Djara Cave

Djara lies in genuinely empty desert on the old caravan route between Asyut and Farafra, a chamber of a few thousand square metres reached down a shaft in the flat limestone plateau, and inside it is packed with stalactites, stalagmites and columns in dense formation, some of them large, preserved because the cave was sealed and forgotten. It was recorded by the German explorer Gerhard Rohlfs in 1873 and then effectively lost again until it was relocated in the 1980s. The surrounding desert carries prehistoric rock art and stone tools from a period when the region was wetter. Reaching it requires a four-wheel-drive expedition with a guide and permits, and it is usually done as part of a longer desert crossing rather than as a day trip.

What you actually see

• Dense stalactite formations - a chamber crowded with columns and curtains.
• The entrance shaft - a hole in the flat plateau with no other landmark.
• Prehistoric rock art nearby - carvings from a wetter period.
• Absolute desert emptiness - no settlement in any direction.

When to go

October to April. A full day at minimum, and usually part of a multi-day desert route. Permits and a licensed guide are required and must be arranged in advance.

Honest expectations

This is a serious desert expedition, not an excursion: navigation, fuel and water all have to be carried, and it requires convoy travel. Permits are frequently refused. The cave has no lighting or walkway. Formations are fragile and have already been damaged by visitors.

Nearby

Farafra lies west across the desert; Asyut and the Nile valley are east.