1 Best Sight in Western Desert Oases, Egypt

Qilaa al-Dabba

These small mastaba tombs are significant in that their discovery provided the first evidence that Dakhla was known to the Old Kingdom. Archaeologists have uncovered seven mud-brick mastabas, including one containing the mummy of a 6th-Dynasty governor. The site is believed to have been the necropolis for an ancient settlement at Ain ‘Asil, about 1½ km (1 mi) farther east. You can enter the restored burial chamber of governor Khentika, which sits at the bottom of a huge pit and has painted reliefs dating back to around 2250 BC. The desert around the site is full of mud-brick ruins.

Balat, New Valley, Egypt
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Sights Details
Rate Includes: £E25, Daily dawn–dusk