Dakhla Oasis

New Valley Governate

The Western Desert

Egypt

February 28, 2020

The Western Desert of Egypt is alive with splendid scenery, agriculture, friendly local folks, and fascinating archeological sites.

Here are the descriptions of two ancient sites near the oasis town of Dakhla:  the Egyptian Necropolis of Al Muzwaqa and the Roman Temple Deir el-Hagar

Necropolis of Al Muzwaqa

The Necropolis of Al Muzwaqa translates as “the wonderfully decorated tombs.”  They are located north of Mut village near Deir El Hagar. The Necropolis was discovered in 1908 by the American archeologist Herbert Winlock during his excavation missions in the Western Desert of Egypt.

Bahariya Oasis

Western Desert

Egypt

February 25, 2020
 

In Egypt I had the opportunity to visit The Black Desert, one of the most unusual deserts in the world.

I visited the desert twice: on a cold cloudy morning at sunrise (hat, scarf, shirt, sweater. hoodie, jacket, gloves) and the next day, a warm afternoon (no gloves needed).

The Black Desert was formed over 180 million years ago by the volcanic activity that took place in the area. Now, the desert is covered with black stones of hardened lava. In some places, I can see majestic hills covered with black stones. Other parts are large plains with orange to brown terrains where the sandy soil now supports large scale agriculture.