Egypt deserts and Oases information, tours and online booking
Egypt deserts and Oases have in fact many sites to visit. A desert safari takes you through an endless stunning range of desert landscapes coupled with scenic sunsets and starry night skies. Walk along mud houses and ancient ruins in Egyptian desert oases, shop for locally made crafts and rub shoulders with Bedouins carrying out century old traditions? the Egyptian Desert is one of those mystic places where regular living practices are suspended or absent, a place where water access is everything and land ownership is nothing. Discover amazing natural landmarks such as the Silica Glass Field and explore prehistoric rock art in the El Mestikawy Cave, Swimmers Cave or Shaw’s Cave in Gilf El Kebir
El-Mestikawy Cave is a well-known site because of its prehistoric rock art. Located near Gilf El Kebir, it features similar art to the Swimmers Cave and Shaw’s Cave. El-Mestikawy Cave was discovered in 1922. It is larger than Swimmer’s Cave and Shaw’s Cave and has lot more rock artwork and engravings. Variations in colour as well as subjects, with some art having been painted over, indicate a sustained and prolonged habitation of the area.
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Shaw’s Cave also known as Mogharat El Kantara, is a rock art site discovered in 1936 and named after the explorer who unearthed the cave. Located on the western side of Gilf El Kebir, far from Swimmers Cave (the famous rock art site depicted in The English Patient), Shaw’s Cave is easy to reach from Dakhla Oasis. There are three rock art paintings depicting cattle and a homestead scene. The paintings are about 50 centimetres above the floor and have a weathered look despite the dry climate due to extreme old age. Made famous by The English Patient, the Cave of Swimmers was discovered in 1933 by the Hungarian explorer Laszlo Almasy. The cave has stunning rock paintings of people swimming. The paintings are over 10,000 years old.
Almasy speculated that paintings depict daily life in the area before climate change radically changed the environment. The rock art is a rich archaeological site and a part of our world heritage, please do not touch or apply water to the paintings, and do not litter the cave. You can also experience the amazing thrill of Sand Boarding in the Great Sand Sea, Quad biking in the Western Desert, or dune camping under the desert’s starry night. To go on a desert safari in the Western Desert of Egypt, contact a trusted tour operator. In the Sinai, shorter safaris can be arranged through your hotel or resort or by contacting any tour operator in the major Sinai cities.
