Tour the Siwa Oasis in Sahara

Home of the ruins of the oracle of Amon, the Siwa Oasis in Sahara is enormous, almost 50 miles long and 15 miles wide. The oracle was relied upon by names as well-known as Alexander the Great!

Siwa, Egypt

All but inaccessable until very recently, Siwa is one of the most fascinating oases in the world. Lying 60 feet below sea level in the western Sahara Desert, it is home to 23,000 people.

Rumor has it that Alexander the Great is buried at the Siwa Oasis, but no real evidence has ever been found. However, he was once there to consult the Oracle of Amun in 331 BC, that we do know. And we also know that the King of Persia once led a 50,000 man force to destroy the Oracle, but that his entire army was lost to the desert.

The weather is great, especially in the spring and fall; it can be a bit chilly mid-winter, and hot in the dead of summer. To the west of town is Lake Siwa, a large, saltwater lake.

Olive and Date Trees

Besides possessing one of the most beautiful landscapes in Egypt, Siwa is famous for its 70,000 year-old olive trees and 300,000 date trees. Olive oil is still made the old-fashioned way, by crushing the olives with stones. Dates are gathered by zaggala (stick bearers), who must remain celibate until the age of forty.

With all those date trees it comes as no surprise that Siwa Oasis Egypt is located on an old date caravan route. Until recently, very few other travelers stopped by. It took World War II battles being fought in the area to bring it to the attention of the government, which up to then had been satisfied to leave its control pretty much in the hands of the Berbers for the previous 13 centuries. The local language is not Arabic, but a Berber language, "Siwi".

Interestingly, once a year, in October, there is a fascinating 3-day festival during which all Siwans must settle any disputes that arose in the year just past.

Another interesting aspect of the area is the presence of many springs. Justly famous, there are over 1000 of them. They supply otherwise scarce, cool, fresh water; moreover, the water is said to have medicinal properties.

A Traditional Community

Please keep in mind that this community is still very traditional, although the restrictions are a bit more relaxed in and near the tourist areas. You'll see 14 year-old girls, married and covered from head to toe, as tradition dictates.

Interestingly, many of the local women still wear traditional costumes and silver jewelry similar to what you'll see in The Traditional Siwan House Museum, in the town center. The area is also well known for its crafts, particularly woven cloth, found nowhere else in all of Egypt.

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All our Egypt tours are private and fully customizable. We can easily add a tour of the Siwa Oasis in Sahara to your Egypt tour itinerary.