Farafra Oasis

The Farafra Oasis is a 980 Km geological depression, the second biggest by size in Western Egypt and the smallest by population. It is in the large Western Desert of Egypt, approximately midway between Dakhla and Bahareya oases.

Farafra has a small population that is mainly living in the town of Farafra and is mostly inhabited by the local Bedouins.

Parts of the town have complete quarters of traditional architecture, simple, smooth, unadorned, all in mud color—local culture and traditional methods of building and carrying out repairs have been supported by its tourism. Often grouped within Farafra are the hot springs at Bir Sitta (the sixth well) and the El Mufid Lake.

Archaeological evidence suggests that Farafra region was inhabited since late Pleistocene. It was known in ancient Egyptian history at least since the Middle Kingdom. In the Ptolemaic period, the region was under the administration of the Oxyrhynchite nome (19th Upper Egyptian nome).

A main geographic attraction of Farafra is its White Desert —a national park of Egypt and 45 Km north of the town of Farafra. The main draw of which is its rock type colored from snow-white to cream. It has massive chalk rock formations that are textbook examples of ventifact, and which have been created as a result of occasional sandstorm in the area.