With more than a dozen hamlets along the Western Desert circuit road, Dakhla lives up to most visitors’ romantic expectations of oasis life and is widely regarded as the prettiest of the oases in Egypt’s Western Desert.
Deir al-Hagar
As the name, Monestary of Stone, implies Deir al-Hagar or Deir al-Haggar is made of sandstone. The temple—dedicated to the Theban Triad Amun-Re, Mut, Khonsu, and Seth—was rebuilt by the Roman Emperor Nero (54–67 AD) and finished a few decades later.
Ethnographic Museum Mut
The Ethnographic Museum in Mut, the main town in Dakhla Oasis, is a must for all visitors who are interested in the local culture. Following the ground plan of a traditional Islamic home, the museum displays items used in Islamic times in the oasis including pots, rugs, dresses, baskets, and jewelry.
Historic Center of al-Qasr
Sitting at the foot of pink limestone cliffs on the edge of the lush oasis, the historic center of al-Qasr is the main attraction of Dakhla Oasis (distinguished as a “Lonely Planet Top Choice”). The labyrinth of twisting and turning alleyways, the medieval mud-brick houses, the 10th-century madrassa, the 12th-century mosque with its three-story minaret, and various workshops managed to preserve their historic charme.
Qarat al-Muzawwaqa
Qarat al-Muzawwaqa translates to “Decorated Hill” and acquired its name from two beautifully decorated tombs, the tombs of Pelusis and Petosiris. Moreover, the hill is riddled with many unpainted family graves of middle-class families.
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