Al Khārijah: Discover Desert Landscapes and History

Al Khārijah appeals to travellers who want to bring together desert landscapes and a far-reaching history. The New Valley Museum takes visitors from prehistory to the modern era; temples and a cemetery add their own historical dimensions. When choosing a holiday rental, you can therefore consider whether you want to focus your trip mainly on collections, archaeological structures or the landscape.

History at the New Valley Museum

The New Valley Museum in Al Khārjah houses 4,087 artefacts dating from prehistory to the era of the Muhammad Ali dynasty. It displays artefacts from the New Valley region and conveys the history of ancient Egyptian civilisation from pre-dynastic times to the modern era. The collection makes the study of history tangible through specific objects. If you are interested in history, the museum offers a distinct focus alongside the archaeological structures.

Temples with traces of different eras

The Temple of Hibis was built mainly in ancient Egyptian times and was later also used in the Ptolemaic, Roman, Coptic and Islamic periods. It is considered one of Al Khārjah’s most important monuments. Its long history of use distinguishes it from structures whose described features are more closely associated with a single ruler or the layout of a sanctuary. For a trip with a cultural focus, this raises a question: are you especially interested in changes across several eras, or in the specific design of a temple?

At the Temple of Al-Ghuwaita, a sequence of three halls leads to a sanctuary dated to the 27th Dynasty; the remaining parts of the temple date from the Ptolemaic period. The Temple of Qasr Al-Zayan, by contrast, centres on a specific historical event: it was built in 138 AD, in the third year of the reign of the Roman emperor Antoninus Pius, for the worship of the god Amon Hebat.

The Temple of Dosh also offers a clear architectural focus. The sandstone structure is surrounded by a mud-brick wall and a four-storey fortress. Bagawat, in turn, is a Coptic cemetery with a church and 263 tombs. These sites appeal to different interests: temple architecture, religious history or the character of a historic cemetery. When planning, you can choose which of these topics you would like to explore in greater depth, rather than viewing all the sites as the same kind of experience.

Oasis and desert landscape

Al Khārijah is located in Egypt’s Western Desert and is considered an ecotourism destination. The oasis is associated with impressive natural sand dunes as well as opportunities for peace and relaxation. This offers a different focus from the historical collections and temples: if you want to make the landscape a central part of your trip as well as culture, you can take these interests into account when choosing what to focus on.

Within the wider travel region, Al-Kharga Oasis lies on the desert road between Cairo and Luxor. It is the southernmost and largest of the four oases along this route. This describes the oasis’s location within the broader travel region; the cultural sites and landscape offer other reasons to explore Al Khārijah further.

More destinations

For more discoveries, you can also visit Abu Simbel, Al Qaşr, Abydos, Dakhla Oasis and Wahat Al Farafirah.

For the main travel overview: Al-Wadi Al-Dschadid.