Lake Qarun is located in the El Fayoum Oasis.

The Fayoum Region has a lot to offer tourists who are interested in a combination of history and natural beauty, in particular.

Lake Qarun itself is a very popular destination for bird watchers and environment enthusiasts, because of the abundance of birdlife and greenery that can be found there.

If you want to enjoy a memorable trip in Egypt, check out our Egypt Excursions with our certified Egyptologist and Egypt travel guide.

Location:

It takes around 1 hour and 40 minutes to travel from downtown Cairo, which is readily accessible by road, and 40 minutes to go to Fayoum City, which is also easily accessible by road.

History:

Egypt’s Lake Qaroun (Birket Qaroun) is the most bizarre juxtaposition of water and desert in the country, apart from tankers gliding between the sandbanks of the Suez Canal.

Fishing boats bob on the lake, which is surrounded by parched hills and the vastness of the Western Desert in the distance.

Locals refer to the lake as “The Pond” (El-Birka), and the name may stem from the horn (qorn) shaped peak on an island in the center, although Fayoumis think it was named after a figure in the Koran who was swallowed up by the ground as a punishment for being exultant in his wealth.

The lake is popular with the locals as a bathing destination, and the season is open all year. Swimming is not suggested from January to April, however, owing to the lower weather conditions.