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The Western Desert comprises two-thirds of the land surface of Egypt. Suffering extremes of temperature, barren and forbidding, the desert is not completely devoid of life. A series of wind-sculpted depressions allow water to come to the surface, creating a string of cultivatable oases. |
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These small settlements in the desert, once called “Islands of the Blest” by Herodotus have long and surprisingly rich histories. During the race competitors will travel through both Farafra and Bahariya oases, which are dotted with archaeological sites. |
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The indigenous group of Bedouins living in the desert around Bahariya and Farafra migrated originally from the Arabian Peninsula. Today, they number around 500,000. It is the harsh environment of the desert, which forged the character of desert people. Bedouins roamed the desert in small groups looking for grazing for their herds of goats and camels, stopping in some areas long enough to cultivate a small crop. All of their possessions were portable and they lived in tents which could be transported on the back of a camel whenever it became necessary to move. |
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Farafronis- the people from Farafra came from four families that migrated to the oasis within the past 500 years. It is the most isolated oasis in the desert and the inhabitants still adhere to age-old traditions of their culture. The small mud brick houses of the town all have wooden doorways with medieval peg locks, and some of the walls are painted with verses of the Quran and murals with reference to the haj (pilgrimage to Mecca). Agriculture is the main livelihood, producing dates, olives, apricots, wheat and rice to the Nile Valley. |
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Bahariya is the closest oasis to Cairo in kilometers but the most distant oasis in time. In the late 1990s Bahariya made world news when one of the most spectacular discoveries of mummies was uncovered there. More than 100 were found over 6 sq km. The area was named “the Valley of the Golden Mummies”. Families in Bahariya have always settled together. They build their houses around the perimeter facing the public streets, but the back side of each house will open onto a communal square where the women and children can visit. Tradition and group identity is strong in this oasis. |
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