Siwa Oasis is the furthest Oasis away from Cairo, around 710 Km West of Cairo. It is also one of the most fascinating. On the edge of the Great Sand Sea, Its rich history includes a visit from Alexander the Great to consult the Oracle of Amun in 331 BC. Siwans have their own culture and customs and they speak a Berber language, amazigh, than Arabic.
Many women still wear
traditional costumes and silver jewelers like those displayed in The Traditional
Siwan House museum in the town center.
Siwa remains one of the best places to buy jewelers, rugs, baskets and traditional
robes and head dresses decorated with antique coins.
Shali,
founded in 1203, superseded the original settlement, Aghurmi. Built of salt
mud of kharshif, the fortress-like amenity expanded upwards rather than outwards.
Set among thick palm groves, walled gardens and olive orchards, with numerous
freshwater springs and salt lakes, modern Siwa clusters beneath the remains
of ancient Shali.
Climb through the ruins of the old city for magnificent views of the whole
oasis. There are numerous sights and bathing places. These include 26th dynasty
Tombs with murals and inscriptions at Jebel al-Mawta (The Hill of the Dead),
And the
Oracle of Amun and Acropolis temple dating from around
550 BC. Near the Oracle are a ruined Temple of Amun and the famous Cleopatra
Bath, a deep pool of bubbling water where you can bath. Another favorite
bathing spot do palm trees and beautiful scenery surround Taghaghien Island,
on the salt lake of Birket Siwa.
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