Siwa Oasis Egypt is the
most remote of allEgypt oasis lying some 18.3m
(60ft) below sea level on an old
date caravan route. It’s a small
life-sustaining area marooned in
the middle of the Western desert,
isolated from Cairo by 550km (342mi) of nothing but
desert.
Siwa Oasis Egypt
Famous for its oracle that was
once consulted by Alexander the Great,
Siwa Oasis Egyptremains largely
unspoilt and has retained much of its
cultural heritage, despite its new
status as a major tourist
destination. It continues to be a
largely Berber
(Zenatiya) community
seemingly lost in time. Alcohol is
not drunk here and women remain
nearly fully covered in their
traditional milayah wraps. Siwi,
Berber language, is still spoken
here rather than Arabic – a testament
to the town’s inaccessibility as
well as historic roots as wandering
Bedouin. Siwans have also retained
their traditional tribal governing
body consisting of 11 chiefs, the
sheikhs, who act as local council.
Until as recently as the 1980s
there were no televisions and transport
was by donkey cart.
A newly paved asphalt road leading
to Marsa Matruh, however continues to
bring changes including a spate of
new restaurants, hotels, an internet
cafe and a planned airport.
However, visitors can still enjoy
the dreamlike setting of dense
green date palms, an abundance of olive trees
and more than 300 freshwater
springs and streams.
The town of Siwa Oasis Egyptis built around Shali, the
thirteenth-century mud-brick
settlement, surrounded by high walls
created to protect against attack.
As Siwan society flourished, rather
than building outside the wall,
they decided to build upwards within it
– their structures sometimes
reaching five storeys. In 1926, a series of
ali-esque appearance. These
surreal buildings are fun to explore and
afford an excellent view of the
oasis and distant desert bluffs.
