Al Fayoum
This Unesco World Heritage Site is home to the earliest prehistoric whale fossils ever discovered. The more than 400 basilosaurus and dorodontus (both…
Must-see attractions in Al Fayoum
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Al Fayoum
The 'waterfalls' in the Wadi Rayyan Protected Area are a major attraction for weekend picnickers from Cairo. The waterfalls, where one lake drains into…
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Al Fayoum
Established in the 1970s by Swiss artists, Evelyne Porret and Michel Pastore, this school, which trains children and adults in the local potting…
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Wadi Al Hittan Fossil & Climate Change Museum
Al Fayoum
The displays of fossils and information boards within this circular one-room museum do an excellent job of explaining the geological history, nature, and…
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Al Fayoum
The vast, slumping ruins of ancient Karanis lie 25km north of Medinat Al Fayoum, on the edge of the oasis depression, along the road to Cairo. Founded by…
Al Fayoum
This ancient city is one of the most isolated in Al Fayoum, but this is part of its appeal, as you’re often alone out in the blowing sand that drifts over…
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Al Fayoum
Lake Qarun is a popular weekend spot for Cairenes looking to cool down, and the lake edge is dotted with cafes and wedding pavilions. It’s not a big…
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Al Fayoum
About 8km southeast of Medinat Al Fayoum, on the north side of the canal Bahr Yusuf, the canal that connects Al Fayoum to the Nile, stands the dilapidated…
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Al Fayoum
About 30km northeast of Medinat Al Fayoum is the ruin of the first true pyramid attempted by the ancient Egyptians. It began as an eight-stepped structure…
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Al Fayoum
At the western end of Lake Qarun, just east of the village of Qasr Qarun, are the ruins of ancient Dionysias, once the starting point for caravans to the…
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Al Fayoum
About 10km southeast of Hawara are the ruins of this mudbrick pyramid, built by Pharaoh Sesostris II (1880–1874 BC). It’s not worth a separate trip, but…
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Al Fayoum
This project run by painter Mohamed Abla hosts classes and resident artists from around the world in the cooler months of January and February; email him…
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Al Fayoum
This red granite obelisk, dedicated to 12th-dynasty pharaoh Senusert I, stands proudly in the centre of a traffic roundabout overlooking the northern…
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Al Fayoum
Al Fayoum is famous for its more than 200 waterwheels, which have become a prominent symbol of the town and the oasis. These four rather rickety and…
