Long Way Education

By Eman Abdallah Kamel

Eman is a writer and an engineer. She is interested in writing about the destinations in Egypt.

Siwa is a beautiful city and oasis. Siwa’s location, history, and most notable characteristics are explored in this article. As well as its most important tourist attractions and tourist resorts.

Siwa Oasis

Siwa is an Egyptian city and an oasis in the Western Desert of Egypt. The Siwa Oasis is about 300 km south of the Mediterranean coast, between the Great Sand Sea and the Qattara Depression.

The oasis is about 820 km from Cairo and 50 km from the Libyan border.

Siwa has an area of 94.263 km² and is affiliated with the Matrouh Governorate.

Siwa is bordered on the north by mountain ranges and on the south by dunes.

The oasis is also notable for its abundance of naturally occurring water wells of different sizes and depths, which are among the world’s purest waters and have drawn a lot of investment in the groundwater industry. Siwa contains 1200 water wells and 200 water springs for irrigation and daily use.

Siwa is 18 meters below sea level, which makes its groundwater close and easy to use. The cultivated land of Siwa covers an area of 20 thousand acres. The oasis is famous for the cultivation of date palm and olive trees that produce high-quality dates and olive oil.

A Brief History of the Siwa Oasis

The association of the oasis with ancient Egypt dates back to the Twenty-Sixth Dynasty. This is evidenced by the presence of the Temple of Amun in the oasis, which dates back to this period. The ancient Egyptians called the oasis “Sekht Am,” meaning the land of palm trees.

In the winter of 331 BC, Alexander the Macedonian traveled to the Siwa Oasis after establishing Alexandria as Egypt’s capital. The Ptolemies described it during their rule of Egypt as the oasis of Jupiter Amun.

Following the Islamic conquest of Egypt, the Siwa people continued to live independently.

The Arab historian Ibn Khaldun referred to the Siwa Oasis as Tanswa, the name of a branch of the Zenata tribes in North Africa. The Arab geographer Muhammad al-Idrisi called it Santariyyah. According to him, a mix of Arab and Berber minorities lived there. The Egyptian historian Al-Maqrizi traveled to Siwa in the 15th century and confirmed that the people of Siwa spoke a language similar to the Zenata tribes.

The first European to visit Siwa was the English traveler William George Brown.

In 1820, the Siwa Oasis was officially added to Egypt.

The Siwa Oasis in the Art

The beauty of the Siwa Oasis inspired many artists and appeared in dramas, for example:

• In the spring of 1893, German explorer and photographer Hermann Borchardt took pictures of a Siwa preserved in the Ethnological Museum in Berlin.
• The Axis armies (Italy and Germany) occupied the oasis in July 1942 and left in November 1942 after being defeated in the Second Battle of El-Alamein. During the occupation, some soldiers drew pictures of the oasis.
• The oasis appeared briefly as the base for the British Army’s Lord Range Desert Group in Alex’s 1958 film Ice Cold War.

What is the Siwa Oasis Famous for?

The Siwa Oasis was isolated in the depths of the desert, connected to the outside world through camel corridors that were used for exporting dates and olives, as well as transporting goods to the oasis or pilgrims to Mecca and Medina.

This isolation affected the oasis, as they developed a unique culture manifested in the handicrafts of pottery, silver, baskets, and embroidery. They relied on the raw materials of the oasis.

The traditional culture of the Siwa people showed the depth of their attachment to Morocco more than to Egypt.

Currently, the art of embroidery in Siwa has distinct designs and is made by women. This can be seen in clothing, furnishings, carpets, and rugs. The designs preserve the heritage of the oasis.

The oasis is characterized by pottery and jewelry encrusted with precious stones.

International standards set Siwa salt apart. The Siwa Oasis is also famous for the finest dates, olives, and olive oil.

What about the Siwa People?

Siwa people speak the Berber language and Arabic.

The singing is associated with events such as marriage, childbirth, and the harvest. The songs almost revolve around migration, desertion, and wisdom.

Like all Muslims, Siwa people celebrate Eid al-Fitr (after fasting the month of Ramadan) and Eid al-Adha (the festival of sacrifice).

During the lunar nights of October every year, the people of Siwa Oasis celebrate the days of Al Syaha (tourism), a special celebration for the people of Siwa. It is also called Harvest Days because it comes after the harvesting of dates and olives in Siwa Oasis.

The people of the oasis built their traditional houses with stone of al Kershef (clay, sand, and dried salt). Doors and windows were made of palm trees.

Siwa Destinations

Siwa has hot sand and hot springs that treat some skin and respiratory diseases. The oasis also includes many archaeological sites.

The most attractive destinations in Siwa:

1. Water Springs
2. Salt Lakes
3. Jabal Al-Mawta
4. Jabal Al-Dakrour
5. Oracle Temple
6. The Old Town of Shali
7. Siwa Museum

1. Water Springs

Some Siwa springs are hot water, and some others are hot sulfur water. The most famous of these springs are,

• Cleopatra Spring is the most visited tourist attraction in Siwa.
• Fitnas Spring is about 6 kilometers west of Siwa and is surrounded by palm trees and desert landscapes.
• Wahid Spring, or Great Sand Sea Well, is a hot sulfur water source and is located 10 km west of the oasis.
• Kigar Spring’s hot sulfur water is nearly 67°C.

2. Salt Lakes

Siwa is characterized by salt lakes, where layers of white salt accumulate on its shores, similar to snow, especially in the autumn season.

The most important salt lakes in Siwa:

• Lake Zayton is situated east of Siwa, covering an area of 5,760 acres.
• Lake Aghurmi, located northeast of the oasis, covers an area of 960 acres.
• Siwa Lake is located west of Shali in an area of 3,600 acres.
• In the Bahai al-Din region, 700 acres make up Lake Al-Maraqui, which is situated west of the oasis.
• Lake Fitnas, the most popular tourist attraction, is 5 kilometers west of Siwa. The lake has the island of Fatnas and is located in front of Jafar Mountain.
• The oasis features numerous other lakes, including Taghaghine, Awsat, and Shaita lakes.

3. Jabal Al-Mawta

The tombs at Jabal al-Mawta date back to the 4th and 3rd centuries BC and were reused during Greek and Roman times in Egypt. Jabal al Mawta is about 2 km away from Siwa. The most famous of tombs:

• Niperbathot was the tomb of the priest of Osiris.
• One of the most significant tombs in Western Desert archaeology is Si Amoun, where numerous mummies have been found. The importance of this tomb is to explain the overlap between ancient Egyptian art and Greek art.
• In 1940, the tomb of the crocodile was discovered. This tomb’s name is derived from a large crocodile that was painted on one of its walls.

4. Jabal Al Dakrour

Jebal Al Dakrour is located three kilometers south of Siwa Oasis. The hot white sand there has therapeutic properties. In Al Dakrour, you can enjoy hot sand baths to treat rheumatic diseases, joint pain, spine problems, and skin problems.

5. Temple of Amoun

During the 7th century BC, the Temple of Amoun, or Oracle, was built. It is located on the Aghurmi Plateau at an altitude of 30 meters, four kilometers east of Siwa.

There are also traces of another temple to Amoun called Um Ubaidah temple near the temple of Amoun. There is only one wall remaining from this temple.

6. Old Town of Shali

The ancient city of Shali is located in the heart of the Siwa Oasis. It is one of the most famous historical monuments in Siwa. The oldest mosque in Siwa is also in Shali town.

In 1926, a large number of houses collapsed, and the rest were broken due to heavy rains. Therefore, Shali residents left the city and built new homes on the roof of the mountain.

7. Siwa Museum

Siwa House Museum was built in the garden of the city council of Siwa on three acres, in the style of the traditional Siwa house. The museum combines the history of the life of Siwa and its development over various stages of time.

The museum collections were collected with the self-help of the people of the oasis. The museum includes silver jewelry, musical instruments, wedding costumes, baskets, crockery, and agricultural tools.

The Adrere Amellal Resort. Image source: adrereamellal.com

The Siwa Oasis Resorts

There are many tourist resorts in Siwa Oasis. The Adrere Amellal Resort is the most famous of these resorts. The resort combines luxury, beauty, and simplicity. Siwa traditions have touched the resort’s designs. The hotel is in the desert, about 16 kilometers from the oasis. Moonlight, candles, and flashlights are used for night lighting.

Besides Adrere Amellal, some hotels and resorts are in keeping with the nature of the oasis, ranging from 3-star hotels to 5-star resorts.

Such as Alabenshal, Shali Lodge, Taziry Ecolodge Siwa, Nour El Waha, Siwa Relax Retreat, Moon Valley Siwa Oasis, Qasr Alzaytouna Inn, Siwa Villa, Dehiba, and Siwa Shali Resorts.

Tips For The Visitors

1. The climate of Siwa is very hot in the summer and very cold in the winter. The best seasons to visit Siwa are autumn and spring.
2. The Siwa Oasis is a very safe place to ride a bike to enjoy the views of palm trees, olive trees, water springs, and lakes. If you plan on wandering the oasis, respect the Siwa culture by wearing appropriate clothing.
3. A hot sand bath can be used as a healing method in the morning and before sunset.
4. Shopping is a great experience in the traditional markets of the oasis, especially at the Shali commercial market, where you can find high-quality dates, olive oil, and handicrafts.
5. Adrere Amellal and Taziry Ecolodge Siwa resorts offer other activities, such as horseback riding.

The Main Transports of Siwa

• The Matruh/Siwa Road is 302 kilometers long, and the Siwa/Salloum Road is 307 kilometers long.
• The Siwa/Jaghbub road is 88 km long and runs from Siwa Oasis to the Libyan Jaghbub Oasis.
• The Siwa Oasis International Airport offers nonstop flights from Siwa Oasis to many cities in or outside Egypt. The International Air Transport Association code of the Siwa North Airport is SEW.

©Eman Abdallah Kamel 2022

Latest Posts

• SilkWorm: Diet, Life Cycle, and Disease
• The Story of The Prophet Moses
• Glass Fiber: Manufacturing Process, Types, and Properties
• Denim Fabric Dyes
• Denim: Manufacturing Process, Properties, and Types

LongWayEducation

The Long Way Education Site path is based on self-learning. Here you will learn about science, education, and religion. You will also learn about fiber and its manufacture. And different disciplines of engineering such as mechanical and industrial engineering.