs , Kings , Warriors and
explorers have all visited this remarkbale of silent desert , fertile
oases , and treasures .
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
Siwa Oasis is in western Egypt with 23,000 inhabitants, near the border
to Libya, it is some 560km kilometers from Cairo, at an depression of 18
metres below sea level. The oasis is 82 km long and has a width varying
between 2 and 20 km. The people are Berbers, and have their own
language. To Siwa, there are 3 larger salt lakes, Birket Maraqi, Birket
Siwa, and Birket Zaytun. Tourism has gradually given employment for some
Siwans . It has beautiful oasis gardens, bathing possibilities and
pharaonic temples too. The fortress Shali is pretty much ruined to give
a true image of old times.
Fayoum , the Oasis of Peace is Egypt's largest oasis, populated by more
than 2 million. It is not a pure oasis like the other ones of Egypt, as
most of its water comes from the Nile.
But it is a depression, and it has its own artesian wells, allowing
water to reach the surface from underground reservoirs.
The extent of it is quite grand, and the green gardens seem to go on and
on. Fayoum's history goes back in time as far as Egypt's . The main town
in the oasis is located 85 km south of Cairo . Fayoum has quite a group
of monasteries . Saint Anthony (251-356 AD) acted as an inspiration for
hermits and there were soon numerous monasteries throughout the country
. A number of them are still standing today .
The 12th Century Deir Al-Adhra (Monastery of the Virgin) just off the
road to Beni Swef, about 6 km outside Fayoum City, is the most
accessible. Fayoum ranks high because of the fabulous oasis gardens, a
surreal lake and the many pharaonic monuments.
Farafra Oasis is about 450 kilometres south-west of Cairo . The area
west of Farafra is covered by the impenetrable Great Sand Sea. The area
north-east of Qasr Farafra is called White Desert and is definitely
worth a visit (better by 4x4). Farafra is highly recommended because of
charm, great bathing possibilities. The gardens are nice and there are
some remaining traditional houses too.
Paris , the Forgotten Oasis . Although Paris , or Baris as it is called
in most foreign traveller’s guides , is neglected by almost all travel
agencies bringing tourists around the oases in the Western Desert . Few
venture out here, but Paris is interesting . It has nice palm trees ,
though it is filthy since it is mainly abandoned by its former
inhabitants and taken over by goats. Upon last investigation, there was
one bus a day running between Paris and Kharga.
Dakhla Oasis offers the best preserved architecture of all of Egypts'
oases. In some villages, people still live almost like the way their
ancestors did. Also there is a selection of fine oasis gardens, and a
pharaonic temple makes you realize how deep the history of the oases
really is.
Kharga Oasis , the Golden Oasis , is the southernmost of Egypt’s Western
oases . It is located in the Libyan Desert, about 200 km to the west of
the Nile valley, and is some 150 km long . El Kharga is about 550 km far
from Cairo , it seemed that everything there went out of time. There, I
was walking longer than I really do in the city. Ain Umm Dabadib is a
major ancient settlement located to the north of Qasr Kharga in Kharga
Oasis in Egypt's Western Desert , Ain Umm Dabadib includes a slant-sided
temple, a Coptic church , numerous tombs, and four underground
aqueducts. They run for over 13 kilometers with vents for cleaning and
repairs every few meters. As oases go, the local people seemed to be
“at your service ” , they are kind and the visitors feel that they are
very welcomed . The life there is simple but satisfying the little
necessities of its people.
Archeologists , a team of 20 had discovered the tomb of Eyuf the mayor
of Bahriyah of the 26th dynasty in a tomb complex of nobles discovered
in the 1930s in the town of Bawiti in Bahariya Oasis . Some of the walls
are covered in vivid depictions of Eyfu being prepared for the afterlife
by Anubis, the god of death . The tombs are part of a vast necropolis
found in 1993 after a donkey stumbled into it from above the ground .
That stumble revealed an entire forgotten population not just of
faceless mummies, but of people with wives, husbands, children, lives,
beliefs and personalities, which they took with them in death . The
archeologists predicted that complete excavation will take at least a
decade. Bahariya is an escape from everyday life with a lot of
opportunities for those who are interested in archeology.
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Cairo
Bahariya Road
White Desert
Akabat Mountain
White Desert
White Desert
Camping
White Desert
White Desert
Crystal Mountain
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