The Oasis, a depression in the desert comprising springs, wells and trees reflects the beauty, charm and diversity of nature; its surrounding deserts green valleys, water falls, high plateaus, therapeutic sulphur –rich springs. The Oasis is famed for its all-year-round pleasant climate and beautiful scenery. There is evidence of pre-historic settlements as well as Pharaonic, Greek Roman, Coptic, &

Islamic monuments. The large depressions where the ground is close to the water table contain the five major oases of the Western Desert namely: Siwa, Bahariya, Farafra, Dakhla, Kharga, plus the Fayoum, which is the closest to the Nile Valley.

Recently Farafra, Dakhla and Kharga have joined into one province, called the New Valley, and ambitious plans have been laid down to increase the water supply and improve the agriculture of the whole area. From an archaeological point of view, the oases provide evidence of human occupation since prehistoric times, when huge lakes occupied most of the depressions. while recent excavations are adding a lot to our knowledge of the Late Period and the Roman rule. Christian and Islamic remains are also present. Also taking into account the beautiful landscape and the products of the local community. As you can see, there is a lot to attract the increasing tourists.

The Bahriya Oases: - Bahariya, the first to be encountered, lies in a depression about 300 km southwest of Cairo. The Greco-Roman period is represented in a huge cemetery (about 06 square kilometres) in the area of el-Bawiti, the capital of Bahariya. Statuettes, pottery, jewels and coins were found and helped date the cemetery to the Graeco-Roman period. The remains of a settlement in this
area and probably an extended system of subterranean aqueducts still in use today also belong to the Graeco-Roman period. is worth mentioning the small temple of Alexander the Great, at Qasr el-Migysbah, apparently the only place  where his cartouche and image were found in Egypt.

Dakhla Oases: - Dakhla was inhabited since prehistory, the VI Dynasty of the Egyptian kings. Placed at the junction between the track called Darb el-Tawil, leading directly to Middle Egypt, and the two caravan routes, which via Kharga gave access to a number of tracks to Upper Egypt During the reign of Pepi II, the Governors of the oasis built a large palace and
obtained the permission to erect small sanctuaries for themselves.

Like other oases, there is evidence that Dakhla was inhabited since prehistory, but unlike all the others, here significant remains dating to the Old Kingdom have been found. The archaeological remains unearthed at 'Ayn Asil in the last twenty years suggest that this oasis must have played an important role under the VI Dynasty of the Egyptian kings. Placed at the junction between the track called Darb el-Tawil, leading directly to Middle Egypt, and the two caravan routes which via Kharga gave access to a number of tracks to Upper Egypt, 'Ayn Asil was originally a small square fortified enclosure. During the reign of Pepi II, the Governors of the oasis built a large palace and obtained the permission to erect small sanctuaries for themselves.

The palace was eventually destroyed by the fire, the destructive power of which has, however, helped to reconstruct some important details of the building. The floor, in fact, retained the impression of the wooden elements, such as doors or columns, that collapsed and burned on the spot. The site was abandoned after the fire, but later re-occupied during the First Intermediate Period, where a certain amount of restoration seems to have taken place.

Today, the exposed area of the palace is quite striking. Even though over 4,000 years have passed since it was built, the thick mud-brick walls, clay floors and limestone column bases still give a very good impression of what the building must have looked like. Attached to the settlement, there was a large necropolis, today called Qila el-Dabba, clearly marked by the presence of seven large mastabas, massive rectangular mud-brick superstructures that covered the tombs of the local Governors.

Kharga Oasis: - Kharga is connected to the Nile Valley by means of two main tarred roads, one in the south from Baris to Armant (and Luxor) and one in the north (following the old Darb el-Arbain) from Kharga to Asyut. The first is being enlarged and tarred anew and does not cross any inhabited place,

apart from the temporary settlement of the people who have been working there. The second leads north to Asyut and there joins the Desert Road to Cairo. Here, at about 130 km from Kharga, lies the so-called Valley of the Melons, an area where dark, spheroidal, hard stones pop out of the desert horizon miles forming­ an amazing sight. It is definitely worth a stop and a short walk in this silent and curious spot before heading back to the colours and the noise of the Valley.

About 320 km. northwest of Dakhla and 170 km. north of Bahereya Oasis, it is suitable for car tours and safaris by means of the circular road connecting it with Dakhla and Bahereya.There are remains of Roman buildings, including Qasr al-Farafra, built of mud-brick, and Qasr Abu Minqar. West of Farafra lies the spring of 'Ayn Dalla, which has always been an important strategic
point in the middle of the Western Desert. The road leading there runs across a beautiful landscape dotted with chalk formations and lacustrine deposits.

The area west of Farafra is covered by the impenetrable Great Sand Sea. This region was probably the scene of one of the most famous disasters that took place in the Western Desert, the disappearance of Cambyses' Army. According to Herodotus, when the Persian king Cambyses conquered Egypt, he decided to send an expedition of 50,000 men from Thebes to Siwa to destroy the Oracle of Amun and devastate the whole oasis.

Since the glorious years of the exploration of the Western Desert, the lost army has always excited the fantasy and tested the determination of the desert travelers. Almasy, for example, crisscrossed the desert by plane more than once during the '20s and '30s looking for the lost Oasis of Zerzura and the lost army of Cambyses. This remains one of the great mysteries of the Western Desert waiting to be discovered.

Siwa Oasis :-

Siwa is the western most of the five major oases of Egypt and can be reached by car from Baharia or from Marsa Matruh, on the Mediterranean coast.
The most striking feature of the Siwan landscape is the presence of several salt lakes that diminish in size during the summer. The salt also impregnates the soil, creating a big problem. Mud bricks have been used for centuries to build entire village ­ fortresses, and are called "Qasr" in Arabic, such as Shali in Siwa, Qasr in Farafra, Qasr Dakhla in Dakhla and Qasr Kharga in Kharga.

In recent times, all of them have suffered mainly from the rain rather than any human devastation. Shali, in particular, has now been reduced to an impressive and dangerous ruin due to the high content of salt in its mud bricks.
There is a lot to see in Siwa, but probably one of the most famous sites is Aghurmi, where the remains of the ancient Temple of the Oracle of Amun are found. The temple was built during the XXVI Dynasty of the Egyptian kings and the Oracle became one of the most important of the Greek world. Two important historical events are related to this place: the tragic expedition of Cambyses' army (which will be mentioned in the paragraph about Farafra) and the triumphal visit of Alexander the Great.North-east of Siwa there is the vast Qattara depression, over one hundred metres below sea level, covered by salt. The region from Siwa to the Mediterranean coast was the scene of more than one battle during World War II, and the area of el-Alamein hosts memorials and war cemetery for the thousands of British, German, Italian, Greek and South African soldiers who died or
Disappeared there .

The Egyptian Western Desert includes areas, which differ considerably one from the other. Rock desert, flat plateau, fertile depressions, chains of dunes, and down at the "triple" point between Egypt, Libya and Sudan, large mountains create different types of desert landscape each with its own inhabitants. The only area where life is virtually absent is the so-called Great Sand Sea, the largest and most dangerous dune field of the world, able to swallow and cancel anything, which crosses its path.

In the more hospitable areas of the desert, The Bedouins have always led a nomadic life, moving from spring to spring with their light tents and livestock, hardly leaving any trace. The scarce emerging water also supports a large number of animal species, including insects, mice, hedgehogs, cats, foxes and gazelles. The latter are extremely difficult to spot, but fennec foxes seem to materialise almost anywhere at night to check if a desert camp might have brought anything interesting - from a gastronomical point of view.