El Kharga invites you to be a part of one of the world’s most powerful civilizations, through taking you in a journey through the Roman Settlements located on its lands. One of the most striking fortresses of the whole area is el-Deir, a huge enclosure with twelve round towers which lies east of the old Darb el-Arbain. The site is definitely worth a visit, but a 4x4 is strongly suggested. The easily accessible forts of Nadura, Qasr el-Ghueita and Qasr el-Zayyan are situated close to the main road on the top of high hills which allowed a strategic control of the territory. All contain small stone temples, the first Roman, the second Persian and the third Ptolemaic. The most amazing fortress of the area is probably Dush, at the southern edge of the oasis. A huge complex contained two stone temples, a monumental gateway built by Trajan, and evidence of an elaborated subterranean water system. The beautiful landscape and impressive setting are not to be missed.
Two other Roman settlements that you don’t want to miss are the Ayn Amur and the Umm el- Dabadib. Ayn Amur is a little spring halfway between Kharga and Dakhla along the caravan route which bears the same name. Here is a small stone temple with a large mud brick enclosure that was built around the spring. While umm el-Dabadib is a large settlement guarded by a small but impressive fort and once supported by an extensive cultivation, which lies along the Darb 'Ayn Amur in an area today completely isolated.