With a spiky mosque tower and old mud-walled homes amid narrow alleys, backdropped with palms, dunes and desert cliffs, yeah, El Qasr is a fairytale oasis amid the 21st century.
It’s also one of the oldest-inhabited areas of Egypt’s Western Desert (which is really part of the Greater Sahara).
El Qasr’s origins go back to Roman settlement, but it was during the Islamic era, around the end of the 12th century, that the town we see today began to take shape.
The Ayyubids are credited with founding El Qasr, but the mud-brick ruins visible date from the Ottoman Turk period (1516–1798), when it was the capital of the Dakhla Oasis.
El Qasr means “The Fortress”
They built the town with defense in mind, and includes many large street gates that can be quickly closed to block enemies advancing through the narrow lanes.
The village today has around 700 inhabitants who continue traditional artisan practices, mostly pottery and basket weaving.
However, residents who move away cannot come back to the old town, apparently, and new construction isn’t allowed as the government plans to convert ancient el Qasr into a tourist destination (oh, dear. Disneyland is coming to the desert).
Travels in Egypt – 2013
