Fayoum

On Your Way The ancient Roman settlement of Karanis, also known as Kom Aushim, is located at the entrance to Fayoum, offering a quick jaunt among the remnants of granite temples and mud-brick living quarters. If you’re lucky, the Kom Aushim Museum, which has a small collection of the Fayoum mummy portraits, will be open. Kamreyat-El-Mandara (The Guest House) Established after the January 25 Revolution, this eco-lodge was converted from an old mud-brick village on the shore of Lake Qaroun, the third-largest body of water in the country. Each of the seven suites and three rooms have lake views, and some have private terraces and pools. It is an ideal launch point for Fayoum’s many outings, including desert safaris, horseback riding, boat rides and more. Kamreyat-El-Mandara • Tel: +2 (010) 0200-0600  (010) 0684-0467 • Email: info@el-mandara.com • Facebook: ElMandara – ElFayoum Shopping Fayoum Style Fayoum is all about pottery, and the artist colony of Tunis is the place to buy it. Start with the Fayoum Pottery School (Tel: (084) 682-0405), founded by Swiss artisans, and then stroll around to other studios nearby. To make it an overnight, stay at the The Zad El Mosafer Ecolodge. With a structure akin to a Mexican hacienda, its clay rooms are sparse (as intended) yet comfortable with lots of beds and cushions. Make sure to check out the lodge’s outdoor roof patio to enjoy some shisha and drinks. Zad al-Mosafer • Tunis Village, Lake Qaroun • Tel: +2 (084) 682-0180