Farafra Oasis

The little Oasis of Farafra lies in latitude 27° north and longitude 28° east. Unlike the other Egyptian oases, it is not in a depression but on an apparently endless plain, surrounded by a sea of light colored limestone rocks.

The 1,000 or so inhabitants live by cultivating dates, olives and citrus fruits. Although Farafra was frequented by nomadic tribes as early as the Palaeolithic period and was settled in Early Dynastic times, developing into a place of some importance as a staging point between Bahriya and Dakhla, it has practically no ancient remains. The chief place, and indeed the only regular settlement, is Qasr el-Farafra, with old town walls and picturesque winding lanes.