Dakhla

Dakhla is the farthest oasis out of Cairo and is considered one of Egypt’s most beautiful oasis. It sits in a depression surrounded by pink cliffs. There are about 30,000 acres of cultivated land. Most of its 40,000 residents are farmers who constantly fight the battle of the dunes that threaten their fields and orchards. In the fertile cultivated areas rice, wheat, corn, and animal food, and gardens are filled with date palms, figs, apricots, and citrus fruits. Dakhla has retained most of its culture and charm even though it has increased in size by about double and government funding and technical training has revitalized the economy.

 

Research has found that the Oasis has been inhabited since prehistoric times and that there was once a huge lake here. There are Neolithic rock paintings that indicate that the lake was frequented by elephants, buffaloes, and ostriches. As the lake dried up, the inhabitants migrated to the Nile Valley and were probably some of its first settlers.