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Kharga is the largest of the Oases, the administrative centre of the New Valley Governorate. It is also the nearest to the Nile Valley, being only two hours from Luxor. It has a large population of over 70,000 people and plenty of new buildings in the centre.
As you arrive the tang of dates assaults your nose and the sight of row upon row of date palms. Though busy and modern, in parts, Kharga still retains the romance of the desert.
Pottery is one of the crafts celebrated in Kharga. In the main town of Qasr there are numerous shops selling ceramic products as well as a pottery factory you can take a tour round. You can also get some good bargains at Kharga’s lively bazaar or souk which is located in the southern part of Qasr town in the buzzing Midan Showla.
In Roman times Kharga was apowerful centre of activity. There are many remains along with those of more ancient times. Since the camel’s introduction around 500 BC, Kharga has been the final post on the Forty Days Road from Sudan- along which all the trade of East Africa used to come. Even today great caravans of camels come along this route- but they are mainly destined to be eaten once they have arrived at Cairo.
Chapel Ceilings of Bagawat
Here are the domed roofs of one of the best preserved Christian cemeteries in the world. There are 263 ornate tombs and many chapels. The roof paintings are of particular interest. Ask to see the painting that depicts the zodiac surrounding portraits of Mary and Jesus. This very same design appears in pre-Christian Ptolemaic Egyptian art in the Temple of Dendera but sadly the original was removed to the Louvre in 1820.
But one can trace the line that connects the two utterly different religions.
Ain Um Dabadib
Ain Um Dabadib, located some 40km north of the main town of Qasr Kharga, is an amazing fortress that has been occupied since before Roman times. An incredible place that sits below the escarpment but 220metres above the desert floor it commands great vistas. All around are scattered and broken pots that date all the way back through Islamic times to Christian to Roman and before.
Paris, Egypt
It is widely believed that Baris in Kharga is named after Paris in France. Perhaps this is an example of the great sense of humour Egyptians display. The world famous architect Hassan Fathi designed an ecologically sound village to replace old Baris, hence New Baris.
Unfortunately the locals did not take to being moved and New Baris is now deserted, an interesting example of great architecture that somehow misses the mark.
El Fayoum, located one hour south of Cairo, is considered one of Egypt's most peaceful places and one of the most greenish oases in Egypt's desert
Bahariya is one of the more appealing of the desert circuit oasis, and it's also the easiest to access, being just 365 kilometers from Cairo.
Al Farafra is a small oasis located in the western desert of Egypt and the nearest oasis to the White Desert.
El Dakhla oasis is usually considered as the most beautiful of Egypt's Western Desert oases.
Kharga is the largest of the Oases, the administrative center of the New Valley Governorate. It is also the nearest to the Nile Valley and only two hours from Luxor.
Many desert travelers consider Siwa Oasis to be their favorite. It is a wonderfully lovely setting with a distinctive atmosphere and a peaceful ambiance.
Agabat, sometimes referred to as the "Beautiful Valley," is a stopover station for travellers travelling to Bahariya and the White and Black Deserts. It is situated in Egypt's Western Desert.
Learn how to have the ideal camping and safari experience in Egypt. understand how to pick your clothing, as well as the transportation, food, and beverages available in the Egyptian desert.
Al-Haize is located next to the Black Desert, so named because of the stones that adorn its surface like burnt breadcrumbs. This is early Miocene dark brown Oligocene iron pyrite and black basalt.
The Mountain is located between Al-Mandesha and Al-Bawati city, the seat of Bahareya and the location of the oasis's major villages.
The Black Desert is distinguished by a landscape of isolated plains and dunes of all sizes, heights, and shapes that spread like an archipelago of islands.
Farafra's Badr's Heritage Museum provides a wonderfully fascinating and instructive look at this time period.
Due to the sheer distinctive and different rock formations in its dazzling white surroundings, Egypt's White Desert is believed to be one of the most visited tourist locations for adventure tourism.
Crystal Mountain is located on the outskirts of the White Desert and is a must-see tourist destination for visitors. A little natural arch in the rock and the gleaming calcite crystal walls make it an ideal location for photographs.