New Valley Governorate

New Valley Governorate essentials

Egypt’s New Valley Governorate encompasses the expansive Western Desert, featuring the surreal chalk landscapes of the White Desert and the massive dunes of the Great Sand Sea. The region preserves significant historical sites, including the Persian-era Temple of Hibis and the mud-brick chapels of the Bagawat Necropolis, one of the world's oldest Christian cemeteries. Further south, the remote Gilf Kebir plateau holds prehistoric rock art, while the oases of Kharga and Dakhla contain Roman-era fortresses and temples like Qasr Dusch and Qasr el-Ghuweita.

New Valley Governorate Essentials — Map

A

White Desert

The charming landscape of cream coloured desert dotted with bizarre chalk rock formations is best explored from Bahariyya.

B

Temple of Hibis

The Temple of Hibis is the largest and best preserved ancient Egyptian temple in the Kharga Oasis, as well as the only structure in Egypt…

C

Bagawat Necropolis

El Bagawat, is an ancient Christian cemetery, and one of the oldest in the world, which functioned at the Kharga Oasis in southern-central…

D

Gilf Kebir

Gilf Kebir is a plateau in the New Valley Governorate of the remote southwest corner of Egypt, and southeast Libya.

E

Great Sand Sea

The Great Sand Sea is an approximately 72,000 km2 sand desert in the Sahara between western Egypt and eastern Libya in North Africa.

F

Crystal Mountain

A unique ridge between Bahariya and Farafra oases formed by a sub-volcanic vault. The structure is composed of sparkling calcite crystals and quartz formations created by ancient hydrothermal activity.

G

Qasr Dusch

A Roman-era archaeological site in the Kharga Oasis featuring a massive mud-brick fortress and a stone temple dedicated to Isis and Serapis, constructed during the reigns of Emperors Domitian, Trajan, and Hadrian.

H

Qasr el-Ghuweita

A fortified hilltop temple in the Kharga Oasis dedicated to the Theban Triad. The sandstone structure primarily dates to the 27th Dynasty under Darius I, with later expansions during the Ptolemaic period.

I

Kellis

Known as Ismant el-Kharab, this Roman-period village in the Dakhla Oasis contains exceptionally well-preserved mud-brick houses, temples, and early Christian churches where significant ancient papyri were discovered.