The oasis town of Siwa is unlike anywhere else in Egypt. Surrounded by vast desert landscapes, this remote town is home to a wide variety of things to see, ranging from clay buildings and ancient rock-cut tombs in town to the natural oases in the surrounding land. In this post, we’ll explore the many attractions in Siwa itself. In the next, we’ll venture beyond town to bring you its temples and wonderful oasis landscapes a short drive away.
Located in an isolated area of the desert, just getting to Siwa is part of the experience. For the last 5 hours of the drive to Siwa, we didn’t see a bush or even a single blade of grass. We were travelling through Egypt’s Western Desert, surrounded by a brown, arid landscape. Finally, 6 km from Siwa, we began to see small desert shrubs, dotting the ground. And then, suddenly, an abundance of green appeared as we neared the palm trees of Siwa Oasis.
The name Siwa stems from an ancient Egyptian word meaning ‘Field of Trees’, an apt description. Interestingly, the word oasis also comes from an Egyptian term that describes a fertile dwelling in the middle of the desert. Filled with lush palms that contrast with the golden sand, Siwa matches this definition perfectly.
Siwa Town
Located a short distance from the border with Libya, Siwa’s population is not Arabic, as in most of Egypt. Instead, the people are Amazigh (Berber), and they speak a dialect of Tamazight, common in northern Africa. In its heyday, in the 6th century BCE, Siwa was a popular stop on ancient Saharan trade routes. The influx of foreign merchants combined with the Berber population added a unique flavour to this oasis town.
At first glance, the town appears rather shabby, with litter piling up on the dusty streets beside half-fallen-down buildings. But this initial opinion changed as we explored the town. Instead, we found that their rugged sand-castle homes have their own charm, and the friendliness of the locals quickly puts you at ease.
During the day, the heat keeps most people out of the sun. Therefore, to get the best feel for the town’s energy, visit its downtown in the evening when its cozy tea shops are bustling and locals fill the streets.
Adding to the town’s rustic, quaint look are the many donkey and motorized carts on its streets. They are used for many services, including taxis and delivery trucks. We were surprised to see that kids were in the drivers’ seats of several. We even saw a pre-pubescent boy working a front-end loader, with no adults in sight. It made us realize that the rules are different in this remote town.
Tip – It would be helpful to learn a few Amazigh words before you visit. The most common are tanmirt, which means thank you, and azul, meaning hello.
Shali Fortress
Standing on a hill above town is the 13th century Shali Fortress. Built to protect Siwa from frequent Bedouin attacks, it is an intriguing-looking fortress. Once you see it from below, you’ll want to get a closer look.
Its sand-castle appearance comes from the construction material used. Bricks, called kershef, are made from clay saturated with salt. Both clay and salt are found in abundance in the region, and are therefore common construction materials. Once dried, these bricks are incredibly strong and provide good insulation from the intense Saharan sun. As you can imagine, though, rain is devastating to this type of building, but remarkably, the fortress remained standing for hundreds of years. It wasn’t until 1926 that torrential rains nearly destroyed Shali Fortress.
This architecture reminded us of Ait Ben Haddou and Tinghir in Morocco.
The entrance to the fortress is at the end of Shali Bazaar. The contrast between the colourful shops and the clay-coloured fortress makes it a picturesque scene.
Exploring the fortress means wandering through the labyrinth of staircases and lanes, all fringed by clay-salt walls. Many generations of Siwa residents lived behind these walls, so as you wander, you’ll see a variety of partial walls, rooms and stairs of their former homes, shops and workshops. As you explore, it is easy to imagine people in medieval times walking these same lanes.
In addition to the homes and shops, the fortress has two mosques. Their tall, kershef minarets add even more character to the fortress. In fact, Al-Ateeq Mosque is the oldest kershef mosque in the world.
In addition to the clay walls, you can see where palm and olive tree branches were used in the construction.
Once you reach the top floor, an open courtyard gives you a 360° panorama. Your view includes the vast desert dotted with green oases in some areas and mountains in others. From this vantage point, you can also peer down on the old kershef houses and look across to Shali Mountain.
Entry free, Open 24/7; many like to visit at sunset.
Old Village
After visiting the fortress, take time to explore the fascinating medieval streets below. When the fortress became overcrowded, the village was forced to expand outside of its protective walls. Villagers continued to build their homes using these traditional techniques, so it feels like a continuation of the fortress. Unlike the fortress, however, not only are many of those old kershef homes still standing, but several are also still inhabited. Wandering between them is like being in a make-believe town rather than a viable part of the city.
To see what they are like, we decided to stay in a guesthouse in this community. Also made with kershef bricks, the house’s narrow hallways, low doorways, palm tree ceilings and salt walls let you know you are staying in a piece of history. It was far from luxurious, but it was one of our most unique stays yet.
Shali Mountain
Since we enjoyed the views from the top of the fortress, we decided to climb up the funny-shaped Shali Mountain. From its top, we were rewarded with a wide-open view that is a little different from the fortress. In addition to the desert and oases, we had a great view of Salt Lake and the Temple of Amun, which we planned to visit soon.
The route to the top is not straightforward, but you can find it on the app Mapy.cz.
Entry is free, Open 24/7
Siwa House Museum and Library
One area in downtown has a collection of new buildings designed to look like the original clay-salt constructions. Those include the Siwa House Museum and Library. The museum is quite new, though, and only has a few artifacts on display.
Across the street is the town’s library. It is not a lending library, but has several books on Siwa’s history that you can read while you’re there. Many of the books were donated by an Italian who was involved in several archaeological excavations in the area.
Entry is free
Gebel al-Mawta
A little outside of town, you’ll find a very different attraction. Its name translates to Mountain of Death, which gives you an idea of what you will find on Gebel al Mawta. As early as the 7th century BCE, thousands of tombs were cut into the limestone walls for Siwa’s elites. The necropolis continued to be used by the Romans until the 600s AD. While the tombs would have contained mummies, jewels, pottery, ritual tools and amulets for the deceased’s afterlife, they are mostly empty now. What they do display, however, are wonderful, thousands-of-years-old hieroglyphics and reliefs.
As we approached the Mountain of Death, we could see dozens of tombs cut into the mountain wall. What we couldn’t see until we got closer were the hundreds more on the lower section of the mountain’s ledge.
Four tombs are open to the public and were more than worth the dusty walk up. Since they were used for so many centuries, the artwork shows a blend of Egyptian, Greek and Roman gods, legends and customs.
Tomb of Si-Amun
The first tomb we visited is for Si-Amun, an Egyptian merchant in the 3rd century BCE. His name translates to ‘man of Amun ’, so we thought he was a holy person named for the sun god Amun. We were told that it was actually a common name in ancient Egypt. This tomb is in the best condition of the ones we visited, with many depictions of Si-Amun making offerings to gods. One image of Si-Amun shows him as a young man with curly hair and a beard.
One half of the ceiling is decorated with a large fresco of Nut, the goddess of the sky. She swallows the sun each night and gives birth to it the next morning, symbolizing death and rebirth in the afterlife. We saw several paintings of her in the Valley of the Kings and Dendera Temple. Those were quite different, though, because in those she wore clothes.
The other half of the ceiling is also familiar. It has a solar barque (ritual boat) filled with deities, similar to ones we saw in Luxor’s tombs.
Tomb of Mesu-Isis
Built for a Roman priestess and healer, the artwork in this tomb shows scenes from daily life and religious ceremonies. Unfortunately, though, most are in very poor condition. The best one is an image of the goddess Hathor at the entrance to the burial chamber.
Tomb of Niperpathot
Dated to the 7th or 6th centuries BCE, the Tomb of Niperpathot is the oldest tomb we saw on Gebel al Mawta. He was a Prophet of the Egyptian god Osiris. This tomb has fewer reliefs, but you can see some at the far end. Most depictions are of Osiris and Hathor.
Tomb of Sobek
This tomb is named for the Egyptian deity Sobek, who was depicted as a crocodile-headed man. The name came from an image of a crocodile on the tomb’s wall, which is unusual because there have never been crocodiles in this area. There are also images believed to be of the deceased, as well as Hathor, Osiris and other animals.
Unfortunately, during WWII, locals used the tombs to hide, and as a result, many were damaged. Although much younger and less elaborate than the tombs in the Valley of the Kings, this remote, wild location makes them worth a visit.
Entry – 120 EGP ($ USD), payment only by cash; Opening Hours – 9 am to 5 pm
Getting to Gebel al-Mawta
It is within walking distance of Siwa downtown, but you can easily find a taxi to take you. There won’t be taxis waiting for the return trip, so have yours wait, or arrange a pick-up 45min to an hour later. Another option is to include it on your day trip to the sites outside of town.
Getting to Siwa
Siwa is located in the Western Desert, 30 km from the Libyan border. Although it is in the ‘not recommended for travel zone’ for most countries, travel to Siwa is considered safe.
There are no airports in Siwa; you must arrive by road. West Bus connects it to Alexandria (7-8 hours, 450 EGP) and to Cairo (10 hours, 600 EGP). Most are overnight buses, but West Bus has one morning and one afternoon bus from Alexandria. There are also several shared minivans from Alexandria, but most are overnight. The final option is a private driver; you can find several online at http://www.bookaway.com.
The bus station in Siwa is beside the Tourist Information Office. In Alexandria it is at the Main Bus Station, and in Cairo, WestBus uses the same station as GoBus not far from Tahrir Square, called Abd El-Moneim Riad.
No matter which option you use, most drivers will stop at the dusty town of Marsa Matruh. When we arrived, a sandstorm made our quick stop less than pleasant.
Where to stay in Siwa
For a town with a population of roughly 30,000, Siwa is just as noisy as the big cities. We stayed in an authentic 13th century kershef house in the old village. Since it’s away from downtown, it was quiet and a great way to experience a part of their unique history. If you have a car or driver, there are several resort-style accommodations outside the city under Jabal Dakrour, but it is very isolated, so you wouldn’t be able to walk anywhere on your own.
Where to eat in Siwa
There are several tea houses and restaurants in the town centre. Abdu Restaurant, on the main street, is a popular place serving delicious Berber, Egyptian and Western food. Some of our favourites were: Tashoka, an Egyptian shish kabab; aish baladi, a local variation of flatbread; and for vegetarians, vegetable shakshuka, a traditional tomoto based stew. For a good cup of coffee, we recommend Antika Cafe.
We did not recieve compensation for these recommendations.
To read more of our adventures in Egypt, click here.
Coming Next – Day Trips from Siwa – Mineral Springs and Ancient Temples
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