Siwa Oasis

Description

Where the Gods once blessed Alexander the Great
A good three hour’s drive from the coast, rising like a jewel of a mirage, the most remote of Egypt’s five oases appears out of nowhere in the Western Desert.
Where Alexander the Great once received confirmations of his right of rule over Egypt by divine oracle, today over-stressed contemporaries enjoy total solitude. The heart of the 2400km2 oasis was omce the fortress-like ancient town of Shali. The view from its highest point across the clay house to the glittering lakes on the horizon is stunning. Siwa’s archaeological highlight is the ruined city of Aghurmi with its two Amun-sanctuaries. Comfort for body and soul means a bath on the island of Fatnis, or in the pearly mineral water of “Cleopatra’s fountain”. At the foot of Djebel Dakhrour, relief for rheumatism sufferers is brought  about by submersion up to the beck in warm sand. Meanwhile, souvenir hunters search successfully for authentic silver trinkets, pottery and woven ware at the local handicraft market. Nature lovers ride a bike or take a karretta, the donkey cab, to the shady palm-groves and watch the colorful multitudes of rare birds on the lake shores. Especially attractive for those interested in ancient customs are the Siwa Museum and the annual festival for the date harvest in October. Perhaps the closest you come to nature in Siwa id by spending your nights staying in one of the splendid eco-lodges for which Siwa in recent years has gained fame.

Siwa Oasis is the favourite of many desert travellers. It has a unique atmosphere, an ambience that is genuinely relaxing, truly a magical place. It can be reached either along the desert road from Bahariya or, more usually, down from Marsa Matruh on the northern coast. There is also an air service though you need to check first about when flights are leaving from Cairo.There are no major hotel chains though there are a few highly individual top class places to stay- Prince Charles stayed at one when he visited in 2006. Surrounded by lakes that are too saline to support fishing Siwa has been famous for its olive groves and palm gardens since ancient times.

Today Siwan olives and Siwan bottled water are considered the finest and purest in Egypt. It is an easily supported claim as there is nothing produced here that might be a pollutant. Siwa has two populations, originally. The Siwans, who are berber in origin, and the Bedouin, who inhabit villages around the edge of the Oasis and whose gaily dressed women are not as reclusive as the native Siwans.

One is struck in Siwa by the ruined mud town of Old Shali that was abandoned, finally, in the 1980s after severe rain damage. It is next to the new town of Shali and looks like a ruined castle made of mud pies. You can visit it by picking your way through the darkened passageways but mind where you step.

Siwan Crafts
Siwa has the best craft tradition of any of the oases. You can get unique ceramic tajin, Saharan cooking pots, handmade and fired in bread ovens rather than kilns. Wedding dresses of stunning design are made by women, who dress plainly the rest of the year.

Music in Siwa
You will notice that Siwans are uninhibited and talented musicians. Siwans tend to keep in musical practice for the four big festivals they hold each year, as well as their highly musical weddings. The biggest festival, Siayha, which anyone can attend, draws over 10,000 Siwans to nearby Jebel Dakhour for three days of feasting, dancing and singing.