The Bahariya Oasis is the northernmost oasis of Egypt. This oasis has a particular historical significance as it was an important transit point for the Caravan tracks and the Nile Valley. This is besides being the theatre of great and important archeological finds in moderntimes.
The name of the Bahariya Oasis:
The name Bahareya was most possibly derived from the word Bahr, which means the sea in the Arabic language. The word more specifically referred to the Mediterranean Sea and generally to the Northern lands of Egypt in ancient times. The pharos named the Bahareya Oasis "Desdes" while the romans named it "Parva" or the little oasis.
The location and geographical significance
Bahareya is located 370 kilometers to the North of Cairo, which made it nearer to the capital of Egypt in comparison to other remote oasis like Siwa or Al Kharga. This is maybe why many Carians and tourists who visit Cairo prefer to travel to the Bahareya if they want to try the taste of the lifestyle in an Egyptian oasis.
The Bahareya consists of a large depression in the desert that is 94 kilometers long and 40 kilometers wide. The oasis also contains a number of huge mountains like Gebel Ghurabi, Gebel Maghrafa, Gebel Dist, or Gebel El Englizi, or the English Mountain.
The History of the Bahariya Oasis
The first human settlement in the Bahareya Oasis that is recorded in history was in the middle kingdom. Specifically starting from 18th dynasty the Bahareya Oasis started gaining commercial and political importance because of its location in the track of the trading caravans between the Nile Valley and tribes in Libya and the Western Desert.
The most prosperous period in the ancient history of the Bahareya Oasis was during the reign of the 26th Dynasty Particularly during the rule of Amasi when the ancient city of Psobthis, which was located in the middle of the oasis, became the center of the trading routs of the Western Desert.
The importance of the Bahareya Oasis even increased in Greco-Roman period. This was because it was not only an important point in the trading routs, but also the oasis became a major producer of many goods like wine, olive oils, dates, and cereals.
The fortress of Qaser Masuda is an obvious evident of the importance of the Bahareya Oasis in the Roman period and of their militarily and political control over this area.
The Bahareya Oasis Today:
The Bahareya Oasis hosts more than thirty thousand people who mostly live in the four main towns of the oasis: Bawiti, the capital and center point of the Bahareya Oasis, Al Qaser, the ancient village in the Bahareya Oasis, Mandisha, and Zabw.
The area between Bawiti and Al Qaser contains a number of mountains that host many ancient necropolises like the Abis necropolis of Qarat Feragi and the Necropolis of Qarat Subi.
The Bahareya Oasis has many hot springs like Ain Bishmu which dates back to Roman times, Bir Al Nebaga which is located in Bawiti, and Bir Matar which is located further to the North.
At the Northernmost point of the Bahareya Oasis, there is the small lake of Al Marun that is surrounded by places that have many rare birds for bird watching fans. read Monuments in Bahariya Oasis too.
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