Nature · Matrouh
Siwa Oasis
A remote green oasis in Egypt's Western Desert near the Libyan border, famed for the oracle of Amun that Alexander the Great consulted.
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The story
Siwa sits in a depression about 19 metres below sea level, roughly 300 km inland from Marsa Matrouh and about 50 km from the Libyan border. Natural springs water its date palm and olive groves, and its people, the Siwis, still speak their own Berber language. By around 700 BC the oracle of Amun here was famous across the eastern Mediterranean, and in 331 BC Alexander the Great crossed the desert to consult it; the ruined temple stands today on the hill of Aghurmi. In the 13th century the community settled within the fortified town of Shali, built of kershef (salt, rock and clay), which heavy rain in 1926 badly damaged.
Good to know
- The oasis floor lies about 19 metres below sea level.
- In 331 BC Alexander the Great crossed the desert from the coast to consult the oracle of Amun at Siwa.
- The old town of Shali dates to the 13th century and is built of kershef, a mix of salt, rock and clay.
- Siwa has at least 250,000 date palms, and dates and olives are its main crops.
- The Siwis speak Siwi, a Berber language, alongside Arabic.
Visiting tips
The most comfortable seasons are spring and autumn, since summer in Siwa can pass 40 degrees Celsius; mid-February to April and late October to December are the pleasant windows. Allow at least two full days, ideally three or four, because the journey is long and deserves a stay to match. Siwa is a more conservative community than Cairo or the coastal resorts, so dress modestly in town with shoulders and knees covered, and more discreetly still for swimming. For photography and wandering, early morning or late afternoon gives the best light and lower heat; wear closed shoes on the uneven paths of Shali, carry fresh water to rinse off the salt after the salt lakes, and go into the dunes only with an experienced local driver. Check opening hours and ticket prices before visiting.