Bahariya is the closest oasis to Cairo in kilometers, but the most distant oasis in time.
Although Siwa remained closed to the outside world until the last decade, its modernization
has been rapid. Kharga and Dakhla, the major oases in the New Valley
Governorate, have grown and expanded at an equally amazing rate. Farafra is
exploding. But Bahariya Oasis, part of trie highly populated Giza Governorate, has been
slow to move into the modern world. Of course, for the traveler in search of the past this
is wonderful; for the people of Bahariya it must be very frustrating.
