Category: Egypt Oases

Whales may be seen in the area known as Whale Valley.

The ancient fossils found at this archeological site in Egypt’s Fayoum Governorate’s western desert area have earned it historical renown.

The Egyptians called it “Wadi Al Hitan” because of its location in the Sinai Peninsula.

Discoveries:

Archaeoceti, a whale suborder that was formerly abundant but is now extinct, may be found in a large paleontological area here.

One of the most important discoveries of the 20th century, it provides a fascinating look at evolution as well as insight into how whales evolved from terrestrial species to ocean-going mammals.

It is clear from the skeletal remains that these animals started losing their limbs as terrestrial animals before reorganizing into aquatic species as a consequence of their losses.

Basilosaurus, whose skeleton was recently discovered by an American paleontologist, was descended from a species that originated in various parts of the world, including Pakistan, Europe, North America, and Asia. Basilosaurus was a creature that walked rather than swam when it was discovered in Pakistan, Europe, and North America.

When Wadi Hitan was an oceanic plate 40 to 50 million years ago, a huge collection of known (and still unknown) fossils from both ocean and land masses may be found in Whale Valley.

When the Tethys Sea was far further south than the Mediterranean Sea is now, this was when it existed.

Visitors:

Whale Valley’s continual excavation is commonplace, since new discoveries are found each year.

In addition to those who have a deep interest in paleontology, the findings awe and excite everyone who visits the park.

With an ever-increasing influx of tourists and a stunning setting, the site has become a prized Egyptian souvenir.

In Egypt, the Siwa Oasis is one of the most popular destinations.
Siwa

Siwa Oasis is a favorite among many desert tourists.
The place is filled with a peaceful vibe, thanks to the gorgeous ambience.

It’s a beautiful place to relax and enjoy the scenery.

Siwa’s Adrere Amellal ecolodge may be reached through the desert way from Bahariya or the road down from Marsa Matruh on the northern coast, which is more common.

Air travel is an option, but you must check the schedule in advance to ensure that flights from Cairo are departing on time.

A few top-notch hotels are available, although there are no major hotel chains in the nation. Prince Charles spent time at one of them during his visit to the country in 2006.

A trip to Siwa Eco-Lodge Adrere Amellal Siwa has long been known for its olive orchards and palm gardens, which stretch back to antiquity, in a location surrounded by lakes that are too saline to allow fishing.

Siwan olives and Siwan bottled water are now generally recognized as among the country’s finest and cleanest.

According to this assertion, there are no pollutants generated in this area, which is easy to prove.

Siwa was home to two distinct ethnic groups at one time. As an alternative to the more secluded Siwan people, who are from Berber origin, there are also the Bedouin, who live on or near the Oasis’ perimeter and are just as colorfully attired.

The remnants of the mud village of Old Shali, which was abandoned in the 1980s after suffering major brain damage, are awe-inspiring when one visits Siwa.

It has the impression of a ruined stronghold made of mud pies, and it’s close to the modern town of Shali.

It’s possible to make your way there by navigating the maze of dimly lit passageways, but extreme caution is advised.

For most people, Alexander the Great’s trip to Siwa in 331 BC and his subsequent visit to the Oracle are synonymous with the city.

On his way to the Oracle, he inquired, “Will I govern the world?” The Oracle responded, “Yes, but not for very long,” so he sought an answer from the Oracle.

It’s possible to observe Cleopatra’s pool and the ruined town in addition to the supposed site of the Oracle, among other things.

Siwa Artisans and their Work

Among the oases of Egypt, Siwa is most known for its pottery, which has the biggest artisanal tradition of the bunch.

Ceramic tajin, or Saharan cooking pots, may be purchased that are one-of-a-kind and made by hand in bread ovens rather than kilns.

Designer wedding dresses are sometimes made by women who otherwise keep their style more traditional throughout the year.

There is a lot of music in Siwa.

Musicians will notice that Siwans are unconstrained and very talented.
They have a tradition of preparing for the four major festivals and their highly musical weddings with a high degree of music training.

About 10,000 Siwans go to the nearby Jebel Dakhour for three days of feasting, dancing, and singing during Siayha, the main festival that is accessible to the public.

The Farafra Oasis in Egypt is a well-liked tourist attraction because of its natural beauty.

Nearby Farafra is a famous tourist attraction since it is the nearest oasis to the White Desert. This desert is usually visited from Bahariya, omitting the chance to see Farafra.

The absence of Farafra, with its singular appeal, is especially disappointing.

The new valleys habitation project has led to a rise in the number of Farafronies in recent years.

New farms needed water, so wells were drilled, and the population grew from a few thousand in the 1980s to over 15,000 today.

These people now live in the several hamlets that have sprouted up around the main town of Qasr Farafra, which is home to around 5k people..

Businesses have sprung up along the roadway as a result, making it easier to replenish while driving across the desert.

With its tiny alleyways and low, tin-roofed homes, Farafra is hard to envisage as a Roman or Ottoman city. Initially, it seems as though the town’s ancient mud-walled stronghold, which was built in the Roman era but has been entirely washed away by heavy rains since the 1950s, has fallen into ruin.

In contrast to the abandoned mud fortresses in Dakhla Oasis, the Farafra fortress is still inhabited despite its poor state of preservation, lending an air of continuity to the ancient history of the oasis.

Farafra’s handiwork.

Except for the spinning of camel and sheep wool, Farafra has no famous artisan tradition like Siwa, which is well-known for its jewelry, or Dakhla and Kharga, which are well-known for their ceramics. In Egypt and the rest of the world, spinning is seen as a manly pursuit.

A group of hefty men may be seen strolling down the city’s major thoroughfare while chatting with friends and sipping mint tea.

In Farafra, knitting is just as popular as it is among sailors. The majority of participants are males, although a few liberated women are also involved.

Natural hot springs known as “hot springs”

Natural hot springs abound in Farafra, as they do in Bahariya.

To wash away the sand after a lengthy safari in the White Desert, nothing is better than relaxing in a hot tub.

People who have just had their first camel ride and are feeling pains and aches might benefit greatly from Bir Sitta, also known as Well Six.

Soil, which is supposed to aid with muscle and joint recovery, is present in the big hot bath.

Institutions exist in Farafra, however they are made up of people rather than physical buildings.

There’s a Bedouin Badawi cousin named Mr. Socks, who drives about town on a moped, carrying a wooden box filled with hand-knit socks and other necessities.

The socks are ideal for use in the desert at night, when you don’t want stray mosquitoes biting your ankles, and for use in oasis hotels.

El Fayoum, Egypt’s Paradise

Rather than water flowing from the ground, this artificial oasis, also known as Joseph’s canal, was created by a long canal naturally formed by the flooding Nile that dates back to Legendary times and was named after Joseph, the biblical hero who established the oasis.

Location between the Nile and Birket Qarun’s big lake makes this area rather large.

The Fayoum’s peculiar character and ambiance are owed in large part to this vast lake, which looks like the sea on a bad day.

Celebrities like Winston Churchill and King Farouk used to visit the lake’s southerly hotels as they shot their firearms at the flying ducks in the sky.

Birdwatching has increased dramatically although duck hunting is still taking place on this lake and the neighbouring Wadi Rayyan, an artificially constructed stretch of water.

Since then, Lake Qarun has been polluted with salt water.

Freshwater plankton and fish bones found in mud deposit samples demonstrate this.

The Nile’s floods were powerful enough to restore Lake Nasser’s water supply in ancient times.

Water entering Lake Eyasi has been more agricultural runoff than fresh water since the British building of a dam at Aswan (which acted as a forerunner to a later high dam) and a canalization system that included more widespread Nile canalization in 1900s as a consequence of these changes.

Since Lake Qarun’s salinity has risen, most of the lake’s fish are marine species that have been transported from the Mediterranean.

There’s a modern village in the middle of the Fayoum Oasis that’s surrounded by a lot of palm tree plantations.

Some of the Pharaonic and Roman ruins may be discovered in the desert north of Lake Qarun, along with some antique water wheels and other artifacts.

In the oasis, where they feed on lush green grass known as berseem rather than the desert’s thorny scrub, camels perform much of the donkey work instead of donkeys.

Near the Wadi Rayyan protected area in Fayoum, there are two lakes connected by a small waterfall, which is the only one in the Egyptian desert. Wadi Rayyan, a protected region inside Fayoum, is also included.

Visit the Wadi Rayyan monastery, where modern-day monks carry on the traditions of their ancient forebearers who built rock caves here during the early days of Christianity.

Visitors to the Wadi Rayyan tourism attraction in Egypt may observe the lake, which is a popular resting spot for birds flying from Africa to Egypt.

Located west of the Fayoum River, the Whale Valley is part of a journey that will be detailed later in this book.

To begin with, it should be emphasized that the fossilized remains of extinct whales may be discovered in Whale Valley, also known as Wadi Hitan.

It’s well worth the trip to check out this odd and massive haunted mansion.

The Black Desert in Egypt is a bleak wilderness.

The Black Desert in Egypt is a stunning natural marvel that can be reached in 4 to 5 hours by car from Cairo.

The White Desert lies nearby, and it’s a popular choice for travellers looking for an alternative to Egypt’s more well-known tourist sites.

The scenery in this region is some of the most breathtaking on the world.

Location:

Uninhabited terrain in the so-called Western Desert is a consequence of the high heat and dryness of the desert plains throughout the summer months.

In the Black Desert, individuals may escape the daily grind.

For example, the Black Desert has volcano-shaped mountains that seem like they might have come straight out of a Star Wars movie at moments.

Volcanic black stones are scattered throughout the slopes and floors, which are covered in orange and brown sands.

Tourists may easily scale the low-lying peaks, which provide them stunning vistas of the surrounding desert and the chance to capture some very stunning photos.

Due to the absence of facilities and the fact that the Black Desert is virtually abandoned, it is considered a “passing through” destination.

The landscape consists of sparse plains interspersed with a variety of dunes (small mountains).

It is more realistic to characterize them as volcanic cones that erupted from the desert rather than mountains.