| |
Farafra Oasis
Farafra Oasis is probably one of the least known Oasis. It is actually one of the most difficult Oasis to reach and offered the pharaohs, caliphs and kings very little, though it seems to be on the way to everywhere. It is open to the harsh desert elements, sparsely populated and poor, Farafra Oasis remained isolated for centuries. Its isolation created a special world of eternal sunshine and incredible beauty that is just beginning to be penetrated by the outside world.
Farafra, Known as Ta-iht or the Land of the Crown Pharaonic times, is a single village. With only 4,000 inhabitants and about 200 km to the first neighbor settlement Farafra is among the most isolated places in
Egypt. It is part of the
Western
Desert circuit, so it still gets many visitors. And the place has a number of attractions, of which the adjacent
White
Desert is one of
Egypt’s most famous nature sights. The architecture of Farafra is the old and ingenious one, where mud brick houses stand close together, with narrow roads with roofs. Many of the houses have painted exteriors with murals.
The
White
Desert
As the name implies, the
White
Desert is a large landscape of pure white color. If one did not know better it would seem like snow covering the entire region.
A trip to the
White
Desert is something that no visitor to the
New
Valley should miss. Travelers coming from Baharyia will cross through the
Black
Desert, passing the tiny oasis of El-Hayiz on the way. Nearby there are same Roman ruins, including a church with Coptic graffiti. Baharyia and Farafra are separated by huge golden sand dunes which make a stunning photograph during the journey.
Ain El Wadi
Also called the Magic Spring, is recognized by a single palm tree sitting atop a knoll. It is the highest point in the area and the only other green spot on the vast plain.
Kasr Al Farafra
The only real village in the Farafra Oasis, Kasr Al Farafra is a quite and relaxing place, which represents most of what it has to offer tourists. There are few tourist accommodations in the area, but that may change in the near future. Most of the description of the Farafra Oasis applies to the town itself.
|
|
