Siwa Oasis

Siwa Oasis is a wonderful oasis lying at the edge of the Great Sand Sea, which is part of the enormous Sahara Desert. Siwa Oasis was the most inaccessible of all Egypt's oases and due to new road links it has only recently it has opened up to tourism. It is a long day’s drive from Alexandria through the barren desert, but you will be rewarded with the most beautiful landscapes of Egypt and a traditional Oasis with its own distinct culture.

The local people are known as Siwans, and to this day have their own culture and customs and speak a Berber language, called Siwi, rather than Arabic. Many women still wear traditional costumes and silver jewellery like those displayed in the traditional Siwan House Museum in the town centre. The area is also famous for its springs, of which there are approximately 1,000. The water is sweet, and is said to have medical properties.

Highlights of Siwa Oasis include the mud-brick town of Shali towering above the oasis, which used to protect the Siwan population and the Mountain of the Dead, a strange outcrop to the north of the city that was used to bury the local kings from the 26th Dynasty. Also not to be missed is the Oracle of Amun. Dating back to 550BC, this acropolis temple was consulted by Alexander the Great after he had liberated Egypt from Persian rule. A great experience is taking a 4WD jeep safari into the Great Sea Sand, passing through the small villages surrounded by palm trees deep in the sandy desert.