The Egyptian Western Desert: Water, Agriculture ...
15
2 Historical Background of the Oasis Community
in the Western Desert
The oases in the Western Desert have a significant historical background since the
ancient Egyptian civilization. The best evidence of this is a large number of monuments in the oases, which ranged from residential cities, graveyards, temples and
others throughout the Persian, Greek, Roman, Coptic and Islamic eras.
Oases, since ancient times, are considered as the areas linked to the civilization of
the Nile Valley and other civilizations located in the west, North Africa or the Western
Desert and western Sudan. The oases inhabitants in those areas have left drawings on
rocks such as in Gabal Tair in Darb Ghobary (Ghubari) between Kharga and Dakhla
Oases close to Kharga (Fig. 2). Further, the ancient Egyptians were concerned with
securing the caravan routes to the oases. Oases were also affected by the periods of
weakness and strength of the kings of ancient Egypt. Many Egyptian oases suffered
from invasion and oppression. So came the army of Qambiz, who destroyed their
temples and burned their statues and his successor King Darius, who differed from
his father. He turned his attention to the people of the oases to settle them. He set
up two temples for Amun, one in Siwa (Umm Ubaida) and the other in the city of
Kharga (Temple of Hibis) and rebuild the temples that were destroyed. Hibis means
the city of the plow, or the city that is cultivated. This indicates that agriculture is of
great importance (Abdel-Hamid 1971).
Fig. 2 Dakhla and Kharga Oases, and Darb Ghobary
15
2 Historical Background of the Oasis Community
in the Western Desert
The oases in the Western Desert have a significant historical background since the
ancient Egyptian civilization. The best evidence of this is a large number of monuments in the oases, which ranged from residential cities, graveyards, temples and
others throughout the Persian, Greek, Roman, Coptic and Islamic eras.
Oases, since ancient times, are considered as the areas linked to the civilization of
the Nile Valley and other civilizations located in the west, North Africa or the Western
Desert and western Sudan. The oases inhabitants in those areas have left drawings on
rocks such as in Gabal Tair in Darb Ghobary (Ghubari) between Kharga and Dakhla
Oases close to Kharga (Fig. 2). Further, the ancient Egyptians were concerned with
securing the caravan routes to the oases. Oases were also affected by the periods of
weakness and strength of the kings of ancient Egypt. Many Egyptian oases suffered
from invasion and oppression. So came the army of Qambiz, who destroyed their
temples and burned their statues and his successor King Darius, who differed from
his father. He turned his attention to the people of the oases to settle them. He set
up two temples for Amun, one in Siwa (Umm Ubaida) and the other in the city of
Kharga (Temple of Hibis) and rebuild the temples that were destroyed. Hibis means
the city of the plow, or the city that is cultivated. This indicates that agriculture is of
great importance (Abdel-Hamid 1971).
Fig. 2 Dakhla and Kharga Oases, and Darb Ghobary