Al Kharga Oasis Holidays

Al Kharga used to be the last stop on the infamous slave-trade route between North Africa and the south. Today, it is the most popular of the Western Desert oasis, with many sites of interest to explore.  It’s the southernmost and largest of Egypt’s five western oases located in the Western or Libyan Desert and was known as the 'Southern Oasis' by the Ancient Egyptians.  It’s also the most modernised of Egypt's western oases with all the modern facilities visitors might expect. It was important as a caravan trade route and centres from as long ago as the Old Kingdom of Egypt and certainly remained vital up until Roman occupation, when they built a chain of fortresses to protect the Darb el-Arbain – the caravan trade route, passing through Al Kharga between Middle Egypt and the Sudan.

Described by Greek historian Herodotus as a road "traversed in forty days," the Darb el-Arbain became a vital trade link between Nubia and Egypt, and it is sometimes still referred to as the Forty Days Road to this day.   Nearby sites of interest include the Temple of Hibis, one of the few surviving Persian monuments in Egypt, with well-preserved reliefs of Darius greeting Egyptian gods on the outer walls. The Necropolis of Al-Bagawat contains 263 mud-brick chapels with Coptic murals, including the Chapel of Peace with images of Adam and Eve and the Ark on its dome and the Chapel of the Exodus with frescoes of pharaoh’s army pursuing Moses and the Jews out of Egypt.
 

Al Kharga Oasis Hotels

Sol Y Mar Pioneers is a truly deluxe desert hotel situated in Al Kharga Oasis in the heart of the new valley in the Western Desert. Stunning views of the surrounding desert and the charm of the mountains create a wonderful atmosphere of natural serenity that really does make this hotel unique.  It’s just 10 minutes away from Al Kharga Airport, three hours from Luxor and seven hours from Cairo. It features comfortable and pleasantly furnished suites and rooms, all individually air conditioned, with a balcony or terrace as well as Satellite TV and a selection of quality restaurants and convivial, friendly bars. 

The range of activities on offer at the Sol Y Mar Pioneers reflects the rugged and beautiful surroundings.  Guests can lounge beside the swimming pool or take a refreshing dip, use outdoor fitness facilities or relax while the youngsters play in a specially equipped playground area.  Day trips to Luxor and Cairo can also be arranged, but the real attraction of Sol Y Mar Pioneers is the refreshing natural beauty of the place and the stark majesty of the western desert. Above all, Sol Y Mar Pioneers can be a luxuriously appointed adventure base and jumping off point for all the wonders of the western desert.
 
 

Desert Adventures from Al Kharga Oasis

Safari Trips can be arranged to almost any place in Egypt’s magnificent Western Desert (also known as the Libyan Desert).  Al Kharga Oasis is about 550 Km from Cairo, but it’s nearer to Luxor than almost any other Egyptian town and was often sometimes called the “Oasis of Thebes” by the Ancient Egyptians.  Safari trips can be arranged to several destinations and sites of interest.

• Hibis Temple  and Cemetery of Al Bagwat
• Temple of Dush
• Camp Nasser (about 30 km south of Al Kharga)
• El Nadora temple
• Temple of Al Ghuwaytah
• Al Zayyan Temple
   

Historic Al Kharga Oasis

The Oasis of Al-Kharga was a prosperous place in ancient times and was linked with the Nile Valley by many trade routes. Herodotus mentions that the great Persian King Campuses sent a huge army from Thebes in order to destroy the Oracle Temple of Amon-Zeus at Siwa.  50,000 men strong, they reached Al-Kharga Oasis, stopped for food and water and continued their march towards Siwa.  Then, all 50,000 of them simply vanished in the Western Desert.  Some historians suggest that the Persian army sunk in the Great Sea of Sand which extends along the borders between Egypt and Libya, nut no one is sure exactly want happened to them to this day.
The Temple of Hibis is one of the few well preserved Persian monuments remaining in Egypt.  Dating from the 6th century BC, it features painted vultures and huge reliefs of Darius greeting Egyptian gods on its outer walls. 10 Km away, the Necropolis of al-Bagawat contains 263 mud-brick chapels with Coptic murals, including the Chapel of Peace with images of Adam and Eve and the Ark on its dome and the Chapel of the Exodus with frescoes of Pharaonic troops pursuing Moses and the Jews out of Egypt.

The temple of Dush some 125 kilometres south of Al Kharga is deep in the Sahara Desert.  Called Kysis in ancient times, few of Egypt's ruins are more remote, but this was a major military installation during the Roman period.  The Temple of Al Ghuwaytah is dedicated to the Theban Triad (Amun, Mut and Khonsu) and dates back to the 27th Dynasty.   It was completed by Ptolemy III, IV and X and is one of the few temples in the area that is completely Ptolemaic in origin.  Al Zayyan Temple is thought to be Greek originally, although the temple itself is part of a fortress chain built during the Ptolemaic period when it was known as the Great Well (Tchonemyris).