White Desert National Park

{{Short description|National park in Egypt}} {{Redirect|White Desert|the British tour operator|White Desert (company)|the desert in India|Rann of Kutch}}{{More citations needed|date=May 2026}}{{Infobox Protected area | name = White Desert National Park | iucn_category = | image = Al Farafrah, New Valley Governorate, Egypt - panoramio (21).jpg | image_caption = Rock formations at White Desert National Park | map = Egypt | map_caption = Location in Egypt | location = {{cvt|570|km|mi}} southwest of Cairo | nearest_city = Qasr Al Farafra | coordinates = {{Coord|27|16|38.41|N|28|12|1.59|E|region:EG_type:landmark_dim:20|display=inline,title}} | area_km2 = 300 | url = | title = | work = | established =2002 | visitation_num = | visitation_year = | governing_body = }}

'''Sahara el Beyda''', the '''White Desert Protected Area''', is a national park in Egypt, first established as a protected area in 2002. It is located in the Farafra depression, {{cvt|45|km|mi}} north of the town of Qasr Al Farafra. Part of the park is in the Farafra Oasis (New Valley Governorate).<ref>{{cite web |title=Welcome to White Desert |url=http://www.eeaa.gov.eg/portals/0/eeaaReports/protect/Leaflets/whitedesert-english.pdf |publisher=Parks Egypt |website=Ministry of Environment, Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency |access-date=23 June 2021 |location=Cairo |archive-date=3 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221103123917/https://www.eeaa.gov.eg/portals/0/eeaaReports/protect/Leaflets/whitedesert-english.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The park is the site of large white chalk rock formations, created through erosion by wind and sand. They are made of white calcium, quartz crystals, or limestone.<ref name=":0" /> The park is also the site of cliffs (at the northern end of the Farafra Depression), sand dunes (part of the Great Sand Sea), as well as Wadi Hennis and oases at Ain El Maqfi and Ain El Wadi.

White Desert National Park covers an area of {{cvt|300|km2|mi2}}. The highest point in the park is at El Qess Abu Said at {{cvt|353|m|ft}} above sea level, and the lowest is at Wadi Hennis at {{cvt|32|m|ft}}.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=White Desert National Park |publisher= Global Alliance of National Parks |location=Irving, TX|url=https://national-parks.org/egypt/white-desert |access-date=2021-02-25 |website=National Parks}}</ref>

The park serves as the refuge for various animals, including the endangered rhim gazelle and the vulnerable dorcas gazelle, as well as Barbary sheep; jackals; Rüppell's, red and fennec foxes; and the sand cat.

==In popular culture== * In the Gathering Storm expansion pack released in 2019 for the turn-based strategy game Civilization VI, the Sahara el Beyda is featured as one of the Natural Wonders.

* Parts of the video for the song “Suraj Hua Madhyam” from the Bollywood film “Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gam” were shot at Sahara el Beyda. * The White Desert is featured as a playable region in the 2017 action-adventure video game Assassin's Creed: Origins.

==Gallery== <gallery> File:Kalksteinfelsen-limestonerock.jpg File:White Desert, Egypt.jpg File:White Desert, Rock formations in desert landscape 2, Egypt.jpg File:White Desert, Rock formations in desert landscape, Egypt.jpg File:Al Farafrah, New Valley Governorate, Egypt - panoramio (14).jpg </gallery>

==References== {{reflist}}

== External links == * [http://www.eeaa.gov.eg/en-us/topics/nature/protectorates/protectoratesdescription.aspx Ministry of Environment Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency - Natural Protectorates Description] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190829071334/http://www.eeaa.gov.eg/en-us/topics/nature/protectorates/protectoratesdescription.aspx |date=2019-08-29 }}

Category:National parks of Egypt Category:Protected areas established in 2002 Category:IUCN Category II Category:2002 establishments in Egypt