Corridor Egypt

The desert west of Asyut separates the green Nile Valley from the oases of Egypt's Western Desert. Sandy and stony plains surround the depressions where groundwater supports palms and fields. Caravans from Darfur crossed this country by the Darb al-Arba'in, reaching Asyut after a long journey through the oases. The trade carried ivory and livestock as well as enslaved people taken from communities farther south.