Kharga
The al-Kharga valley ( Arabic الواحات الخارجة al-Wāhāt al-Kharidscha , DMG al-Wāḥāt al-Ḫāriǧa 'the outer oases', also el-Kharga ) is the most southeastern and at the same time largest of the five inhabited western Egyptian depressions . It is located in the Libyan Desert in the range from 26 ° 00 'N to 24 ° 30' N (north - south) or 30 ° 25 'E to 30 ° 50' E (west - east) and extends over a length of 200 km in north-south direction. The population at the 1996 census was 49,461, covering an area of around 1500 km².
Kharga is located about 150 km west of the Nile Valley in the governorate of al-Wadi al-Jadid (the capital of the valley, which is also called al-Kharga, is also the capital of the governorate).
Naming
Al-Kharga is mostly grouped together with the ad-Dachla depression about 190 km to the west as a “double oasis”. In ancient Egyptian times this double sink was called wḥA.t or wḥA.t rsy.t ( the oasis or the southern oasis ), but also knm.t ( southern oasis ). In Greco-Roman times this administrative unit was called Oasis magna or Oasis megale (Greek ῎Οασις μεγάλη), d. H. " The great oasis ". The administrative separation takes place around the 4th century AD, it now bears its current name, the " outer oases ".
Political and economic importance
The main place of the oasis was Hibis , also called al-Maimun in Arab times. The administrative center of the double depression was probably always in the depression ad-Dachla in Qalamun. Only since 1958 has the city of al-Kharga been the capital of the al-Wadi al-Jadid (New Valley) governorate , which also includes the depressions of ad-Dachla and Farafra .
The depression owes its economic importance as a stopping point on various caravan routes to Libya and Sudan (such as the Darb al-Arba'in ). At the same time, it has been a supplier of agricultural (vegetables, dates, wine) and mineral products, at least since the ancient Egyptian New Kingdom.
location
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Location in Egypt |
The depression (geographical location see above) rises approx. 30 to 90 m above sea level. In the north and east in particular, it is bounded by mountain ranges that can reach a height of approx. 400 m. The sometimes rugged slopes of these mountain ranges make access to and from the Nile Valley difficult. The al-Kharga depression can only be reached via the following seven passes ( Arabic نقب Naqb ) can be reached from north to south:
- Naqb Ramliyya ( Arabic نقب رملية 'Sand Pass') is located in the extreme northeast of the valley. Probably the most famous slope, the 1,800 km long Darb al-Arba'in , leads over this pass from Asyut to the Darfur region in Sudan . The modern asphalt road from Asyut via the city of al-Kharga to Baris follows this old route.
- 13 km south of the first pass is the Naqb al-Yabsa ( Arabic نقب اليابسة Naqb al-Yābsa 'mainland pass '), which is an alternative to Naqb Ramliyya.
- The Naqb ar-Rufuf ( Arabic نقب الرفوف) is located 45 km northeast of the city of al-Kharga. The slopes, which have their starting point in the places between Sohag and Abydos , reach the valley via this pass.
- The Naqb Umm Sirwal ( Arabic نقب أم سِرْوال, also Naqb Abu Sirwal) is a little south of the Naqb ar-Rufuf. From the Nile town of Girga (south of Sohag) or from Abydos, the Darb Girga or Darb ad-Dair piste leads to the city of al-Charga past the Roman fortress of Dair al-Munira .
- The Naqb Bulaq ( Arabic نقب بولاق) is located approx. 35 km south of Naqb Abu Sirawal and approx. 25 km north-northeast of the village of the same name. The pass can be reached via the slope from Armant (ar-Rizaiqat).
- The Naqb el-Gaga (also Naqb al-Jaja, Arabic نقب الجاجا) is located northeast of the village of al-Gaga and is used by slopes from Farschut (between Qina and Abydos) or Armant . Today's asphalt road leads along the ancient Darb al-Gaga slope over this pass to the village of al-Gaga. The Luxor - Qina - al-Charga railway line also runs over this pass, but mostly far further north than the road, and enters the depression between al-Gaga and Bulaq.
- The southernmost pass is the Naqb Dusch ( Arabic نقب دوش) north-northeast of the village of the same name. Slopes from Edfu and Esna reach the valley here.
The neighboring depression of ad-Dachla can be reached via two slopes from al-Kharga, namely via the Darb ʿAin Amur slopes in the north or the Darb al-Ghubbari in the south. The modern asphalt road follows the Darb al-Ghubbari, in earlier times the Darb ʿAin Amur was probably the more popular because ʿAin Amur had a well.
The foothills of the shifting dune Ghurd Abu Muharrik ( Arabic غرد أبو محرّك, DMG Ġurd Abū Muḥarrik ) pass the depression west of the road to Baris , the second largest place in the depression.
economy
The most important industry is the phosphate mining in the mines in the northwest of the depression.
Most of the locals are employed in agriculture . The most important products include dates, wheat, rice and vegetables.
The handicrafts produce products mainly for the local market. Carrying baskets, bags and coasters are woven from the palm leaves. Cages for small animals are made from the dried stems of the palm leaves. Ceramic vessels for everyday use are made from clay. Clay and concrete are also used by artists to make sculptures; the best known representative is the artist Mabrouk . Other products also include traditional clothing and silver jewelry such as bangles and nose rings . The traditional craft is encouraged again. Their products such as carpets and pottery can also be purchased by tourists.
history
The valley has been inhabited at least since the Paleolithic (Paleolithic), probably not so much the valley itself as the mountain slopes. The climate differed significantly from today's: the alternating dry and wet periods at that time enabled a steppe landscape with associated fauna (gazelles, ostriches, etc.). The remains of these settlers, for example in ʿAin Umm ad-Dabadib , are mainly flint tools. In addition to flint tools, rock carvings also date from the Neolithic (Neolithic), for example on Jabal at-Tair and south of Darb al-Ghubbari halfway to ad-Dachla .
Archaeological evidence is (still) missing from ancient Egyptian times , at least between the Old and New Kingdoms. Ancient Egypt traded with its neighbors in what is now Libya and Sudan . With the donkey as the only known pack animal at the time - the camel was only introduced under the Persians - it was hardly possible to cover distances of more than 200 km, a donkey needs water after three days at the latest. All caravans must have passed through al-Kharga and stopped here. As clues, the Mastaba graves, which were only discovered in 1971/1972, and the governor's palace of Balat in ad-Dachla from the 6th dynasty, the biography of Herchuf at his grave in Qubbat al-Hawa , in which he transports along the oasis road, the Darb al-Arba'in , and which also comes from the 6th Dynasty . In the New Kingdom there are reports of the delivery of agricultural and mineral products from al-Kharga in the Theban tombs or in the Luxor temple . The proximity to Luxor and the fact that the same main gods were worshiped in al-Kharga as in Thebes suggests that the first shrines in al-Kharga were built in the New Kingdom .
The oldest temples in the al- Kharga basin , namely those of Hibis and Ghweita , have their origins in the Ethiopian and String times (25th and 26th dynasties), even if the inscriptions date from the Persian times. There are testimonies from Saitic and Persian times that come from all parts of the valley. In other words, the entire valley was under the influence of the respective rulers.
In the oasis there was also a trading town called Umm Mawagir today , which dates back to the 4th millennium BC. Was settled and between 1650 and 1550 BC. Its heyday.
The valley reached its heyday in Greek and even more clearly in Roman times . The Romans maintain two legions of soldiers in Egypt, and up to 1,000 soldiers in the al-Kharga depression. In addition to military posts and garrisons, settlements, temples and aqueducts ( Arabic قناة Qanāt ) expanded or newly created, especially in the northern part of the depression. The fortresses were part of a large system of fortresses in North Africa. The task of the local military was to monitor the caravan routes to the Nile valley, to ad-Dachla and to Sudan . Little is known about the fortresses as they are largely ignored by scientists.
The valley has also served as a place of exile since Roman times, often for persecuted Christians. The first Christians have been here since the 3rd century AD, with Athanasius and Nestorius among the most famous of the exiles . At the end of the fourth century, al-Kharga and ad-Dachla are almost entirely Christian. Numerous important monuments such as the al-Bagawat cemetery and the monastery 'Ain Mustafa Kaschif bear witness to this time. Al-Kharga also becomes a bishopric. Repeated attacks from Nubia and Libya and increasing hostility with the Muslims let Christianity and the bishopric extinct in the 14th century.
In the Middle Ages, the valley was partly deserted, only in the Mameluke times soldiers were stationed here again to guard the caravan routes. The Darb el-Arba'in is still in use until the 19th century. The caravan routes are not only used for trade, but also serve as routes for Mecca pilgrims from North Africa. In Ottoman times, six customs posts were operated in the depression (from south to north: al-Maks al-Qibli, al-Maks al-Bahri, ʿAin Shams ad-Din, Qasr az-Zayan, al-Ghuwaita and 'Ain Mustafa Kaschif) . During the British occupation of Egypt, soldiers are also stationed here to repel enemy attacks from Sudan and Libya .
In 1958 the small village of Qasr al-Charga experienced a significant boom. Under Nasser, the al-Wadi al-Dschadid governorate is formed, which also includes the depressions of ad-Dachla and Farafra , and al-Kharga is expanded to become its capital.
From 7 to 10 February 2011, at least five people were killed and hundreds were injured in rioting in the wake of the 2011 revolution in Egypt . Police and judiciary buildings and the local headquarters of the ruling party were set on fire, and police shot demonstrators with live ammunition.
Research history
The earliest travelers such as the French traveler Poncet (1698) are mainly interested in the Darb el-Arba'in , the valley itself offers little worth seeing. The beginning of the 19th century is considered to be the great time of discoveries in the Libyan desert . The French Cailliaud discovered the Hibis Temple in 1818 , followed by Edmonstone (1819), the British Gardner Wilkinson (1825) and Hoskins (1832), the Germans Brugsch (1850–1880, first scientific description of the Hibis Temple), Rohlfs (1874 ), Schweinfurth (1875), the Russian von Bock (1888/9 and 1897/8, description of the el-Bagawāt cemetery), the British cartographers Beadnell and Ball (1898), the American Egyptologists Winlock and Davies (1909-1913, 1926 –1939, description of the Hībis temple) and 1936 the German Egyptologist Naumann (description of the temples of al-Charga).
In the 1970s and 1980s, the temples were cleared of drift sand. Since then there has been archaeological research and further exposures.
Testimonies
There have been rock carvings from prehistory to the Christian era. The most important are in the Abu-Tartur plateau, in Jabal at-Tair and in Jabal Tafnis.
The temple complexes of Hibis, an-Nadura, al-Ghuwaita, Qasr az-Zayan, Qasr Dusch , ʿAin Chanafis and 'Ain Manawir date from the Pharaonic Late Period . They were used until Roman times. In Roman times, an extensive system of fortresses and settlements were built in this depression. a. include the forts of 'Ain Umm ad-Dabadib, Qasr al-Labacha, Qasr al-Gibb, Qasr as-Sumaira and Dair al-Munira.
The valley is one of the most important Christian settlements in the Libyan desert. Significant monuments include the al-Bagawat cemetery, the monasteries ʿAin Mustafa Kaschif and ʿAin Saʿaf and the church of 'Ain Shams ad-Din.
There are only a few documents in the city of al-Kharga from the Islamic-Arab period. These are the minaret of al-Mahaibi from Ayyubid times and the tomb of Sheikh 'Abdullah.
The unfinished village complex of New Baris ( Arabic باريس الجديدة, DMG Bārīs al-Ǧadīda ) by the Egyptian star architect Hassan Fathy (1900–1989).
Transport links
Four of the large depressions are connected to the Nile Valley via a ring road. Public transport (buses) go to ad-Dachla , Farafra , Bahariyya , Asyut and Cairo . There is another connection to Luxor , but there is no public transport.
Since 1996 there has been a railway connection (450 km) from Kharga to Qina and Luxor in the Nile Valley. There are no more trains.
Approx. There is an airport 5 km north of the city of al-Kharga with flights to Cairo once a week .
Climate table
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Average monthly temperatures and rainfall for Kharga
Source: wetterkontor.de
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literature
Popular scientific presentations:
- Cassandra Vivian: The Western Desert of Egypt: An Explorer's Handbook. The American University in Cairo Press, Cairo 2000, ISBN 977-424-527-X , pp. 52-105 (in English).
- Joachim Willeitner : The Egyptian oases: cities, temples and graves in the Libyan desert. von Zabern, Mainz 2003, ( Antike Welt , special issue; Zabern's illustrated books on archeology ), ISBN 3-8053-2915-6 , pp. 22–53.
- Günther Hölbl : Ancient Egypt in the Roman Empire. 3: Sanctuaries and religious life in the Egyptian deserts and oases. von Zabern, Mainz 2005, (Antike Welt, special issue; Zabern's illustrated books on archeology ), ISBN 3-8053-3512-1 , pp. 35–72.
Scientific representations:
- Frank Bliss: Economic and social change in the "New Valley" of Egypt. About the effects of Egyptian regional development policy in the oases of the Western Desert. Bonn 1989.
- Frank Bliss: Artisanat et artisanat d'art dans les oasis du désert occidental Egypt . Publications of the Frobenius Institute. Cologne
- Heinrich Brugsch: Journey to the great oasis El Khargeh in the Libyan desert: description of its monuments. Leipzig 1878 = https://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/brugsch1878
- Rudolf Naumann: Buildings of the Khargeh oasis . In: Communications from the German Institute for Egyptian Antiquity in Cairo. Volume 8, 1939, pp. 1–16, plates 1–11 (illustration of the temples of al-Kharga)
- Gertrude Caton-Thompson: Kharga Oasis in prehistory. University Press, London 1952, (description of prehistoric finds from al-Kharga, in English).
- Michael Reddé: Sites militaires romains de l'oasis de Kharga. In: Bulletin de l'Institut français d'archéologie orientale. 99, 1999, pp. 377-396. (Overview of the Roman fortifications of al-Kharga in French)
- A. Goudie, S. Stokes, J. Cook, S. Samieh & OA El-Rashidi: Yardang landforms from Kharga Oasis, south-western Egypt. In: Journal of Geomorphology. Suppl.-Vol. 116, 1999, pp. 97–116, (General information on the al-Kharga depression and a study on yardangs in the depression in English).
- Eugene Cruz-Uribe: Kharga Oasis, Late period and Graeco-Roman sites. In: Kathryn A. Bard (Ed.): Encyclopedia of the Archeology of Ancient Egypt. Routledge, London 1999, ISBN 0-415-18589-0 , pp. 406-08.
- Marcia F. Wiseman: Kharga Oasis, prehistoric sites. In: Kathryn A. Bard (Ed.): Encyclopedia of the Archeology of Ancient Egypt. Routledge, London 1999, ISBN 0-415-18589-0 , pp. 408-11.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Martin Gehlen: How the regime prepares its revenge. In: Frankfurter Rundschau . February 10, 2011, accessed February 10, 2011 .
Coordinates: 25 ° 20 ' N , 30 ° 36' E