Qara Oasis
واحة القارة Qarat ʾUmm el-Sagheir • قارة أم الصغير | |
|---|---|
Village | |
 The village | |
 Location within the Qattara Depression | |
  Qara Oasis Location in Egypt | |
| Coordinates: 29°37′17.68″N 26°29′50.94″E / 29.6215778°N 26.4974833°E | |
| Country | Egypt |
| Governorate | Matrouh |
| Population | |
| • Total | 363 |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EST) |
The Qara Oasis (also spelt Cara or Gara; Arabic: واحة القارة; also Qarat Umm El Sagheir, i.e. قارة أم الصغير) is an inhabited oasis in Egypt, with a population of only 363 (as of the 11 November 2006 census).[1] This oasis is often disregarded when it comes to counting the number of Egyptian oases as it is very small compared to the others. In local folklore, if a newborn arrives, an elder will die shortly after, thus keeping the population constant. It lies at the northwest edge of the Qattara Depression, 75 km (47 mi) northeast of Siwa Oasis, and belongs to Siwa District within Matrouh Governorate. It is connected to an asphalted sub-road of approximately 100 km (62 mi) in length, in an area called “Bir al-Nisf” located on the Matrouh–Siwa road.