A Unique Coincidence of Geomorphological, Geological, and Geoarchaeological Features in the Valley of Camels (Dakhla Oasis, Western Desert, Egypt)

Geosites constitute important natural resource of Egypt. Field investigations in the Dakhla Oasis of the Western Desert have permitted to assess unique geomorphological, geological, and geoarchaeological features co-occurring in the Valley of Camels. These features are assigned to geomorphological type (animal-shaped landforms sculptured by differential erosion), palaeogeographical type (continental facies of the Cretaceous sandstones and petroglyphs left by the past societies and partly suitable to palaeoenvironmental interpretations), sedimentary type (cross-bedding and multiple truncation planes in sandstones), and hydrogeological type (Roman wells). The Valley of Camels is a globally ranked geosite of complex type. It demonstrates coincidence of essentially different features. For instance, the Toutam landform is notable by its unusual shape resulting from weathering, it exhibits cross-bedding and multiple parallel truncation planes typical for continental sandstones, and it bears petroglyphs near its base. In the Valley of Camels, the geoheritage can be used as the resource for (geo)education and (geo)tourism. Excellent visibility and high aesthetic properties make the proposed geosite suitable to tourists with different geological knowledge or even without it. Geotourism development in the Valley of Camels can contribute to the local sustainable development via providing socio-economic benefits to the local community and strengthening the oasis integration into the Egyptian economy.