DAKHLA:
The remote and genuine oasis
Dakhla is the oasis that lies furthest off the main settlements of Egypt. Unlike many other oases, it is situated above sea level, as high as 122
meters. Still it is fed by more than 520 springs and ponds. 75,000 people live in 14 different settlements, each strong local identities and customs. Only Mut and Al-Qasr qualifies as towns. Before the road came here, Dakhla must have felt like a planet of its own, where only few inhabitants ever came as far as to the
neighboring oases Kharga and Farafra.
Old architecture of Al-Qasr village.
The main towns are Mut and Al-Qasr, the latter the main attraction in the entire oasis. If you have time, the old town of Mut is also interesting. Dakhla has been inhabited for millenniums, and of old sights, the Muzawaka tombs and Deir al-Hagar temple are the main attractions. At Balat, not far from Bashendi, tombs from the 3rd millennium BCE have been found, but generally the funerary complex is closed to visitors.
Al-Qasr
For many visitors to Dakhla, Al-Qasr is the most memorable part. With an old town with many streets in excellent condition, it offers the best illustration of the oasis' past. Although modern "progress" has been gentle on Al-Qasr, the old quarters are almost completely abandoned. It is really sad, old Al-Qasr is beautiful and offers smart protection against summer heat, while the modern houses needs electric air-conditioning to stay pleasant.
The Tourism Well about 5 km out in the desert is a nice attraction for many, where it is popular to spend the night.
The Friday Mosque of Al-Qasr
The 12th century Nasr el-Din Mosque is clearly the most known building
of Dakhla, but it is most impressive when seen from a distance, when the
town lies clearly beneath it, and with the pink mountains in the behind.
The 21 meter high
minaret is in fine condition, even if much of two wooden terraces have
been dismantled after the mosque lost its functions. It's pepper pot
finial is typical of Ayyubid architecture.
The interior is quite simple, but decorations are charming, which should
be clear from the photo.
The madrasa of Al-Qasr
The madrasa dates back to the 10th century, and predates the mosques of
Al-Qasr. The main congregation hall, which served as both lecture room
and prayer hall is really nice, with painted liwans
which were used as libraries. A madrasa was a
mixture of a high school and a university, an all subjects were related
to Islam, with perhaps law as the most important.
Street scenes of old Al-Qasr
As the only old town of Dakhla, it is possible for a first time visitor
to get lost here. It really does take some time to cover the area. The old town holds
many fine and creative details and shapes. Many of the doorways are
centuries old, some dating even back to Mamluk times. Walking the area is
best done together with one of the guides that meet up at the small
space in front of the new white mosque. Not that a person speaking only
his native tongue will tell you stories, but he knows which streets hold
the good stuff, and most important: He carries a key to open closed
doors.
The museum of Al-Qasr
The Ethnographic Museum of Al-Qasr is a private initiative, aiming at
presenting how life was on the inside of the house walls before locals
left the old quarters. You will see exhibitions of the rooms of a house,
work places and several photos.
Beautiful little Qalamoun
Qalamoun is a quick ride out of Mut and much of its old quarters are
still inhabited, and well-kept. It is clearly one of Dakhla's nicest
settlements, and the setting doesn't make it any worse. Coming to
Qalamoun you will pass luscious lakes (keep repeating to yourself: This
is in the middle of Sahara) while the hilltop village grows in front
of you. Upon leaving the village, the village is immediately replaced by
golden sand dunes. Qalamoun is the
closest to the romantic image of a desert
village.
Ottoman tombs and more near Qalamoun
Due to long time neglect, there is less and less to see of the Ottoman
tombs near Qalamoun. Qalamoun was the village of Mamluk and Ottoman
officials, therefore this distinct graveyard. Another interesting
place near Qalamoun is the artificial lake, which is quite beautiful. It
is easy to miss, not being right next to the road.
Mut
Mut represents the original settlement of Dakhla. Today it is the
largest and most modern settlement in the oasis. Not without charm it
clearly not what visitors come far away to see. Mut's main attraction is
the hotels and the basic but friendly restaurants. There is an old town
here as well, a labyrinth of mud-brick houses and winding lanes. Little
now remains of the old town citadel still remains, but on its original
location you will have the finest views over the town and the palm
groves. It appears that old
Mut is about to be abandoned, there are few inhabited houses, but much
is neglected. It is like the people just wait for a signal that they can
move into a standard concrete flat. And it is sad, old Mut must have
been beautiful some decades ago. Around Mut, there
are numerous sulphur pools, but most are a short bicycle ride out of
town.
Mut: The ancient city
It is called Mut al-Khorab and quite easy to spot from the road as you
pass modern Mut in southern direction. High remains of the city wall
appears quite imposing, and you can see the remains of some houses. So
you think that this is going to be interesting. After climbing the
mound, arriving on the top What you see from the road is almost all that there is. But it
might be that much is hidden beneath the sand. Mut al-Khorab goes
back to Pharaonic times, it was a city dedicated to the Theban goddess
Mut (obviously the name giver to the present town).
Deir el-Hagar
The Deir el-Hagar dates back to the 1st century CE, and the cartouches
of the emperors of the period, Nero, Vespasian, Titus and Domitian are
found around the walls. The temple itself is among the smallest you will
ever see, but considering its remoteness out here in the Sahara desert
it must not be neglected. The temple is in good condition, a result of
the structure being covered by sand for centuries. The temple was
dedicated to the Theban triad Amon-Re, Mut and Khonsu, as well as to the
god of the oasis, Seth. But its present name
calls it a monastery, which is not wrong. A few centuries after its
construction was it converted into a Coptic monastery.
Muzawaka Tombs
The Muzawaka Tombs refer mainly to the nicely decorated tombs of
Petosiris and Sadosiris, which were discovered by Fakhry in 1972. They
date back to Roman times, as do many of the other tombs around this
table-top mountain. The two nice tombs
have been closed for years. Too much fresh air and the humid breath from
visitors put the wall decorations in jeopardy. And the restoration has
proved to be very difficult, so nobody know if and when they will
reopen.
Magic Spring
The name "Magic Spring" is a touristic invention, Most locals from the
nearby village hadn't a clue what and where about any magical spring.
, and
it is Big and small bubbles continuously pop on the
surface of this pond which functions as the beginning of a lazy, little
stream.
Many oasis springs
are now drained by modern equipment; the Magic Spring illustrates
exactly the process that has made Dakhla into a green spot with sand
dunes on all sides. The water is supposed to be clean and good to drink.
Fish pond
The artificial lake northwest of Mut is both called "Man-made Lake" and
"Fish Pond". It is clearly worth
the stop for anyone interested in bird-watching. Many of the birds here
migrate from Europe, and the Rough Guide travel book series list avocet,
stilt and coot as the ones to first look out for.
Rashda village
Rashda is often omitted from the circuit of Dakhla Oasis, but it is all
the same a nice little village. Especially the minaret of the Friday
Mosque is notable, resembling a lighthouse. Much is unfortunately
in ruins, but it must have been a pretty place not too many years ago. The faster growth of
the new village of Rashda accounts to local traditions. When a Rashdian
man marries, he must provide a new house for his wife. Some travel books
call Rashda a cliff top village; this is misleading, as there is no more
cliffs beneath the houses here than in other villages of Dakhla.
Budkhulu village
Among the villages that gets visitors, Budkhulu is among the smallest.
The main attraction here is the 12th or 13th century Ayyubid mosque
which looks almost like an old-style factory with chimney. And just behind it,
dark smoke might appear as it did during my visit. This was the place of
an old style bakery, which you will be heartily invited to enter.
Bashendi village
In Bashendi village you will find one of the most colorful and
well-kept old towns in Dakhla; there are mud-brick houses in many
different colors and narrow lanes set in a luscious oasis. But Bashendi
is more, it has a selection of interesting and old sights. The most
important is a sanctuary of the holy Muslim man called Pasha Hindi, who
as his name indicates may have been of Indian origin. It is after him
that the village has been named. Next to the
sanctuary are some empty sarcophagi and a Roman-period tomb-temple,
called Tomb of Kitnes. Inside the man Kitnes is depicted as meeting the
desert gods Min, Seth and Shu. Bashendi also makes
a claim to fame by its production of carpets, embroideries, baskets and
dresses, all according to old patterns. You won't have to search for
this, vendors will spot you as you arrive along the only road into the
village. If you have time you can accept the invitation to enter the
schools and production facilities
Balat village
Balat has its moments. Many of its quarters appear just as they must
have done centuries ago. Walls and street are well-kept, colours often
bright, doors worn down yet more beautiful than any new door can be.
Many walls are illustrated, telling passers-by about the owner's trip to
Mecca for the pilgrimage. Balat has unlike
several other villages of Dakhla a living old town, and what is even
better, is that the mosque has not yet been replaced with a
Cairo-designed pre-fab mosque. Look inside, and you will see
delightfully thick columns (as they are made from clay and brick they
have not the same carrying capacity as stone or cement), and only smooth
curves; never a straight line.
Gedida village
Gedida village has become a stop on most tourists' circuit of Dakhla,
and provides for a slightly awkward moment. The factory here, Dakhla's
only, is some sort of local pride, but it is just two rooms with a
handful of girls making small sticks from palm trees, that are later
assembled into products like chairs or boxes. It is quite far from most
visitors' (urban Egyptians alike) image of a factory.
