Southern and Smaller Oases, the Western Desert
Southern and Smaller Oases, the Western Desert is part of the Tentative list of Egypt in order to qualify for inclusion in the World Heritage List.
The Southern and Smaller Oases in the Western Desert comprise of Kharga Oasis, Dakhla Oasis and Kurkur and Dungul Oases, Moghra Oasis and Wadi El-Natroun. The Western Desert is a mostly rocky, barren desert and uninhabited save for a chain of oases. The landscape is characterized by sand formations, salt flats, lakes that dry up in summer, palms, reed and papyrus.
Map of Southern and Smaller Oases, the Western Desert
Load mapThe coordinates shown for all tentative sites were produced as a community effort. They are not official and may change on inscription.
Community Reviews
Boj
Egypt's TWHS needs updating; however, I can say that Dakhla Oasis, one of the five "Southern and Smaller Oases, the Western Desert" will retain its position as candidate for World Heritage Listing in whatever nomenclature or serial nomination form.
It's currently categorised as a natural site, yet it's easily a Cultural Landscape, either Relic or Continuing, depending on the finalised range of buffer and core zone components. The fortified Islamic town of Al Qasr (the iconic Nasr el-Din mosque photo enclosed) is no longer fully inhabited as of December 2020; yet with careful eye, one can detect how this old town, its past residents and the surrounding landscape had interacted within that certain period of time.
Likewise, the farming, irrigation and settlement patterns in Dakhla Oasis continue to evolve.
Site Info
- Full Name
- Southern and Smaller Oases, the Western Desert
- Country
- Egypt
- Added
- 2003
- Type
- Natural
- Categories
- Wildlife habitat - Flora
- Link
- By ID
Site History
2003 Added to Tentative List
Site Links
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