Frédéric M

Canada - 18-May-25 -

During my trip to Egypt in February and March 2025, I spent three nights at the Zad El Mosafer guesthouse in Tunis in the Fayoum and Lake Qarun region. I used Tunis as a base to visit Wadi Al-Hitan, Gebel Qatrani, and Soknopaiou Nesos. I organized all these activities through my guesthouse. What's more, they also arranged transport to Alexandria, with stops at the monasteries of Saint Pishoy and Saint Macarius the Great and Abu Mena.

On my second day in this region, the excursion organized via my guesthouse took us to the north shore of the lake. I had requested an excursion to Soknopaiou Nesos, the petrified forest, and the quarries of Gebel Qatrani. I was again with the driver who had accompanied me the day before to Wadi Al-Hitan, but this time we were sharing the vehicle with a second guide and a Russian tourist who was also able to act as interpreter, as she spoke both Arabic and English. As was the case on several occasions during my trip to Egypt, the excursion organized and negotiated with my guesthouse did not go according to plan.

After visiting Soknopaiou Nesos and the Qasr Sagha temple, we entered the protected zone of Gebel Qatrani. The boundaries of the protected area are well marked, so I'm convinced I've entered the future core zone of this WHS if it is inscribed in 2026 as planned. There are several signs along the roadside, with a map of the area and a few identified points of interest.

The first thing we saw were some fossilized vertebrae set in the sand (photo). This was the only animal fossil we saw that day. We then visited a viewpoint overlooking the cliffs, then a second one overlooking a small dry canyon. Here, there were a few pieces of fossilized wood. In fact, we were following the arrows pointing to the petrified forest right up to this point. But neither the driver nor the guide knew anything about the petrified forest, and they refused to go any further, even though I had negotiated this destination with the guesthouse receptionist. We made another stop to observe the desert landscape, then turned back before seeing the quarries too. Worse still, the Russian tourist had been sold an excursion to canyons and waterfalls while this landscape was completely dry. So, I can recommend the guesthouse for accommodation or the excursion to Wadi Al-Hitan, but they don't offer a trusted service for other destinations.

Finally, the landscapes of Gebel Qatrani are beautiful, but I don't think they have OUV. As for the fossils, much better on-site interpretation will be required before we can judge their OUV. I also feel that this site is underdeveloped and that I only visited superficial elements due to the incompetence of my driver and guide duo. For now, this site deserves a thumbs down as far as I'm concerned.

Wojciech Fedoruk

Poland - 26-Feb-23 -

After reading the description of this place provided by Egypt on the official UNESCO website, I could not quite understand what is to be the subject of the proposal. The state party refers to the ancient quarries of Widan el-Faras and Umm es-Sawan, where the remains of prehistoric animals were found. However, there is little information on the Internet about these places. So I decided to see for myself.

Google Maps probably shows the wrong route to Widan el-Faras. In fact, it is impossible to get there from the north. You have to drive from the south, preferably entering the road to Soknopaiu Nesos, the ruins of an ancient, well-preserved city from the time of the Ptolemaic. A few kilometers from Soknopaiu Nesos is the entrance to Lake Qarun National Park. You have to pay 5 USD per person for entry (no discounts for children, but the guard allowed my two children for one ticket). The exit to Gebel Qatrani is about halfway between the entrance to the park and Soknopaiu Nesos. After about two kilometers we came across a building where a guard was sitting. The guard checked our tickets, wrote down our phone number and gave his. Thanks to this, he saved us from serious trouble!

A few minutes further we came across a junction. The road to the left led to Widan el-Faras, to the right to the Petrified Forest. We chose the latter and almost arrived when we got stuck in the sand (we traveled in an ordinary sedan). Pushing and digging out did not help, we had to call the guard, who came in an off-road Toyota and pulled us out of the sand. Then we travelled in the guard's car.

We reached the Petrified Forest, a completely unusual place in the desert. There are hundreds of fossilized tree trunks from 37 million years ago! And among the trees you can find the remains of petrified animals, including whales, crocodiles, turtles and Arsinoitherium – a prehistoric rhino with a twin horn. The place is very reminiscent of Wadi Al-Hitan, except that it focuses mainly on terrestrial and water-land animals. It is easy to understand – the place is located on a much higher altitude than Wadi Al-Hitan and while eons ago in Wadi Al-Hitan there was a sea, here a tropical forest grew. The educational path is quite long, although not as long as in Wadi al-Hitan and can be walked in less than an hour.

The guard took us also to Widan el-Faras, but there is nothing interesting except beautiful desert landscapes and basalt rocks.

It seems to me that Egypt is trying to play with the inclusion of Gebel Qatrani as a separate entry. For me it is evident that it deserves an entry on the list, but as an extension of Wadi Al-Hitan, not a separate inscription.

By the way – let's wait for the official maps, but it seems that the road from Cairo to Wadi Al-Hitan through the southern part of Lake Qarun will not be included in the entry. Lake Qarun National Park is located on the north side of the lake and only this place should be treated as the core zone.

Philipp Peterer

Switzerland - 25-Aug-22 -

This site, if inscribed will pose a dilemma for me and probably a few other community members. The road to Wadi Hitan from Cairo leads right through it, along the Qarun Lake. Thus, all those who have visited the whalebones have probably visited at least the nature reserve. I saw the lake and I stopped there for pictures. Therefore, I will probably have to count it. I did, however, completely miss the fossil part.

It was not an intentional visit. Back then, I did not look at the Tentative List, when planning trips. Just a nice stop on a long drive. The area is nice, but I wouldn’t have imagined this could become a WHS. It is an oasis and water and green in the desert is always special. But that’s about it. Will definitely be one of these WHS where you have to research before to grasp its value. I would really appreciate a review that points us to the places to be visited regarding the fossil part. If I get the information and this is inscribed, I will probably revisit. Along with the fantastic Wadi Hitan.

Gebely Abuelkheir

Egypt - 01-Jan-12 -

Iam responsible for this area. it is very important area in the presence of 13 order of 28 order of vertebrate fossils. it has a fossils of the ancestors of primates, elephants, hyrax, rats, bats and so on. beside the natural heritage site, it has the ancient paved road all over the world as a cultural site and some ruins of pharoans and Roman periods, there are a fantastic landscapes of varigated cloroured rocks, we need fund to protect this area.

I built asmall check point without any funding exept doonars

but we need furnature, workers salaries, sign posts and so on to protect this site.

Iam so sad becouse this area is ignores untill now and there is arodomely tourist tips and many factors gamage this

very important herritage site all over the world

if some body or authority ready to help in protecting this area

please call me on 02201004535453- mmm_517@yahoo.com