Photos from Bahariya Oasis - Western Desert - Egypt
Bahariya Oasis is a total of 500 Kms from Cairo, set in a depression covering over 2000 sq. Km. Bahariya Oasis is the lowest point in Egypt, it is surrounded by black hills made up of ferruginous quartzite and dolerite. Most of the villages and cultivated land can be viewed from the top of the 50-metre-high Jebel al-Mi'ysrah (Shown on bottom photo), together with the massive dunes which threaten to engulf some of the older settlements. Wildlife is plentiful, especially birds such as Whiatears; crops (which only cover a small percentage of the total area) include dates, olives, apricots, rice and corn.
Bawiti is the largest village in the oasis; its picturesque hillside quarter overlooks lush palm groves irrigated by the Ain al-Beshmo, a natural spring hewn from the rock in Roman times which gushes water at 30 C The neighbouring village of al-Qast was built on the remains of a 26th dynasty temple-nearby, at Qarat Hilwah, you can still see tombs with paintings dating from the same period. Famous for its mineral and sulphur springs, including Bir Mathar and Bir al-Ghaba, Bahariya is also Known amongst local Bedouin for informal music and poetry recitals.
Overview of the oasis, although not strictly the size of an oasis people are used to, the location of Bahariya as well as the many springs within the areas make it technically an oasis, a large one. The mosque shown in the photo is the oldest one in the area and is said to be a few hundred years old.
The main products in Bahariya are dates and olives, most of the fields are hidden around the palm trees to escape the hot sun most of the year. These gates are used to mark the ownership of the land.
The shrine of Sheikh El Bawiti, after whom the oasis was named lies in the middle of town. The old English outpost on top of English mountain was used by British troops at one point as it showed strategic views of the area.
Different scenes from within the oasis.
Camels around Bahariya are brown in colour, and seem to be Moroccan type camels.
Bahariya has a very rich history and is said to have been the first settlement in Egypt. It is therefore not surprising that many ancient sites are being found. Above left is the tomb of Zed-Amun Wf Ankh who ruled the areas at one point, while the on on the right is from the tomb of Bannentoui who was a major trader in the region.
Temple of Alexander the great. A frequent visitor to Egypt in ancient times, he had a temple setup in most of the desert centers. Not much is left of the actual temple, but you can see how archeologists start by digging into what looks like nothing. The photo on the right shows some of the small artifacts found in the area.
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