Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¼´Ê±¿ª½±

The ruins of Qasr Al Labakha in the desert.

© Iviaggidimanuel/Shutterstock

Qasr Al Labakha

Top choice in Western Desert


Set amid a desertscape of duney desolation, Qasr Al Labakha is a micro-oasis some 40km north of Al Kharga. Scattered among sandy swells and rocky shelves are the remains of a towering four-storey Roman fortress, two temples and a vast necropolis where more than 500 mummies have been unearthed (you can still see human remains in the tombs). Day trips to Labakha can be arranged by Al Kharga's tourist office, with prices starting at around US$150 per vehicle.


Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¼´Ê±¿ª½±'s must-see attractions

Nearby Western Desert attractions

1. Ain Umm Al Dabadib

4.96 MILES

This impressive fort sits on a ridge rising grandly out of the desert plains about 20km west of Qasr Al Labakha. It has one of the most complex…

2. Al Kharga Museum of Antiquities

13.56 MILES

Designed to resemble the architecture of the nearby Necropolis of Al Bagawat, this two-storey museum is an old-school dusty trove of archaeological finds…

3. Qasr Al Zayyan

14.04 MILES

One of the major monuments of the Kharga Oasis is the Graeco-Roman temple of Qasr Al Zayyan, in the ancient village of Takhoneourit. The town, mostly…

4. Temple of Hibis

14.55 MILES

The town of Hebet (‘the Plough’, now corrupted into Hibis) was the capital of the oasis in antiquity, but all that remains today is the well-preserved…

5. Necropolis of Al Bagawat

14.56 MILES

It may not look like much from afar, but this necropolis is one of the earliest surviving and best-preserved Christian cemeteries in the world. About 1km…

6. Monastery of Al Kashef

14.76 MILES

Dominating the cliffs 2km to the north of the Necropolis of Al Bagawat, the ruined Monastery of Al Kashef is strategically placed to overlook what was one…

7. Temple of An Nadura

14.94 MILES

Located on a hill to the right of the main road when heading north from Al Kharga town, the Temple of An Nadura has strategic views of the area and once…

8. Qasr Al Ghueita

17.3 MILES

The garrison’s massive outer walls enclose a 25th-dynasty sandstone temple, dedicated to the Theban triad Amun, Mut and Khons. In later centuries, the…