Selima

Selima is an oasis west of the Nile, a green resting place in the immense desert between Nubia and Darfur. Its wells made it a major halt on the Forty Days' Road, the caravan route linking Darfur to Egypt. Travellers could replenish their water here before continuing across the long, dry stretches to the next stopping place. Archaeological remains around the oasis reveal its use over many centuries. In later times, caravans carried goods and enslaved people northwards along the desert road, while merchants and their animals relied on the scattered wells that made the crossing possible. Selima's importance lay in its water and its position on this long route through the Sahara.