Dimeh al-Siba

Dimeh, ancient Soknopaiou Nesos, stands on the desert plateau north of Lake Qarun, an island when the lake was higher and a dry ruin now, reached across sand rather than water. It was a Ptolemaic foundation on the caravan route from the Faiyum to the western oases, and its enormous mud-brick temple enclosure walls still stand many metres high, so the town reads as a walled block on the horizon from a long way off. A paved stone processional causeway more than four hundred metres long runs up to the temple gate from the old lake shore, which is the most striking thing on the site. Inside, streets and houses survive, and papyri from here have supplied a great deal of what is known about Faiyum temple administration.

What you actually see

• The stone causeway - a paved processional way over four hundred metres long.
• Towering mud-brick enclosure walls - the temple precinct visible from far off.
• Streets of the caravan town - houses along the route to the oases.
• The desert plateau setting - the ruin standing above the old lake bed.

When to go

October to April. Half a day including the crossing. Early morning gives the best light along the causeway and the coolest walking. Trips are usually arranged from Tunis village or Faiyum with a driver.

Honest expectations

Access requires four-wheel-drive across open desert or a boat and then a stiff walk uphill; independent visits are impractical. There is no shade, water or shelter on the site. Permits are sometimes required and the arrangement can fall through. Illegal digging has damaged parts of the town.

Nearby

Lake Qarun lies south; Karanis is at the eastern end of the same shore.