The name Gara oasis stems from the name Qaret Umm al-Sughayar, which means ‘mother of the little one’. ElGara is a pitorresque village and is considered the most isolated of the oases in Egypt. Just like Siwa, the ancient village was build on top of a rock and fortified by a wall (as in Shali). In contrast to the fortress in Siwa, in ElGara it’s pretty much intact. At the foot of the Shali, one finds several tombs dedicated to holy men, the most famous one being the one of Sidi Yaga, decorated with ostrich eggs. The Roman springs have kept the palm tree gardens alive over thousands of years, while nature has created some interesting sights like the ‘giant mushroom’ and the ‘crying mountain’.

Around 700 people live here, in houses which used to be mainly of salt and clay. It was not until the summer 2023 that El Gara was connected to a cell phonte network, thereby making its way into the modern world.