Qasr Al Zayyan

Western Desert


One of the major monuments of the Kharga Oasis is the Graeco-Roman temple of Qasr Al Zayyan, in the ancient village of Takhoneourit. The town, mostly unexcavated, was an important stop on the desert route to Esna. The small sandstone temple, part of a fortress, was dedicated to Amon-Hibis, and consists of a court leading to the sanctuary with a beautiful cult-niche, and a chamber with a staircase to the roof.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Western Desert attractions

1. Al Kharga Museum of Antiquities

3.16 MILES

Designed to resemble the architecture of the nearby Necropolis of Al Bagawat, this two-storey museum is an old-school dusty trove of archaeological finds…

2. Temple of An Nadura

3.98 MILES

Located on a hill to the right of the main road when heading north from Al Kharga town, the Temple of An Nadura has strategic views of the area and once…

3. Temple of Hibis

4.46 MILES

The town of Hebet (‘the Plough’, now corrupted into Hibis) was the capital of the oasis in antiquity, but all that remains today is the well-preserved…

4. Necropolis of Al Bagawat

5.03 MILES

It may not look like much from afar, but this necropolis is one of the earliest surviving and best-preserved Christian cemeteries in the world. About 1km…

5. Monastery of Al Kashef

5.64 MILES

Dominating the cliffs 2km to the north of the Necropolis of Al Bagawat, the ruined Monastery of Al Kashef is strategically placed to overlook what was one…

6. Qasr Al Labakha

14.04 MILES

Set amid a desertscape of duney desolation, Qasr Al Labakha is a micro-oasis some 40km north of Al Kharga. Scattered among sandy swells and rocky shelves…

7. Ain Umm Al Dabadib

18.96 MILES

This impressive fort sits on a ridge rising grandly out of the desert plains about 20km west of Qasr Al Labakha. It has one of the most complex…

8. Qasr Al Ghueita

21.82 MILES

The garrison’s massive outer walls enclose a 25th-dynasty sandstone temple, dedicated to the Theban triad Amun, Mut and Khons. In later centuries, the…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "egypt/western-desert/al-kharga-oasis/attractions/qasr-al-zayyan/a/poi-sig/1585192/1330565",
      "destination": "Western-Desert",
      "continent": "Africa",
      "country": "Egypt",
      "region": "Western-Desert",
      "position": "superzone"
    }