Bagawat Tomb in Kharga Oasis
The Bagawat cemetery in the Kharga Oasis is the oldest Christian cemetery. The tombs and shrines of the Bagawat, which number about 263, vary between small individual rooms and large family ones, you have to visit this masterpiece during Egypt tous. The Begawat cemetery was built on the ruins of an ancient Egyptian necropolis, where the tombs included ancient Egyptian and Coptic artistic styles. The use of the cemetery began in the third century AD. Cairo Top Tours decide to join our Egypt travel packages that include a visit to the Egyptian Oases, there you will see attractions that have no equal in the world.
History of Bagawat Tombs
The early Christian burial custom continued in the same style as the ancient Egyptian burial, by burying the dead inside coffins accompanied by their funerary goods, which were placed on shelves inside pits below the shrines. You will know more of the tomb's history through our guided Egypt luxury tours as our tour guide will accompany you to explain to you the history of each attraction.
The custom of mummification continued in the cemetery after stopping in the Nile Valley. One of the oldest shrines of the necropolis is the shrine of the Exodus, which includes a dome decorated with two ribbons that include scenes from the Old Testament, the most famous of which are scenes of the Exodus event, for which the shrine was named. Visit the tomb through our Egypt classic tours that will show you the hidden gems of the Oasis.
We see the Prophet Moses leading the Israelites across the Sinai desert while being chased by Pharaoh’s army. And we see scenes of the stories of each of Adam and Eve, the ark of the Prophet Noah, the Prophet Daniel in the den of lions, the Prophet Yunus, the whale, and other scenes from the Old Testament. During our Egypt desert safari tours, our tour guide will tell you all the spiritual stories about the place.
As for the shrine of peace, its dome was decorated with similar scenes and new ones, such as the Annunciation of the Virgin and other scenes, which we know by describing them in Greek phrases below. As for the interior walls, they were decorated with many Byzantine decorations executed in the fresco style, such as grapevines, peacocks, symbolic figures, and inscriptions that you will see in your Egypt budget tours.
There are a number of Arabic and Turkish writings on some of the shrines, which date back to the ninth century AD, including writings of some Turkish soldiers who are believed to have been stationed in the barracks of the cemetery during the eighteenth century. You can check our Egypt day tours if you don't have enough time and visit the Tomb from Cairo day tours.