Bahariya Oasis

Situated in a 100km by 40km (62 by 25 miles) depression and completely surrounded by high black escarpments, Bahariya is a natural treasure of Egypt and well worth visiting, the landscape here is surreal and constantly changing. The valley floor is covered with lush groves of date palms, olives, ancient springs, and wells.

Bahariya was the hub of the great caravan tracks between the Nile Valley and Libya, it was an important center for agriculture and wine production, as well as a source of minerals since Pharaonic times. Now, it is a famous starting point for many desert safari adventures in the vast Western Egyptian desert, especially the famous White Desert and The Black Desert.

What to see:

The Temple of Alexander is the only temple thought to be built by Alexander in the Oasis of Egypt. Today, little of the temple remains intact, most of it has become ruins due to the surrounding desert wearing it away.

Bahariya Heritage Museum shows objects documenting the various aspects of life in the oasis and local customs and traditions.

The 4 Chapels of Ainel-Muftella were part of a temple complex built during the reign of the Pharaoh Amasis, 26th Dynasty (569-526 BC). Its walls were decorated with bas reliefs that are in a fine state of preservation.

The Golden Mummies Museum displays an amazing collection of Roman mummies found in the famous Golden Mummies Valley, which is the most spectacular discovery in 1996 since Howard Carter opened the tomb of Tutankhamun, where hundreds of Roman mummies covered in gold were found by accident in the middle of nowhere in the desert.

The Bawiti village is considered the capital of Bahariya and is very picturesque, a stereotypical image of a desert village – palm groves surrounding clusters of mud-brick houses. Bawiti has two well-preserved, rock-cut, richly decorated tombs dating back to the 26th dynasty (664-525 BC). They are the rock-cut Tomb of Zed-Amun-ef-ankh and the Tomb of his son Bannentiu.

The ruins of the World War II fortress that the British controlled area on the top of The English Mountain. It offers the best view over the oasis, especially at the sunset.