Organic Gardens

Gardening traditions go back to the Byzantine ages, as early hermits were self-sufficient farmers. Local Bedouins received seeds from them and became master gardeners. They still graft fruit tree branches onto local indigenous species which are used to the environment, thus having the yield of a low land variety on a high altitude desert resistant species. In some places there are three different fruits growing on one single tree.

The Bedouin used to be largely self-sufficient, even growing wheat, although today they mostly grow fruits and some vegetables for personal use. They have never used any chemicals so their produce is naturally organic – as it always has been. Many of the fruits grown here are not found elsewhere in Egypt, because of the difference in climate.

Local fruit-bearing trees: different varieties of apple, pear, apricot, peach, plum, almond, fig, pomegranate, mulberry, walnut, date, olives.

Fruits are dried in the sun for consumption in winter. The apricot juice from the dried fruit is a popular drink. Some of the dried organic produce is collected and sold in town. People make olive oil as well, and pickles.