The Qara Oasis (also spelt Cara or Gara; ar, واحة القارة; also Qarat Umm El Sagheir, i.e. ) is an inhabited
oasis
In ecology, an oasis (; ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environment'ksar''with its surrounding feeding source, the palm grove, within a relational and circulatory nomadic system.”
The location of oases has been of critical imp ...
in
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
, with a population of only 363 (as of the 11 November 2006 census).
Matruh Governorate: Census 2006
/ref> This oasis is often disregarded when it comes to counting the number of Egyptian oases as it is very small compared to the others. In local folklore, if a newborn arrives, an elder will die shortly after, thus keeping the population constant. It lies at the northwest edge of the Qattara Depression
The Qattara Depression ( ar, منخفض القطارة, Munḫafaḍ al-Qaṭṭārah) is a depression in northwestern Egypt, specifically in the Matruh Governorate. The depression is part of the Western Desert of Egypt.
The Qattara Depressi ...
, northeast of Siwa Oasis, and belongs to Siwa District within Matrouh Governorate
Matrouh Governorate ( ar, محافظة مطروح ) is one of the governorates of Egypt. Located in the north-western part of the country, it borders Libya. Its capital is Mersa Matruh.
Municipal divisions
The governorate is divided into munic ...
. It is connected to an asphalted sub-road of approximately in length, in an area called “Bir al-Nisf” located on the Matrouh–Siwa road.
History
Originally, the inhabitants lived atop a neighbouring mountain which acted as a natural fortress, but today they live in simple houses beneath.
At first, the people of the village built a fortress on top of a nearby rocky mountain, which was a defensive position that would protect them from hostiles. The main industry was the production of dates and olives.
The village itself is an archaeological site, built with “Kershef” material, which is made of silt mixed with salt
Environment
Among the features of the oasis are thick, high salinity springs that have been known since the Roman era, and a hot water spring called “Kefara”, whose temperature reaches 70 degrees Celsius, which are transformed into cooling basins for use in agriculture and the people's consumption, and ancient ruins located at the top of the adjacent mountain, and a market where environmental products are displayed. And handicrafts. One of the distinctive dishes of the villagers is “Al-Aqrouz”, which is the palm tree, which is traditionally served to the most important guests.
Demography
The oasis is almost unhabitated, the population was 363 people as of 2006.
Economy
There is no service coverage for the area.
Because the oasis is not connected to the national electricity grid, solar cells provide the energy needed for street lighting and home use, and diesel generators. It has a school for basic education, and it was declared the first illiteracy-free village in Matrouh Governorate in 2009, but it lacks a medical unit and relief convoys frequent it to provide basic medical services. There is one singular car for supply runs.
In Popular Culture
The oasis appears in the 1958 war film ''Ice Cold in Alex
''Ice Cold in Alex'' is a 1958 British war film set during the Western Desert campaign of World War II based on the novel of the same name by Christopher Landon. Directed by J. Lee Thompson and starring John Mills, the film was a prizewinner a ...
''.
Sources
LookLex: Qara, Beyond Space and Time
Wikivoyage (German)
References
Gara:A Forgotten Oasis in Egypt’s Western Desert by Mohamed Kenawi and Francesca Simi
https://www.whsmith.co.uk/products/gara-a-forgotten-oasis-in-egypts-western-desert/mohamed-kenawi/francesca-simi/paperback/9781739660109.html
Oases of Egypt
{{Egypt-geo-stub