Kharga Oasis, the largest of the oases, rose to prominence as the penultimate stop on The Forty Days Road, the infamous slave trade route between Sudan and Eygpt.
Standing in palm groves just north of the city, is the well preserved Temple of Hibis built by Persian emperor Darius I in the 6th century, the only sizeable Persian temple left in Egypt.
Visit a Coptic landmark such as the Necropolis of Al-Bagawat and Deir Al-Kashef Monastery. This Chrisitan cemetery contains hundreds of domed, mudbrick tombs decorated with Coptic murals dating from the 4th century.
The best-preserved paintings are in the Chapel of the Exodus and portray Moses leading the Jews out of Egypt.
If you have a chance, visit the ruins of the 25th Dynasty, Qasr el-Ghueita on the crest of a sandstone hill fort from where it commands a strategic view over the desert plain, was believed to be the headquarters for Roman troops who guarded the desert routes.
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