Sahara Khan
Encyclopedia
The Sahara Khan, SK, is a placename coming from the Persian
word khan
meaning restplace or hotel, with sahara
meaning desert, for an equestrian and culture center. It is located in the Abu Seir area outside of Giza, Egypt
, between the Nile River and the Saqqara
Pyramid.
facility, which by the end of the year had also evolved into a cultural center with weekly school and tourist trips. The SK expanded its activities to educate the public about the rich Arabian culture, merging the Bedouin
and Egyptian Falahi cultural traditions in one location. In July 2008, the Sahara Khan expanded activities, with musical concerts and cultural festivals, coordinating with several young local bands. The Sahara Khan Arabian horse
s participate Horse show
s, stadium jumping
and other equestrian events.
of the Sahara Khan integrates the Bedouin and rural Arab Architecture
, with domes, Bedouin tents, and being surrounded by native
palm trees. In 2008 an enormous modern styled and air-conditioned tent was built, inspired by the traditional Bedouin tent.
The Sahara Khan contains around 24 rentable stable
s for horses, painted light orange to merge with the surrounding desert
landscape colors. The Sahara Khan has 2 pasture
s, one with grass, and the other with sand, to get the horses accustomed to the desert's sands.
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
word khan
Khan (title)
Khan is an originally Altaic and subsequently Central Asian title for a sovereign or military ruler, widely used by medieval nomadic Turko-Mongol tribes living to the north of China. 'Khan' is also seen as a title in the Xianbei confederation for their chief between 283 and 289...
meaning restplace or hotel, with sahara
Sahara
The Sahara is the world's second largest desert, after Antarctica. At over , it covers most of Northern Africa, making it almost as large as Europe or the United States. The Sahara stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean coasts, to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean...
meaning desert, for an equestrian and culture center. It is located in the Abu Seir area outside of Giza, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, between the Nile River and the Saqqara
Saqqara
Saqqara is a vast, ancient burial ground in Egypt, serving as the necropolis for the Ancient Egyptian capital, Memphis. Saqqara features numerous pyramids, including the world famous Step pyramid of Djoser, sometimes referred to as the Step Tomb due to its rectangular base, as well as a number of...
Pyramid.
History
The Sahara Khan opened on 1 September 2007, as a Horse breedingHorse breeding
Horse breeding is reproduction in horses, and particularly the human-directed process of selective breeding of animals, particularly purebred horses of a given breed. Planned matings can be used to produce specifically desired characteristics in domesticated horses...
facility, which by the end of the year had also evolved into a cultural center with weekly school and tourist trips. The SK expanded its activities to educate the public about the rich Arabian culture, merging the Bedouin
Bedouin
The Bedouin are a part of a predominantly desert-dwelling Arab ethnic group traditionally divided into tribes or clans, known in Arabic as ..-Etymology:...
and Egyptian Falahi cultural traditions in one location. In July 2008, the Sahara Khan expanded activities, with musical concerts and cultural festivals, coordinating with several young local bands. The Sahara Khan Arabian horse
Arabian horse
The Arabian or Arab horse is a breed of horse that originated on the Arabian Peninsula. With a distinctive head shape and high tail carriage, the Arabian is one of the most easily recognizable horse breeds in the world. It is also one of the oldest breeds, with archaeological evidence of horses...
s participate Horse show
Horse show
A Horse show is a judged exhibition of horses and ponies. Many different horse breeds and equestrian disciplines hold competitions worldwide, from local to the international levels. Most horse shows run from one to three days, sometimes longer for major, all-breed events or national and...
s, stadium jumping
Show jumping
Show jumping, also known as "stadium jumping," "open jumping," or "jumpers," is a member of a family of English riding equestrian events that also includes dressage, eventing, hunters, and equitation. Jumping classes commonly are seen at horse shows throughout the world, including the Olympics...
and other equestrian events.
Activities
- Horse breeding programs
- Desert horseback riding programs
- Desert camping programs
- Arabic music programs
- Weekly cultural activities and events
- School educational trip programs
- Work group programs
- Visiting foreigners programs
- Arabic cooking programs
Facilities
The architectural styleArchitectural style
Architectural styles classify architecture in terms of the use of form, techniques, materials, time period, region and other stylistic influences. It overlaps with, and emerges from the study of the evolution and history of architecture...
of the Sahara Khan integrates the Bedouin and rural Arab Architecture
Islamic architecture
Islamic architecture encompasses a wide range of both secular and religious styles from the foundation of Islam to the present day, influencing the design and construction of buildings and structures in Islamic culture....
, with domes, Bedouin tents, and being surrounded by native
Native plant
Native plant is a term to describe plants endemic or naturalized to a given area in geologic time.This includes plants that have developed, occur naturally, or existed for many years in an area...
palm trees. In 2008 an enormous modern styled and air-conditioned tent was built, inspired by the traditional Bedouin tent.
The Sahara Khan contains around 24 rentable stable
Stable
A stable is a building in which livestock, especially horses, are kept. It most commonly means a building that is divided into separate stalls for individual animals...
s for horses, painted light orange to merge with the surrounding desert
Desert
A desert is a landscape or region that receives an extremely low amount of precipitation, less than enough to support growth of most plants. Most deserts have an average annual precipitation of less than...
landscape colors. The Sahara Khan has 2 pasture
Pasture
Pasture is land used for grazing. Pasture lands in the narrow sense are enclosed tracts of farmland, grazed by domesticated livestock, such as horses, cattle, sheep or swine. The vegetation of tended pasture, forage, consists mainly of grasses, with an interspersion of legumes and other forbs...
s, one with grass, and the other with sand, to get the horses accustomed to the desert's sands.