Bahariya Oasis
Bahariya Oasis
Bahariya Oasis, recognized as the northernmost oasis, is situated closest to the Mediterranean among the seven principal oases of the Sahara Desert in Egypt. It comprises a collection of villages, with Bawiti being the most central.
Bahariya Oasis is located 330 kilometers southwest of Cairo and 180 kilometers from the Nile Valley, nestled within a natural depression spanning 2,000 square kilometers in a mountainous region. Historically, Bahariya acted as a conduit between Egypt and Libya, governed by a Libyan dynasty under the oversight of the Pharaohs of the 26th Dynasty. It was referred to as the 'Little Oasis' in comparison to Kharga. This oasis has consistently been fertile, producing wine during the Middle Kingdom era. Archaeological findings, including a wine press with its crushing area, suggest that the northern oases were abundant with vines that provided popular wines for the tables of Greece and Rome. Additionally, dates, citrus fruits, onions, and poultry, particularly turkeys, continue to be transported to the Nile Valley. The city flourished until the fourth century AD.
The oasis is abundant in hot springs and remains a significant producer of dates. If you are considering a tour to Egypt, explore our selection of tours from Cairo to conveniently visit Bahariya Oasis with Cairo Top Tours. Bahariya has been under pharaonic governance since the 6th Dynasty, as evidenced by the mastabas in Balat, where the governors of the oases were interred. During the Middle Kingdom, it functioned as a trading hub with the Nile Valley; a stele from the twelfth dynasty attests to political connections with Abydos and Thebes. Subsequently, following the decline of the 13th Dynasty, a Kamose stele, unearthed in 1954 at the Karnak Temple, reveals that Apopi, the king of the Hyksos, dispatched a message to the Prince of Kush to launch an attack on Egypt from the south. However, the messenger and his communication were intercepted by Kamose, ensuring Egypt's security.
