# Dakhla and Kharga oases The Kharga and Dakhla oases, in the Western Desert, lie on the road that links Cairo to Luxor through the oases. Kharga holds the Temple of Hibis, the el-Bagawat necropolis and a chain of Roman fortresses; Dakhla holds mud-brick villages such as al-Qasr. For travellers drawn to archaeology and little-travelled roads, between November and March. Source : https://sabaro-travel.com/en/egypt/dakhla-and-kharga/ ## The desert frontier Kharga occupies a depression about 180 km from north to south, some 200 km west of the Nile; it is the largest of the Western Desert oases. It owes its history to its position as a crossroads. The Darb al-Arba'in, the "Forty Days Road", brought gold and ivory from Africa through here; until the 19th century it linked Egypt to the Sultanate of Darfur, in today's Sudan. Each period left its mark: - **The Persians** built the first core of the Temple of Hibis, later enlarged by the Ptolemies and the Romans, and introduced underground aqueducts that carried water by gravity to the fields. - **The Romans** took over this system and fortified the oasis at the end of the 3rd century and the start of the 4th: a chain of forts and fortified villages that marked the empire's southern limit and controlled the caravans. Umm al-Dabadib and Ain al-Lebekha, to the north, are among the best preserved. - **The early Christians** left the great 5th-century necropolis of el-Bagawat, and churches built inside the forts. Kharga and the small southern oases have been on UNESCO's Tentative List (UNESCO: the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization; the Tentative List gathers the sites a State intends to nominate for World Heritage) since 2015, for both their remains and their landscapes. ## Kharga, the monuments Kharga town is modern; the sites lie a few kilometres to the north, and to the south towards Baris. - **The Temple of Hibis**, 2 km north of town, dedicated to Amun, restored and reopened to the public. An avenue of sphinxes leads to the hypostyle hall; the sanctuary bears nearly 700 figures of gods and kings. - **The el-Bagawat necropolis**, one of the oldest Christian cemeteries in Egypt: 263 mud-brick funerary chapels topped with domes. The Chapels of the Exodus and of Peace keep their paintings. - **The Ain al-Dabashiya pigeon tower**, a square tower restored and open to the public, amid ancient fields. - **The forts of Umm al-Dabadib and Ain al-Lebekha**, further into the desert: you need a guide and an off-road vehicle. - **To the south, the Temple of Dush**, a 1st-century Roman building dedicated to Isis and Serapis, near Baris; the tourist board suggests coming at sunset for the view. Gold jewellery found nearby in 1989 is in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. On the way, the earth-architecture village designed by the architect Hassan Fathy, begun in the 1960s, was never finished. ## Dakhla, the villages Dakhla stretches about 80 km from east to west, a string of villages and palm groves along the road. Mut is the main town; the interest lies in the old villages. - **Al-Qasr**, the oasis's former medieval capital: an old village of narrow lanes, where an Islamic fortress was built over a Roman fort. The mud-brick minaret of the Nasr al-Din Mosque rises 21 metres. A former madrasa, an Ottoman house turned into a small museum and the carved entrance of the council chamber complete the visit. - **Qarat el-Muzawwaqa**, hundreds of Graeco-Roman tombs cut into the cliff; those of Petosiris and Petubastis are painted with funerary gods and zodiacs. - **Deir el-Hagar**, a sandstone Roman temple dedicated to Amun-Ra, Mut and Khonsu, with fine reliefs. - **Balat**, another old village, and close by the mastabas of Ain Asil, Old Kingdom tombs. For the night, Al Tarfa Desert Lodge, opened in 2008 in traditional earth architecture, is a comfortable address: some twenty rooms, a pool and a restaurant. The lake north of Mut is polluted; do not swim there. Hot springs such as the Magic Spring near Ed-Duhus are fine for bathing. ## Getting there and how long There are no scheduled flights to Kharga or Dakhla: you come by road, in one of three ways. - **From Luxor**, by the direct road to Baris, south of Kharga. This is the most practical access for a trip starting in the Nile Valley, by car with driver; no public transport uses this road. - **From Asyut**, on the Cairo-Luxor line: a daily bus leaves around 8 am (local time), 3 to 4 hours to Kharga, then as long again to Dakhla. - **From the north**, following the oasis loop from Cairo: Bahariya, the White Desert, Farafra, then about 300 km from Farafra to Dakhla and 200 km from Dakhla to Kharga. Sabaro recommends at least four days for the two oases: two nights in Kharga, two in Dakhla. For the full loop from Cairo to Luxor, allow a week, with every leg driven in daylight. Outside the towns, phone signal disappears after a few kilometres. Restaurants in Kharga mostly open in the evening, around 7 pm (local time). ## Safety The oasis road is open to tourism; the desert around it much less so. Foreign ministries do not all give the same advice for the towns, the roads and the surrounding desert: your country's appears in the "Travel advice" table on this page. A recognised agency or guide is strongly recommended. Two rules follow. Stay on known roads and tracks: the risk of mines in desert areas is high. And drive by day: travelling at night outside towns should be ruled out. ## Frequently asked questions ### How do I reach the oases? By road: from Luxor to Baris, south of Kharga; from Asyut by bus, 3 to 4 hours to Kharga then as long again to Dakhla; or by the oasis loop from Cairo. Kharga and Dakhla airports have no scheduled flights. ### Is the area advised against? The towns and the oasis road are open to tourism; the surrounding desert much less so. Your ministry's advice appears in the "Travel advice" table on this page. ### What is there to see in Kharga? The Persian-period Temple of Hibis, the 5th-century el-Bagawat Christian necropolis and, to the south, the Roman temple of Dush. The Roman forts to the north require a guide and an off-road vehicle. ### How many days should I plan? At least four days for Kharga and Dakhla, a week for the full loop from Cairo to Luxor through the oases.