Fodor's Expert Review Qasr al-Labeka
Al-Kharga
Ruins
The Roman mud-brick fortress, which was built between the 3rd and 5th centuries AD, occupies a sand-choked wadi at the base of the northern escarpment. Its 12-meter (40-foot) walls protected a garrison that monitored passing caravans, and there was a large settlement here supported by a nearby spring. In ancient times, several manafis (underground aqueducts) brought water from the spring. One has been cleared and is now used to cultivate fields.