Siwa .. The place to Be.

Short History.

The Siwa Oasis is an oasis in Egypt, located between the Qattara Depression and the Egyptian Sand Sea in the Libyan Desert. Location: 29°11′N 25°33′E. About 80 km in length and 20 km wide, it is one of Egypt's most isolated settlements and is located approximately 50 km east of Libyan border, and some 560 km from Cairo. It is home to about 23,000 people, the majority of whom are ethnic Berbers who speak a distinct language known as Siwi. Agriculture is the main activity, primarily the growing of dates and olives. Although the oasis is known to have been settled since at least the 10th millennium BC, there is no evidence of any connection with ancient Egypt until the 26th Dynasty, when a necropolis was established. Greek settlers at Cyrene made contact with the oasis around the same time (7th century BC), and soon the oracle of Ammon became famous; the oracle is said to have confirmed Alexander the Great as both a divine personnage and the legitimate Pharaoh of Egypt during a visit made prior to his campaign of conquest in Persia. The Romans later used Siwa as a place of banishment. Evidence of Christianity at Siwa is dubious, but in 708 the Siwans resisted an Islamic army, and probably did not convert until 12th century. A report of 1203 mentions only seven families totalling 40 men living at the oasis, but later the population grew to 600.
The first European to visit in modern times was W. G. Browne, who came in 1792 to see the ancient temple of the oracle. The oasis was officially added to Egypt by Muhammad Ali of Egypt in 1819, but his rule was tenuous and marked by several revolts. Siwa was the site of some fighting during World War I, and during World War II; the British Army's Long Range Desert Group was based here.
The ancient fortress of Siwa, built of natural rock salt, mud brick and palm logs and known as the Shali, although now mostly abandoned, remains a prominent feature, towering five storeys above the modern town. Other local historic sites of interest include the remains of the oracle temple, Gebel al Mawta (the Mountain of the Dead) – a Roman-era necropolis featuring dozens of rock-cut tombs and "Cleopatra's Bath" a natural sulphur spring. Another attraction is Fatnas Island, a palm-fringed peninsula located on the edge of a freshwater lake. The lake has largely been drained in recent years due to intensive agricultural usage - a major problem affecting the entire oasis - and the "island" is now surrounded largely by mud flats. It remains a popular with tourists on visits coinciding with sunset.

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What people can do there?

Well, there are a lot of activities that people can do in Siwa. Visitors can go in a several Safari trips in the western desert. Bier Wahed is the most important one of these safari trips. It's a cold water spring in the middle of the desert. Sand surfing or sand boarding is another amzing activity that you can have in siwa and I guess that Siwa is the only place in Egypt where you practice sand surfing for it's perfect sand dunes. Camping in the desert and having he famous Mardoum (Roasted Goat) is another amazing thing. Siwa is full of hot and cold water springs and it's very relaxing to have a swim in the hot ones. Gabal Al Mawta ( mountain of the dead) is a scary place to be as you will see tens of graves and around four of mummys. Don't get scared or shocked when you see some human bones . The temple of the Alexander is a nice place to take hundreds of pictures and to listen to tour guide when he explains the meaning of the old egyptian symbols on the wall of the temple (i didnt understand a waord) .You don't have to worry about the water as Siwa is the source of many brands of minral water ( Hayat for example). Soft drinks and ice cream are avialable with the same prices in Cairo and most of the necessary grocery ( the necessary so dont go far) . The best restaurant in town is called Abdu and I recommend spaghetti and grilled chicken meal and don't miss the Tehina ( the best ever). After going on a safari and all of that stuff you have to pay a visit to the old Siwa which is called Shali (mentioned above in teh short history paragraph). Thats for now and I will post anything I might remember about Siwa.