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<\/a>This is one of the many checkpoints in the Lybian desert: a few barriers and barrels on the road. It is forbidden to photograph the soldiers.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n Then the palm grove comes into view, a green expanse surrounded by lakes of salt water with a silvery sheen, reminding us that this desert was covered by the waters of the Mediterranean millions of years ago. A strange site, dominated by the remains of Shali - the town in Berber - and Djebel el-Mawta, \"the mountain of the dead\" in Arabic.<\/p>\n Ruins of the Shali citadel built of karshef, a local stone made from fossilised salt from the oasis lakes and mud.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n This is Siwa, the most westerly of Egypt's oases and the most easterly of the Berber communities to have ventured into these lands some 10,000 years ago. Erected at the very beginning of the twelfth century on the highest hill in Siwa, Shali was a fortress reputed to be impregnable that the Siwis had built to protect themselves from the warlike Arab tribes. Until the last century, its ramparts stood more than 10 m high, behind which stood buildings 4 to 6 storeys high.<\/p>\n A grocer and a bicycle repairer have set up shop next to the citadel.<\/p><\/div>\n But it was rare torrential rains rather than invaders that destroyed the town in 1928. Built from a mixture of sun-dried mud and salty concretions known as karshef, the houses collapsed one by one, the salt having dissolved as a result of the rain that fell for three days. The site remains extraordinary, especially when lit up at night.<\/p>\n The ghostly ruins of the ancient city of Shali bear witness to an architecture on the verge of extinction.<\/p><\/div>\n The present-day town fades into the background in front of the citadel, all lacy dried mud, ochre or white, cut out against the sky. From the top of the hill, you can see the whole oasis and the salt lakes, but the view from the top of Djebel el-Mawta is unrivalled.<\/p>\n Gebel el-Mawta is home to several well-preserved tombs from the 26th dynasty and offers spectacular views over the Siwa oasis.<\/p><\/div>\n This vast promontory is dotted with hundreds of tombs from the 26th Dynasty and the Ptolemaic and Roman periods. Four of these can be visited, including that of Si-Amon, a wealthy oasis dweller of Greek origin; it is decorated with mythical scenes representing the Egyptian pantheon.<\/p>\n The jackal-headed god Anubis stands beside a mummy. He is the god of embalming and the protector of necropolises. Tomb from the XXVIth dynasty.<\/p><\/div>\n The Siwi never venture up the mountain after dark because they believe the place to be inhabited by spirits. However, these fears did not prevent them from using the tombs as shelters during the Italian bombardments in 1940.<\/p>\n The tombs of Djebel el-Mawta are dug into the limestone cliff. Some have not yet been excavated, but many have been pillaged by the oases.<\/p><\/div>\n An island of life on the edge of the Great Sand Sea<\/strong> A farmer and his son have just prepared some tea.<\/p><\/div>\n Some of these springs are renowned for their beauty or virtues, such as Cleopatra's (Gubra) or Tamussi, where young girls come to bathe before their wedding night. Others are renowned for their purity, such as the Abou Shrouf spring, which produces 20,000 m3 of water a day and has a bottling plant. Although rainfall is very rare (the equivalent of 3 days in 25 years), water flows here in abundance. This has enabled the population to live self-sufficiently for centuries.<\/p>\n From the Adrere Amellal ecolodge, there is a beautiful view of the large lake and the palm grove. Unfortunately, groundwater is no longer sufficient and salt water from agricultural drainage is increasing, which has already caused the destruction of many palm trees.<\/p><\/div>\n Virtually isolated before the road was built and electricity installed in 1986, Siwa was nonetheless, in days gone by, an obligatory stopover for caravans linking the oases of the Libyan desert to the Mediterranean, and a destination for pilgrims who came to consult the oracle of Amun, the ram god likened to Amun the Egyptian and Zeus. Alexander the Great, for example, was 'recognised' by the oracle in 331 BC as the son of the god on earth, and therefore the 'legitimate' ruler of Egypt. The Greek historian Plutarch probably describes what actually happened during the visit of the Macedonian conqueror: \"Some say that the prophet, wishing to greet him in Greek with a term of endearment, called him 'my son' (paidion), but that, in his barbaric pronunciation, he stumbled over the last letter and said, substituting a sigma for the nude: \"son of Zeus\" (paidios); they add that Alexander greatly appreciated this slip of the tongue and that the rumour also spread that he had been called \"son of Zeus\" by the god. \" (Life of Alexander, XXVII, 9.) His temple still watches over the ruins of the ancient town of Aghourmi, the site of the first settlements in the oasis. And over a few families who earn their living from the neighbouring palm grove and the now rare tourism that is threatening this extraordinary cultural island.<\/p>\n On the acropolis of Aghourmi stands the temple of the oracle of Jupiter-Amon.<\/p><\/div>\n Having remained isolated from the world for centuries, Siwa has managed to preserve an identity that is quite distinct from that of the other oases, both through its original Berber language, Tsiwit, which is not well understood by Egyptians, and through its austere customs. And not always appreciated by foreign visitors. Alcohol is banned here, as a sign at the entrance to Shali, the largest village, reminds us, and female visitors are strongly advised not to wear shorts or go bare-armed. Even less so in a swimming costume! The only way to enjoy the freshness of the springs is to jump into the water fully clothed! In the caf\u00e9s, which are mainly frequented by foreigners, it is surprising not to hear oriental music or the voice of Fairuz, so dear to the hearts of Egyptians everywhere else in the country! Music is forbidden here. Only Islamist preaching blared through nasal cassettes. Clearly, the Muslim Brotherhood is well established and has a major influence on local life...<\/p>\n Modern Siwa has developed mainly in concrete around the old sentinel, which is slowly falling into disrepair.<\/p><\/div>\n Women: the ransom of a preserved tradition<\/strong> The Issiwane woman only leaves her home with her head and face covered by a veil, revealing only her eyes.<\/p><\/div>\n Married between the ages of 13 and 15 to a man 15 to 20 years older than her, a Siwi woman leads the life of an eternal captive. Between a mother-in-law who can chase her away from one day to the next without her husband's advice (a son never opposes his parents), an all-powerful husband to whom she owes obedience and a neighbourhood that watches her every move. As a result, Siwa has the highest divorce rate in Egypt. \"The cause is to be found mainly in the relationship between the wife and her mother-in-law\", explains Fathi Malim, a young Siwi sociologist who has commented on the customs and traditions of the oasis in a book. \"The mother-in-law's hold is such that when she wants to break up her son's marriage, all she has to do is tell her daughter-in-law that she is divorced. The husband has no way of reversing this decision, except to choose to go away with his wife or stay with his mother\". In practice, he chooses his mother... And the wife to return to her father's house or that of one of her brothers if he is deceased. But since the arrival of television and the internet in the oasis, young women are beginning to take a different view of life in general and love in particular. Some young girls are taking the liberty of contradicting their fianc\u00e9,\" said Fathi Malim in 2006. Until now, that was unthinkable! So what if they wanted to choose their own husbands?<\/p>\n A black ghost walks down a village street.<\/p><\/div>\n How do I get to Siwa?<\/strong> Advice to travellers in Egypt: the French Ministry of the Interior formally advises against all travel from the Egyptian-Libyan border to the Egyptian-Sudanese border.<\/strong><\/p>\n Accommodation<\/strong><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>
\nIn this vast depression 18 metres below sea level, almost 300 springs irrigate superb gardens planted with palm, olive, lemon and orange trees, and provide a livelihood for around 30,000 people.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>
\nThis is not exactly a hopeful sign for Siwi women, who are already severely restricted by tradition. They are few and far between, in the streets and in the fields. Stealthy ghosts covered in the traditional tarfottet, a bluish-grey cloth specially woven for them in Giza, which completely conceals their bodies and faces, they can sometimes be seen slipping between two stalls or huddled under their veils at the back of the carts that bring them in from the fields.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a>
\nAccess is by bus (West Delta Bus Company) from Alexandria or Cairo via Marsa Matrouh, by shared taxis or by 4 x 4 for those taking the services of a guide or an excursion.
\nThere are currently no French tour operators organising trips to Siwa. However, there are a number of Egyptian tour operators offering low prices.<\/p>\n
\nIn the town, we recommend the Shali Lodge, a small hotel built in mud brick.<\/p>\n