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DESERT<br />
DREAMS<br />
There’s more to Egypt than the<br />
grand temples of the ancient<br />
pharaohs along a legendary<br />
river. Head west of the Nile and<br />
south of Cairo and find two<br />
unique oases and cultures.<br />
By Haley Beham<br />
Fayoum Oasis<br />
When describing the region 750 years<br />
ago, Fayoum’s governor Abu ‘Uthmân<br />
al-Nabulsi wrote, “Cool are the<br />
dawns; tall are the trees; many are the<br />
fruits; little are the rains.” With such<br />
a tranquil retreat so close to Cairo,<br />
it’s surprising one of the most ancient<br />
areas in all of Africa remains relatively<br />
unknown to the outside world.<br />
Sunflowers, date palms and water<br />
buffalo dominate the landscape. This<br />
area, known as the Fayoum Oasis,<br />
is not an oasis in the truest sense of<br />
the word, as it is fed by hundreds of<br />
capillary canals from the Nile instead<br />
of springs. Still, the land is fertile.<br />
KER & DOWNEY 41
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