Western Desert Attractions

Imprisoned within the layers of sediments are large underground stores of water left over from ancient seas. In the depressions the water occasionally finds its way to the surface or can easily be tapped by sinking wells, making possible the development of luxuriant oases. Strung across the desert in a wide arc are the oases of Kharga, Dakhla, Farafra and Bahriya, and in the extreme northwest of Egypt, near the Libyan frontier, is the great Oasis of Siwa. Between these major oases are a number of small oases and watering points, of importance only as staging points for caravans. In a different category is the Fayyum Oasis, which is supplied not by fossil water but by water from the Nile.

In particularly low lying areas salt water from the Mediterranean seeps into the ground water; and in such depressions (e.g. in the Qattara Depression) the high rate of evaporation and absence of leaching by rain lead to the formation of extensive salt marshes.

The higher regions of the desert are, for the most part without water or vegetation, covered by gravel or pebbles. The waterless depressions are frequently traversed by sand-dunes 100-200ft/30-60m high, driven by the trade winds into a north-northwest-south-southeast alignment. The arid climatic conditions, interrupted only by occasional cloudbursts, and the wide temperature variations over the day lead to a very rapid erosion process.

Abundant finds of fossils show that in the course of the earth's history the Western Desert, like the Sahara as a whole, has experienced several pluvial periods, broadly corresponding to the glacial periods of more northerly regions, during which it had abundant plant and animal life. The last of these rainy periods ended more than 20,000 years ago, giving place to the aridity which determines the aspect and the life of the region today. Archeological evidence shows that the oases were settled from the Palaeolithic onwards by semi nomadic tribes who practiced a primitive kind of agriculture in these fertile spots. The shallow artesian wells of these early days, however, soon dried up, and the population declined. Thereafter the oases were of importance only as bulwarks against the repeated penetrations by the Libyans into the Nile Valley; and from the time of Ramesses II onwards fortresses were built to provide protection along the edge of the desert bordering the Mediterranean. During this period, too, the remoteness and inaccessibility of the oases made them places of refuge for those fleeing from persecution and places of banishment for political opponents.

In the sixth C. B.C. the Persians introduced new techniques of well construction into Egypt, and these were subsequently refined, making it possible to draw ground water from greater depths. The oases enjoyed a heyday in Graeco-Roman times, when new towns and other settlements were established, with magnificent temples the remains of which are still impressive. During the medieval period, however, they declined into insignificance; the wells dried up and the population shrank to a fraction of what it had once been.

In our own time the oases of the Western Desert can look forward to a fresh period of prosperity. Minerals (phosphates, iron, oil) have been discovered in considerable quantities and are in process of being developed. At the same time a great agricultural redevelopment program is in progress. It is planned by deep boring (down to 4,900ft/1,500m) for fossil water and the use of modern irrigation techniques minimizing evaporation to bring into cultivation, as the "New Valley", the valley between the Kharga, Dakhla, Farafra and Bahriya oases and to resettle it with fellahin from the Nile Valley and Nubians. Although the first results of this program have been encouraging, it seems likely that the limited reserves of ground water, with little rainfall to replenish them, will set natural limits to its development.

Warning

The desert holds serious hazards for drivers. Before setting out on a journey across the desert make sure that you have sufficient supplies of water and gasoline (petrol); important spare parts should also be taken. It is advisable to drive in convoy. Do not leave the main road or track unless you have an adequate map or preferably an experienced guide.