Location and How to Get the Dakhla Oasis
Dakhla Oasis is located within the charming New Valley Governorate on a total area of 2,000 square kilometers (800 square miles) and is located 50 kilometers (220 miles) from the Nile River, which is stuck between Kharga Oasis and Farafra Oasis. Dakhla has an area of 25 km (16 mi) from north to south and 80 km (50 mi) from east to west.
It has a number of narrow corridors and alleys that form a kind of magical maze.
Half of the oasis’ lands are fully agriculturally cultivated. It includes up to 19 villages and a number of hot water springs, namely “Bir Talata” and “Bir al-Jabal”. The first inhabitants of the oasis had access to surface water sources. It is known as the oldest inhabited place in all of Africa, and the oldest city in the oasis is the village of Mut, which dates back to 1500 BC.
The History of Dakhla Oasis
The history of the Dakhla Oasis began more than 15,000 years ago in the Pleistocene era at a time when the Bedouin tribe settled there to gain closer access to the swamps and lakes. For more than 6,000 years, Bedouins made this oasis their home when the climate became hotter and drier with less rainfall. Pharaonic forces took interest in the oasis around 2550 BC.
Numerous clay tablets with hieratic pen writing dating back to the late Sixth Dynasty have been found, and up to more than 500 tablets have also been found inside the Ain Asil (court) of the ruler’s palace. These tablets contain numerous registers of accounts, lists of names and inventories, and about 50 characters. Dakhla Oasis developed into a center for papyrus production.
Dakhla Oasis Archaeology
The history of the oasis is very rich, which made it the subject of many archaeological discoveries at the beginning of the 20th century. About five mud-brick tombs were discovered in Bir ash-Shagala dating back more than 2,000 years. In addition to a number of large pieces of pottery and jars containing mysterious, unsolved ancient Egyptian writings.
There are a number of ancient cemeteries that contain a number of burial chambers. Some tombs have domed ceilings and one has a pyramid-shaped ceiling. A number of excavations were discovered in 2018, and in 2019 two ancient tombs dating back to ancient Roman Egypt were discovered.
The Best Attractions in Dakhla Oasis
Dakhla Oasis consists of 16 villages filled with golden treasures and natural wonders, and we will explore the most stunning ones that are completely blessed with amazing works of art.
The Village of Mut
The charming village of Mut is known as the most important and largest village in the city of Dakhla, with a population of more than 100 thousand citizens, and it enjoys a number of facilities that make it closer to the village. It dates back to 1500 BC. She is named after Mut, the sky goddess and great divine mother, wife of Amun, and mother of Khonsu as part of the Theban Triad of the Eighteenth Dynasty.
It had its own place in the oasis on the highest hill in the village, which had narrow lanes and mud-brick walls. In the southern part of the village of Mut lies the “ Mut El Kharab” which was a Roman settlement that has not been well preserved.
Within the village there is a water well, Bir Talata, located 2 km from the heart of the city. It is rich in water full of sulfur and iron used in natural healing, which comes from a depth of a thousand meters underground.
Mott Village is an epic man-made lake located three meters to the north, created from magnificent irrigation drainage making it the largest man-made lake in the region. The artificial lake is the largest in the region and serves as a rich fish farm.
The Village of Al Qasr
Al-Qasr village is located 20 km north of the city of Mut, and is famous for containing the most amazing archaeological monuments. There are some narrow lanes in the village that are characterized by old Islamic houses that have doors decorated with acacia wood and with a number of inscriptions on them. In the center of Al-Qasr village is the minaret of the Sheikh Nasr al-Din Mosque, which reaches a height of 21 meters and dates back to the year 924 BC, the eleventh and twelfth centuries of the Ayyubid era.
The Islamic Dakhla Castle was built in the twelfth century by the Ayyubid kings on the ruins of the Roman fort in addition to the Ottoman and Mamluk buildings. It contains a number of stone blocks with hieroglyphic inscriptions from the ancient Temple of Thoth located nearby.
Deir El Hagar
The stone monastery of Deir el-Hajar is located in the northern part of the village of Mut near Al-Muzawaqa. It is considered the most important historical site in the oasis. It contains the amazing temple of the Roman Emperor Nero, which was built in the middle of the first century AD and which was designed for the Theban Triad of the Eighteenth Dynasty, consisting of Mut, Amun-Ra, and Khonsu.
It was renovated several times by a number of Roman rulers such as Titus, Vespasian and Domitian who expanded the entire complex and created a number of stunning sculptures with a number of bas-reliefs. It is surrounded by a large number of large mud-brick walls, 7 meters wide and 16 meters long, as well as a two-columned portico, a magnificent small hypostyle hall with only 4 columns, and a temple.
The Village of Bashindi
The picturesque village of Bashindi is a highly preserved historical village located just 40 km at the eastern end of Mut village which was inhabited in the 11th and 12th centuries and features stunning mud-brick houses featuring exquisite decorations and colorful decorations. It contains the blessed Islamic shrine of the founder of the village, Sheikh Al-Bashindi.
It is a magical cemetery dating back to the Roman era in the form of a mud-brick structure bearing a large dome covering the Roman cemetery. There are also a number of tombs with Pharaonic-style paintings.
The Village of Balat
The stunning village of Balat is located to the northeast of the village of Bashindi, known for its amazing architectural and historical heritage. It is home to the ancient Egyptian oasis capital of the Old Kingdom, Ain Asil, and the cemetery of Al-Dabba Castle, which is considered one of the most important archaeological wonders within the Western Desert.
Inside the Qila El Dabba Necropolis, a number of mastaba-style tombs were found dating back to the families ruling the oases in the Sixth Dynasty. They are the tomb of the ruler of the oasis, Khentikau, during the rule of Pharaoh Pepi II (2246 – 2152 BC) and the ruler of the oases, Khentika, during the rule of Pharaoh Pepi I. (2289 – 2255 BC). The Kharga Museum contains a number of pottery, copper tools, and jewelry found in these tombs.
The Necropolis of Al Muzawaka
The exquisitely decorated Necropolis of Al Muzawaka was found in the northern part of the city of Mut near the Deir el-Hagar temple, and was discovered in a stunning archaeological mission in the early days of the 20th century.
A megalithic necropolis of 300 tombs has been discovered, the most famous of which is the Necropolis of Petosiris and Petubastis dating back to the 1st and 2nd centuries, which is highly preserved and features stunning depictions of funerary processions, offerings made to the deceased and Egyptian gods watching over the deceased going into the afterlife.
Mut Ethnographic Museum
The Mut Ethnographic Museum is a magical little structure created in 1785 in the small town of Mut to highlight the culture, history and daily life of the people of the oasis from cooking, washing clothes and more. Everyone will cast their eyes on the most exquisite artefacts and monuments made of clay, stone, cane, terracotta and more.
Where to Stay in Dakhla Oasis?
Within Dakhla Oasis there are a number of wonderful hotels that include Al Tarfa Desert Sanctuary, a desert lodge and resort, Desert Lodge, Badawiya Hotel Dakhla, Al Forsan Hotel, Al Dohous Village, Sol Y Mar Mut III, and more. All hotels will provide the ultimate opportunity to enjoy your time across the blessed lands of the wonderful Dakhla Oasis.
Conclusion
Dakhla Oasis will provide everyone with the opportunity to gain a sense of relaxation and wonder by being part of one of our enchanting Nile River cruises and Egypt tours that will highlight the rich history and culture of this blessed and timeless civilization.
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