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Siwa Oasis: The Oracle of Amun, Shali Fortress, and Salt Lakes

Discover Siwa Oasis, a magical and remote paradise in Egypt's Western Desert, just 50 km from the Libyan border. This guide explores its unique Berber (Amazigh) culture, the ancient Temple of the Oracle visited by Alexander the Great, the ruins of the 13th-century Shali Fortress, and its famous, impossibly blue therapeutic salt lakes.

Siwa Oasis: A Hidden Gem

Siwa Oasis is a breathtaking region in Egypt. This article provides detailed information about Siwa for any traveler who wishes to explore this beautiful destination. A group of highly knowledgeable tour operators, tour guides, and travel advisors compiled this guide. We often call Siwa Oasis a “slice of heaven.” It is a green patch in the vast Sahara Desert. It is also one of Egypt’s most beautiful and best-kept secrets.

Siwa Oasis is well worth a visit. It offers a mix of hot and cold springs. It has immense sand dunes, rich history, and a fascinating culture. The oasis’s residents have their own distinct language. It is similar to the Zenata and Berber languages. This makes it different from the Egyptian Arabic spoken elsewhere. Siwa’s remote geographical location, environment, and inaccessibility have created a unique community. The culture stands apart from the rest of Egypt.

History and Origins

The Siwa Oasis is ancient and intriguing. It has its own history and culture. Archaeologists there discovered a human footprint. They believe it is three million years old. This makes it one of the oldest ever found.

The name “Oasis” comes from an ancient Egyptian word. It means “palm land.” The name Siwa may link to a Berber group. It may also link to the Asian falcon. This bird of prey was a symbol of the god Amun-Ra. The oasis became famous in ancient times. It was the home of the Oracle of Amun. Alexander the Great consulted it in 331 BC.

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Siwa Oasis: Long history

The Siwa Oasis dates back to 10,000 BC, displaying the first evidence of civilization. In the 26th dynasty, around 525 BC, archaeologists discovered the first signs of human habitation in the oasis. In the 7th century BC, ancient Greeks came into contact with the Siwa Oasis, which served as the home of Amun’s oracle temple. Alexander the Great visited the temple while hunting large birds across the desert. He named the oasis the Oasis of Amun-RA.

The ancient Egyptians called the Siwa oasis the Fields of Trees under the Ptolemaic dynasty. The legendary historian Herodotus referred to it as the Sun’s Foundation. In the 12th century, it became the official home of the Berbers. Previously, the entire population lived in Shali, a 13th-century mud-brick castle. A thunderstorm destroyed the castle in 1926.

Location of Siwa Oasis

It is an Egyptian urban oasis located between the western desert’s large sand sea and the Qattara Depression, some 50 kilometers (30 miles) east of the Libyan border and 560 kilometers (348 miles) from Cairo. By automobile, the trip from Cairo takes roughly 8 hours. Siwa is one of Egypt’s most remote places, with a population of 33,000 people, most of whom are Berber and speak their own language, Siwi. It is a deep depression that reaches a depth of around 60 feet (about 19 meters) below sea level. By automobile, it takes roughly 8 hours, and by overnight bus, it takes much longer.

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Siwa Oasis has a diverse range of wildlife

Siwa Oasis has a wealth of olive and palm trees, as well as crystal-clear springs that offer a welcome respite from the scorching heat. The oasis contains numerous lakes and hundreds of springs, but saltwater agriculture is limited. Over 300 freshwater springs and streams provide shade for an estimated 300,000 palm trees and 70,000 olive trees. You can find some birds here, such as the turtle dove and the Streptopelia, as well as endangered species like the Slender-horned Gazelle and the Fennec Fox. The oasis also serves as a natural habitat for the cheetah, one of the world’s most endangered cats.

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Attractions to See in Siwa Oasis

The Siwa Oasis is one of Egypt’s most gorgeous, mysterious, and enthralling oases. Siwa Oasis offers a wide range of activities, places to explore, and distinctive attractions, including:

The Shali

The Shali - Siwa Oasis
The Shali: Siwa Oasis

Shali is a popular tourist destination where visitors can climb a melted pile of mud and salt, which was used as a typical Siwan building material in the 13th century. The view of dates and olive orchards that extends out for infinite meters in each direction of the Siwa Oasis will be seen by every traveler.

The Spring of Cleopatra

The Spring of Cleopatra - Siwa Oasis
The Spring of Cleopatra – Siwa Oasis

The route going to the Oracle temple passes by Cleopatra’s Bath and Cleopatra’s Pool. Cleopatra’s Spring is a natural spring water stone pool in the village of Siwa where visitors can enjoy the health advantages of a spring bath. The spring is said to have belonged to Queen Cleopatra VIII personally. Because it is one of Egypt’s most beautiful and nicest natural pools, it attracts a large number of locals to bathe and visit. To minimize unwanted attention, it is recommended that you dress appropriately for swimming.

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The Salt Lakes

The Salt Lakes is one of Siwa’s most attractive landscapes, with pure, translucent green plant life. Floating and swimming in the Salt Lakes of Siwa is a really magnificent and spectacular experience that attracts people all year long because of its health benefits due to the high concentration of salt.

The Temple of the Oracle

Siwa was known for the Oracle Temple, which was built in the 6th century BC and was well-known throughout the Mediterranean. Alexander the Great traveled to Siwa to speak with the oracle regarding his fate, whether or not he was the son of Zeus. Alexander’s generals are said to have urged that he be buried in Siwa. The remnants of the Oracle’s temple are still open to visitors today.

The Mountain of the Dead

The Mountain of the Dead - Egypt Fun Tours

The Mountain of the Dead, located near Siwa’s center, is a rocky hill with more than 1500 tombs dating from the late pharaonic period. Some of the tombs are decorated with beautiful and ornate funerary designs, indicating that they date from the Greco-Roman period.

Fatnas Island

Fantas Island is located on the outskirts of the oasis, on the shores of Lake Siwa, some 6 kilometers from the oasis’s center. At dusk, the hot spring gives the opportunity to swim and enjoy the health advantages of the healing waters, as well as all of the wonderful cafés and restaurants that can be located across the lake.

The Great Sand Sea

The Great Sand Sea is in front of the Siwa Oasis, affording stunning views of sands shaped like mountains scattered across the vast desert. A magnificent safari tour is a fantastic way to see the stunning springs and rock formations that dot these vast and exquisite landscapes.

The Siwa House Museum

The Siwa House Museum is a mystical location brimming with divine art and history. The Museum displays authentic artifacts from the ancient Siwan population, giving visitors a detailed look at Siwan traditions and local customs. For example, the museum showcases Siwan wedding traditions, which last for seven days and feature a special outfit for the bride. You can see this outfit inside the museum.

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When is the best time to visit Siwa Oasis?

The weather in Siwa is pleasant and restful, with bright sunshine illuminating the entire oasis for most of the day. It is best to visit Siwa during the milder months of the year, such as winter, spring, and autumn, which run from October to April, as the summers can be quite hot, especially in the Sahara.

Siwa Women’s Appropriate Dressing

Siwa is a very welcoming place, but women should remember to dress appropriately to avoid offending others and to respect the local customs. Everyone should keep their upper arms and legs covered by the wind. Women who swim in public springs, such as the popular Cleopatra’s Bath, should expect increased attention; however, if you want to avoid the attention, swimming in desert hot springs is the best option.

Set out on a journey to Siwa.

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