Until very recently the most inaccessible of all Egypt's oases, Siwa is also one of the most fascinating. Lying some 60 feet below sea level, 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. Archaeologists, such as Liana Souvaltsis, suggest that the great military leader was buried here, but no real evidence has yet been found to support this claim. It is said that the King of Persia led a 50,000-man-army to the area to destroy the oracle, but the entire army was lost to the desert.

The oasis is 82 km long and has a width varying between 2 and 20 kms. The oasis’s main economic lifeline is agriculture of which dates and olives are the principal products. It contains around 300,000 date palms and 70,000 olive trees. Agriculture in the Oesis is sustained by natural springs as well as by a couple of artificial wells. In recent decades, Siwa has been suffering from increasing soil stultification.

The Siwa people are originally nomadic Berbers, who have their own language, customs and cultural identity. In the Siwa area, there are 3 large salt lakes, Birket Maraqi, Birket Siwa, and Birket Zaytun. The main human settlement is situated at the centre of the oasis and is called Shali. Tourism has gradually given employment for some of the locals, but still remains too occasional to form another lifeline for the economy.

General view of Siwa

Shali’s ruins houses

Geology:
The Siwa oasis sits in a depression, as do most of the oases, which today is frequently referred to as the Siwa depression. It is 82 kilometers (52 miles) long and between 9 and 28 kilometers wide. This is the most distant Egyptian oasis from the Nile Valley.
The southern parts of the oasis have succumbed to dunes from the Great Sand Sea, which extends over 500 kilometers north to south and 60 to 80 kilometers east to west. The Siwa oasis sits at the northwest edge of this Great Sand Sea. There are portions of the Siwa Depression that lie as much as 60 meters (192 feet) below sea level, but its average depth is 18 meters below sea level.
Salt is a problem in the Oasis. A number of its fresh water springs run into salt water lakes, making the water mostly useless. To the west is Birket al-Maraqi lake, which takes up about nine square kilometers. The largest of the Siwa lakes, is Birket Siwa, covering about 32 square kilometers. To the east, the only remaining lakes are Birket Azmuri, which is often dry, and Birket Zaytun which covers about 16 square kilometers. These lakes are so salty that no marine life actually survives, and there is no tradition of fishing in the oasis. Both the British and, more recently, the Egyptian governments attempted to introduce fish into the lakes in order to create a fishing industry, but in vain. Some of the lakes are so salty that crystals are visible through the water.

Siwa lake

Not necessarily a modern one, for there are others that are now completely dry, S iwa lake is certainly one of the most interesting because of the folkloric myths in which it is shrouded. Depending on who tells the tale, on an island in this magic lake is buried either the saber or seal of the Prophet Mohammed, or the ring, sword and crown of the Prophet King Solomon. Another fable speaks of an apparent treasure on an island in Lake Arachie. The French secret agent, Boutin, transported his own collapsible canvas boat through the desert in an attempt to discover it, but the Siwans would not let him search. Later, in the 1920s, Byron Khun de Prorok did make it to the island, but discovered only evidence of human habitation, and no treasure?
These lakes are mostly fed by springs. There is plenty of water in the Oasis, with some 1,000 springs currently in use. But even the spring water has an elevated level of salt and is not good for watering many types of crops. Therefore, the Siwans are limited mostly to growing dates, olives and a few vegetables.
The salty soil of the Oasis is called karshif in Arabic, and ererig by the Siwans. It is used by the locals to build their traditional mudbrick houses, which creates another problem. While the salt helps strengthen the walls of the houses, it is also very unhealthy for a living habitation. It is also hazardous because it melts in the rain, making houses potential death traps. While Siwa does not receive much rain, it doesn't take much to destroy these homes. A major storm in 1928 resulted forced local inhabitants to abandon their ancient town. At present, prefabricated houses are getting to be the better choice in the area.
There are also some three thousand mountains and hills in the oasis. Many of them seem to have no names, but the four most important mountains are Gebel al-Mawta, Gebel al-Dakrur (Daran Breek, Bayle St. John's Edrar Abou Bryk), Gebel Hamra and Gebel Baylin (Adrar al-Milal, Edrar Amelal in Siwan, Mount Khamisa, Gebel Ghaffir). These mountains are riddled with caves, which were sometimes used as tombs, and at times inhabited both in ancient and more modern times. Though there is no evidence of it today, Arab historians also tell of great mines in Siwa where iron, lapis lazuli and emeralds were excavated.

Isolated hill in the northern edge of Siwa Depression

We should also note several other small oases nearby. In the 1970s, Apollo-Soyuz space mission uncovered a small depression only sixteen kilometers east of Siwa that no one seemed to have known before. It was investigated and found to be uninhabited, but in many ways resembling the Siwa oasis itself. It contained weathered land forms, natural bridges and conical hills. Otherwise, to the east, the nearest small oases to Siwa is al-'Areg, lying some 55 kilometers away, where there are several flowing springs. At present it is also uninhabited, but, as evidenced by rock cut tombs, it once was.

Hot spring located south of Siwa Oasis

There are many desert paths that lead in to, and out of, the Siwa area, but most of them remain inaccessible by modern vehicles. All of these tracks wind through passes in the escarpment, though most are not really clearly visible. The passes through which these tracks pass are known as Naqbs. Beginning in the northwest, the major ones are called Naqb Sharik, Naqb Mazura (Pass of the Measure), Naqb Qirba (Pass of the Waterskin), Naqb Migahhiz (the Prepared Pass), Naqb Abu Beiraq (Pass of the Banner), Naqb al-Baqar (Pass of the Cow, Naqb al-Mughbara, Naqb al-Barn (Pass of the Horn) and Naqb Tibaghburgh (Pass of the Bubbling Water).

Residual hill and part of Siwa Lake

Geography:
In the Siwa oasis, desert tracks are called Masrabs, rather than darbs, as they are called in other desert oases. Though there are many such tracks, there are a number of them that are more primary. Beginning in the northwest, Masrab al-Ikhan, the Road of the Brothers named for the Sanusi, begins at Bahag al-Din, where it separates form the main route to the west. It ascends through the escarpment at Naqb Sharik and then leads on to the Jaghbub oasis in Libya, before turning north and heading to the Libyan Coast. Masrab al-Rukhba also begins at Bahaq al-Din, but then leads north and climbs through the Naqb Mazuha. This path then drops back into the depression and joins the Masrab al-Ikhwan.

Geography of Siwa Oasis

These two tracks, sometimes collectively known as the Masrab Haramiya, or Thieves' Roads, are actually the major routes between Egypt and Libya, and have been among the most traveled in the Western Desert during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. They were also the routes of the Sanusi. In fact, the routes began in Cairo or Alexandria, working their way through Wadi Natrun or the northern coast across Qattara through Qara, and into the Siwa. After passing by the Siwa and through the Jaghbub oasis, they then crossed through Kufra and Zuila, where they join the north-south slave routes going north to Tripoli or south to Lake Chad. Just north of Zuila, the road is paved with what might be Roman milestones.

Some sand dunes in the great sand sea south of Siwa Depression

There are also several tracks to Sallum on Egypt's north coast bordering Libya. The first is Masrab al-Shaqqa, which is also sometimes known as the Masrab Diqnash. This path runs for 310 kilometers, beginning in the western section of the depression. It runs over the escarpment and then turns due north to Sallum. The second one is Masrab Sheferzen, which cuts off from the main road, which is the Masrab al-Istabl, north of Siwa. Two other roads, known as the AMasrab al-Khamsa, or Road of the Five (because there were five wells along the path), and Massrab al-Qatrani, known as the Road of Tar, both go to Sidi Barrani on the north coast of Egypt.
Most people heading to Siwa probably take the most important route, known as the Masrab al-Istabl, or Stable Road (also known as the Sikket al-Sultan, or the Sultan's Path). It begins along the northern coast at Mersa Matruh, and travels south by way of Wadi al-Raml, Bir Gueifire and the Naqb al-Hanayis to the halfway point called Bir Fuad al-Awwal, or Bir al-Nuss. From there, it continues south to Ras al-Hamraya, and enters the depression at Naqb Migahhiz. This was one of the routes taken by Alexander the Great in 331 BC, and it was used in this century by the famous visits of Kings Fuad I and Farouk. It took Alexander the Great eight days to travel this road, but it now takes only three or four hours by car. However, during the wet season, driving conditions are difficult with smaller water pools on the road.
East of the Masrab al-Istabl, the Masrab al-Naga departs the Siwa at Naqb al-Baqar, and joins the Masrab al-Istabl in the north, while the Masrab Dal exits Siwa at Naqb al-Mughbara and follows it own path north to Mersa Matruh. Along the way, another path cuts south to join Masrab Khidida to the Qara Oasis, while further along the track, another path cuts northwest and leads to Gazalah on the coast. Also, on the eastern edge of the oasis, Masrab Khidida climbs its way out of the depression and heads toward the Qara oasis by way of Naqb Abyad, Naqb al-Ahmar and Naqb Khamsa. After passing through Qara it then leads to Gazalah.

Ancient El Qara village on residual Mesa

Another famous route, and one that some travelers like to use today, though tightly controlled by the military, is the Masrab Bahariya, which links this oasis with the Bahariya one (where it is called Darb Siwa). The reason people like this road is because it travels through the Areg, Bahrein and Sitra Oasis, where some ancient ruins can be found (particularly at Areg). It runs for about 300 kilometers, and was only recently paved.

Mushroom hill near Qattara Depression Scarp

History:
Siwa is perhaps the most mysterious amongst all Egyptian oases, the most spectacular and the most fascinating. Its history has been shaped not only by most ancient civilizations, but also by the contrast between the surrounding desert and the lush soil of the oasis setting. Siwa, like other Western Oases, has had several names over the past two millenniums. It was called Santariya by the ancient Arabs, as well as the Oasis of Jupiter Amun and Marmaricus Hammon.

However, although the oasis is known to have been settled since at least the 10th millennium BC, the earliest evidence of connection with ancient Egypt is the 26th Dynasty, when a necropolis was established. The ancient Egyptian name of Siwa was Sekht-am (meaning "palm land").

Actually, it is believed to have been occupied as early as Neolithic and Paleolithic times. It seems apt to claim that it was the capital of an ancient kingdom that may have included Bahrein, Qara and Arashieh. However during the Old Kingdom of Egypt, it was a part of Tehenu, the Olive Land, which may have extended as far east as Mareotis.
Also, the Siwa oasis has little in common with other Western Oases. Normally, the Siwan people are mostly Berbers, the Western Desert indigenous people, who once roamed the North African coast between Morocco and Tunisia. They have their own culture and customs and still speak their own Berber (Amazigh) language, beside Egyptian Arabic. Women still wear traditional costumes and silver jewelry.

Actually, the modern city of Siwa is set among walled gardens, thick palm groves and olive orchards, with several freshwater springs and salt lakes. The city of Siwa also clusters beneath the impressive remains of the ancient fortress city of Shali. But almost nothing is known of the Siwa Oasis during Egypt's ancient history. It was not until the beginning of the 26th Dynasty that there was any evidence that Siwa was in fact part of the Egyptian empire.

Death tombs

The Tomb of Si-Amun at Gebel (Jebel) al-Mawta:
The Tombs at Gebel al-Mawta in the Siwa oasis of Egypt, of which the best known, and most documented, is that of Si-Amun. Ahmed Fakhry refers to it as the most important tomb at Gebel al-Mawta and the most beautiful of any in the oases of the Western Desert. The tomb dates back to about the 3rd century BC. It was discovered in October of 1940 and unfortunately, some of its decorations were badly damaged by soldiers who cut away parts of the painted plaster. The tomb, as with others in the area, was robbed during the Roman Period.
Si-Amun, the owner of the tomb, appears to have held no official titles, seemingly holding neither a religious or administrative post, but it is clear from his tomb that he was an individual of some importance with the financial resources to construct one of the finest tombs in the necropolis. He must have been a great landowner or a rich merchant and he may have been Greek, though he was certainly a follower of the Egyptian religion. In fact, his name means "the man of Amun", a common Egyptian name, though his father was called Periytu. His mother's name was Nefer-hert, an Egyptian name meaning "the lady with the beautiful face". While neither of his parents are actually depicted in the tomb, it does contain representations of the tomb owner, his wife and two sons. He is depicted with a beard and thick, black, curly hair and a fair complexion. His wife, named Re'-t, has a reddish brown complexion. The oldest son was fair skinned like his father, while the younger one had a darker complexion like his mother. The younger son is dressed like a Greek boy of his age during that period.

Sketch in tomb of Si-Amun

Alexander's tomb

Palm trees

Old mosque

General view of Aghurmi village

Amun temple

The way to Amun temple

Celopatra' spring