Leisure Activities

Qasr el-Labekha is an ancient fortress and settlement located in an isolated part of the desert, approximately 12 km west of the main Asyut to El-Kharga road and about 50 km north of Kharga city. This site boasts two temples, an imposing fort, and a collection of decorated tombs.

The fortress of el-Labekha served as a strategically placed garrison, guarding the intersection of two significant ancient caravan routes from the north and west. While smaller than its neighboring fortress at el-Deir, Qasr el-Labekha features mudbrick walls standing 12 meters high with four massive round towers on its corners.

Explore the interior of the fortress through the eastern entrance, where you’ll find the remains of vaulted chambers and crumbled walls. Nearby, discover the remnants of a large well, once surrounded by palm, acacia, and tamarisk trees, providing water to the fort and settlement. It is believed that a large community once thrived here, supported by an aqueduct system.

While the fortress itself has never been excavated, recent studies by the Supreme Council of Antiquities and the French Alpha Necropolis team uncovered small statues and Roman pottery beneath the western and southern walls. Nearby, an impressive brick-built temple with intriguing depictions can be explored. Another ruined temple, potentially dedicated to Hercules and a deified man named Piyris, showcases unique architecture.

The area surrounding Qasr el-Labekha houses numerous cemeteries, with the most impressive necropolis located north of the fortress. Here, you’ll find elaborate tombs, some with mummified burials and rich burial equipment. Many of these tombs feature plastered walls adorned with religious symbols and traditional paintings of Osiris.