Siwa Oasis

Siwa Oasis is one of Egypt's isolated settlements, with 23,000 people, mostly ethnic Berbers[2] who speak a distinct language of the Berber family known as taSiwit. Its fame lies primarily in its ancient role as the home to an oracle of Amon, the ruins of which are a popular tourist attraction and gave the oasis its name.







Agriculture is the main activity of modern Siwi, mostly dates and olives, supplemented by handicrafts (like basketry).[2] Tourism has in recent decades become a vital source of income. Much attention has been given to creating hotels that use local materials and play on local styles.

The Siwan people have their own culture and customs and, as well as speaking Arabic, we speak own Berber (Amazigh) language. Women still wear traditional costumes and silver jewelers and Siwa remains one of the best places to buy traditional local handicrafts.

This remote oasis in the Western Desert, on the edge of the Great Sand Sea, only a few miles from the Libyan border and 550 km (342 mi) west of Cairo, has provided a place of refuge for many thousands of years. It is set in a depression 82 km (52 mi) long and 9-28 km (5.5-17 mi) wide.

The average depth is 18 m (60 ft) below sea level. More than 1,000 slightly saline springs bring water through the sandstone rock to the surface here, and there are three major saltwater lakes. The slightly saline water allows the area's inhabitants to grow olives and dates, and lush, dense groves of these occupy the floor of the depression.

Several of the springs can be bathed in, and their mineral waters are reputed to have medicinal qualities. A favourite is the Cleopatra Bath, where the water bubbles up from the ground into a deep pool. However, bathing in the lake belonging to the Oracle, which was famously visited by Alexander the Great, is regarded as sacrilegious.

The mountains and hills that lie within the oasis have caves in which people have lived or buried their dead and these may be reached via numerous tracks that wind through the landscape, offering views over this beautiful, peaceful landscape.

Although technology is beginning to make its presence felt here and tourism is growing, Siwa is in large part an unspoiled., serene refuge, where the local' cultural heritage is respected and maintained.