Farafra, Egypt

The word al-Farafra (al-Farafira in local pronunciation, al-Farfarun in Middle Ages) is a broken plural form of farfar meaning "fizzy spring". The oasis was called in , "the land of cattle". == History ==

Archaeological evidence suggests that Farafra region was inhabited since late Pleistocene. Farafra was known in ancient Egyptian history at least since the Middle Kingdom. In the Ptolemaic period, the region was under the administration of the Oxyrhynchite nome (19th Upper Egyptian nome). ==White Desert==

A main geographic attraction of Farafra is its White Desert (known as Sahara el Beyda)—a national park of Egypt and north of the town of Farafra, the main draw of which is its rock type colored from snow-white to cream. It has massive chalk rock formations that are textbook examples of ventifact and which have been created as a result of occasional sandstorm in the area. The White Desert is a typical place visited by some schools in Egypt, as a location for camping trips. ==Wells==

Due to its geographical location and geological formation it has more than 100 wells spread out over the lands of the Farafra, many of which are natural. Most of these wells are used in aggregation of the cultivated land in the oasis. Some of the wells in Farafra have become a favorite tourist destination. Bir Sitta, (well 6 in Arabic), Bir Sab'a (well 7) and Bir Ithnian wa ishrin (well 22) are the most important. Because of the water's warm temperature and a slight percentage of sulfur, these wells are favorable for swimming and relaxation. There is a large lake touristic well named Abu Nus 15 kilometers north of the edge of the Farafra. ==Climate==

Köppen-Geiger climate classification system classifies its climate as hot desert (BWh). ==Gallery==

File:WhiteDesertEgypt@FarafraOasis2007jan6-93 byDanielCsorfoly.JPG File:Weisse Wüste.jpg|Limestone rock formation File:White Desert, Al-Farafra-Al-Bahariya road through the desert, Egypt.jpg|Al-Farafra – Al-Bahariya road File:White Desert, Rock formation, Egypt.jpg|Rock formation File:White Desert, Karst rock formations 2, Egypt.jpg|Rock formations File:White Desert, Karst rock formations, Egypt.jpg|Distant view ==References==