|
Siwa
Oasis:
General Information
Siwa Oasis
One of the
most fascinating oases in Egypt, that lies about 60 feet below sea
level, located in the Western Desert of Egypt, it's about 305Km
southwest of Marsah Matrouh and 420Km. West of Baharia Oasis. The
population at Siwa Oasis reaches about 23,000 inhabitant and has their
own language. Siwa was once considered to be the most unreachable of all
Egypt 's oases until recently, but now you can easily reach the Siwa
Oasis by either car or bus from Cairo , Alexandria or Marsah Matrouh.
Siwa lies beside the Libyan borders, it is about 82 km long, and width
varies between 2Km and 20 Km.
Characterized by its nice climate which would be chilly in winter time,
rather hot in the summer and moderate in the spring and autumn. At the
Western side of the town there lies the large Lake of Siwa which is a
saltwater lake, there are other 2 salt water lakes which are; Maraqi
lake and Zaytoun lake.
Tourism
in Siwa are gradually increasing day after day.
Known
for its fascinating and most beautiful landscapes in Egypt , is also
famous with its olives and dates' palms therefore it economic is
basically based on agriculture. It said that there is about 70, 000
olive tree in the area, these olives are to be gathered then crushed by
stones to produce the finest olive oil types in town. At the old date
caravan route there lies about 300,000 palm tree, a must to see
beautiful scenery of the nature. The area is also famous for its
springs, of which there are approximately 1,000. The water is sweet,
and is said to have medical properties.
Siwa
oasis still preserves lots of oriental traditions and costumes among
which, that girls at Siwa are often married by the age of 14, and
afterward where completely covering clothing, and allowed little
communications with the world outside their immediate family. Many women
still wear traditional costumes and silver jewelry which are very nice,
well crafted and unique.
This
area is well known for its beautiful handcrafts, particularly woven
cloth, jewelry, etc. which is unique in Egypt .
It is
also said that, during the month of October there is a three-day
festival during which the natives of Siwa must settle all of their past
year's disputes & quarrels.
Tourist information
The
extraordinary Siwa Oasis or "Wahet Siwa" in Arabic. The name 'Siwa'
means, in Amazigh, 'Bird of prey which protects the god Amun'.
Since ancient
times, from the Greek to Roman eras and on to the Middle Ages, the oasis
was referred to by a variety of names as witnessed by various
inscriptions unearthed in temples and on tombs. The more recent name Siwa was derived from the name of the indigenous Ti-Swa tribe. Siwa
Oasis is rich with its history that includes a visit from Alexander the
Great to consult the Oracle of Amun in 331 BC. Alexander the great made
a visit to the temple of god Amon which was built in the 7 th Century
B.C , to confirm that he is the son of god Zeus Amun and chose to be
buried in Siwa.
The era of
the 26th Dynasty drew to a close with the invasion of a Persian army led
by Cambesis - though his 50,000-strong force was later to vanish in a
desert sandstorm, leaving no trace behind.
Siwa started
to go into reject around the sixth century AD, when many of the temples
in Siwa fell out of use, thanks to the spread of Christianity. This
period coincided with the collapse of the Roman Empire and the area's
degeneration into chaos which culminated in the Arabian invasion of
Egypt in 640 AD.
At the
height of Siwa's glory, change was swift and the rewards to victorious
attackers were potentially very high. In the eighth century, the Arabian
army arrived to conquer Siwa. The inhabitants, an ancient tribe of
Amazigh people under Roman rule, were confronted by the Arabian army and
given three choices; one, to join the Arabians, two, to pay them tribute
and live in peace, or three, to fight for their land.
The clever
natives bought themselves time by asking for three days to choose their
answer. During this three-day period they gathered together all their
riches (such as gold, jewellery, precious stones, and Pharaonic
treasures). Then, on the last day, they fled west with all they could
carry. Leaving all their heaviest treasures behind, they hid them from
the Arabian soldiers and cast spells so that they would be guarded in
their absence by the magical powers of their genie.
At the
time, there was a drought throughout the countries of northwestern
Africa , so the Amazigh people set off eastwards, in caravan formation,
searching for grass and water. Then, travelling through the scorching
sands of the Western Desert, they found the answer to their dreams - the
beautiful oasis of Siwa, with natural springs and fields of apricot,
olive, and palm trees, all singing with life.
The
Amazigh people decided to make their home here and sent word back west
to Algeria and Morocco for their families to come and join them to
strengthen the tribe's power and claim on this fertile land.
 The
first city was named Ami Misalum and built in the lowlands of the oasis.
However, this left the Amazigh vulnerable both to attacks from hostile
forces and to mosquitoes. So, in 1103 AD they built a strong citadel on
the hilltop to protect themselves and their unique culture and made this
their kingdom.
New
laws and rules were instituted which, along with the more secure
location, allowed the tribal chiefs to govern Siwa as an independent
state for hundreds of years. For example, in order to irrigate their
lands throughout the night, gardeners had to seek permission from the
chiefs before the Zagala ('strong youth') guards would open up sthe
citadel's doors.
In
1840, however, the independence of Siwa was challenged by the famed
tyrant and Turkish ruler, Mohamed Ali. He sent his Egyptian army to Siwa,
seeking tribute and the submission of its people to his rule. The Siwans
dug a trench around the base of Shali to prevent the Egyptian army from
attacking, but Ali fired rockets at the citadel, causing great
destruction. He also commanded General Hussein Bek Ashamashurgi to
invite seventy-two of the highest local chieftains to a meeting where
they were promptly killed. So the Siwans were forced to submit.
a new
system of Egyptian government was imposed and the Siwans suffered many
hardships, such as paying a one piastre tax for every palm tree in the
oasis. This continued until 1950 when a Bedouin businessman bought all
the dates in Siwa and paid all the state taxes on the trees.
The
police chief responsible for the administration of Siwa, El Misseri,
then took control of the oasis. The Siwan people had grown dates from
the palm trees to feed the poor and to send money to Mecca to help the
nation of Islam. But under Misseri's control, the sheikhs were forced to
sign over the trees to him and he took the proceeds from the sale of the
dates for his own gain. This lasted for four years.
The new
challenge for Siwa was how to open up to the world. In 1977, president
Mohamed Anwar Sadat visited the oasis and showed great sympathy towards
the people. Later, in 1983, he gave the Siwans a helicopter to make
access to the rest of Egypt easier. This helicopter was for medical
purposes and the transport of necessary commodities. Siwa's changing
fortunes have been reflected in the fluctuations of its population
levels, from forty in the twelfth century AD to some three thousand at
the time of Mohammed Ali's invasion in 1805. Siwa continues to expand,
and the population is currently calculated to be around twenty thousand
and growing. Finally, in 1986 a road was opened between Marsa Matruh and
Siwa.
|
