Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (812x306, 267 KB) Summary The Oasis of Siwa Foto by Volker Scherl November 2005 Licensing File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

The Siwa Oasis is an oasis in Egypt, located between the Qattara Depression and the Egyptian Sand Sea in the Libyan Desert. Location: 29°11′N 25°33′E. About 80 km in length and 20 km wide, it is one of Egypt's most isolated settlements and is located approximately 50 km east of Libyan border, and some 560 km from Cairo. It is home to about 23,000 people, the majority of whom are ethnic Berbers who speak a distinct language known as Siwi. Agriculture is the main activity, primarily the growing of dates and olives. Although the oasis is known to have been settled since at least the 10th millennium BC, there is no evidence of any connection with ancient Egypt until the 26th Dynasty, when a necropolis was established. Greek settlers at Cyrene made contact with the oasis around the same time (7th century BC), and soon the oracle of Ammon became famous; the oracle is said to have confirmed Alexander the Great as both a divine personnage and the legitimate Pharaoh of Egypt during a visit made prior to his campaign of conquest in Persia. The Romans later used Siwa as a place of banishment. Evidence of Christianity at Siwa is dubious, but in 708 the Siwans resisted an Islamic army, and probably did not convert until 12th century. A report of 1203 mentions only seven families totalling 40 men living at the oasis, but later the population grew to 600. Oasis in the Libyan part of the Sahara In geography, an oasis is an isolated area of vegetation in a desert, typically surrounding a spring or similar water source. ... The Qattara Depression (local: Munkhafad al-Qattarah) is a desert basin within the Libyan Desert of north-western Egypt. ... The Egyptian Sand Sea is located in Africas Libyan Desert. ... Libyan Desert The Libyan Desert is an African desert that is located in the northern and eastern part of the Sahara Desert and occupies southwestern Egypt, eastern Libya and northwestern Sudan. ... A kilometre (American spelling: kilometer), symbol: km is a unit of length in the metric system equal to 1000 metres (from the Greek words χίλια (khilia) = thousand and μέτρο (metro) = count/measure). ... Although technically in Giza, The Great Pyramids have become a symbol of Cairo internationally Cairo (Arabic: القاهرة; transliterated: al-Qāhirah) is the capital city of Egypt (and previously the United Arab Republic) and has a metropolitan area population of approximately 15. ... The Berbers (also called Imazighen, free men, singular Amazigh) are an ethnic group indigenous to Northwest Africa, speaking the Berber languages of the Afroasiatic family. ... Siwi is a Berber Afro-Asiatic language of Egypt, spoken by about 5,000 people in and around the oasis of Siwa near the Libyan border. ... Datateknologerna vid Ã…bo Akademi r. ... Binomial name Olea europaea L. The Olive (Olea europaea) is a species of small tree in the family Oleaceae, native to coastal areas of the eastern Mediterranean region, from Syria and the maritime parts of Asia Minor to pathchy areas Northern Iran/Southern Caspian (Manjil and Roodbar) . Its use as... (Pleistocene, Paleolithic – 10th millennium BC – 9th millennium BC – other millennia) Beginning of the Mesolithic, or Epipaleolithic time period, which is the first part of the Holocene epoch. ... ... The Twenty-sixth dynasty of Egypt was the last native dynasty to rule Egypt before the Persian conquest, and had its capital was Sais. ... A necropolis (plural: necropolises or necropoleis) is a cemetery or burying-place, literally a city of the dead. Apart from the occasional application of the word to modern cemeteries outside large towns, the term is chiefly used of burial grounds near the sites of the centers of ancient civilizations. ... Cyrene can refer to: The USS Cyrene (AGP-13), a motor torpedo boat tender] Cyrene, a figure from Greek mythology Cyrene, a Greek colony in Libya (north Africa) 133 Cyrene, an asteroid Cyrene, fictional character who is the mother of Xena in the series Xena: Warrior Princess See also: Cyrenaica... (8th century BC - 7th century BC - 6th century BC - other centuries) (700s BC - 690s BC - 680s BC - 670s BC - 660s BC - 650s BC - 640s BC - 630s BC - 620s BC - 610s BC - 600s BC - other decades) (2nd millennium BC - 1st millennium BC - 1st millennium AD) Events Scythians arrived in Asia Collapse... An oracle is a person or agency considered to be a source of wise counsel or prophetic opinion; an infallible authority, usually spiritual in nature. ... Amun (also spelt Amon, Amoun, Amen, and rarely Imenand, and spelt in Greek as Ammon, and Hammon) was the name of a deity, in Egyptian mythology, who gradually rose to become one of the most important, before disappearing back into the shadows. ... Alexander the Great fighting the Persian king Darius (Pompeii mosaic, from a 3rd century BC original Greek painting, now lost). ... Pharaoh (Hebrew פַּרְעֹה (without niqqud: פרעה), Standard Hebrew ParÊ¿o, Tiberian Hebrew Parʿōh, Arabic فرعون) is a title used to refer to the kings (of godly status) in ancient Egypt. ... The Persian Empire is the name used to refer to a number of historic dynasties that have ruled the country of Persia (Iran). ... The Roman Forum was the central area around which ancient Rome developed. ... The history of Christianity is difficult to extricate from that of the European West (and several other culture-regions) in general. ... Events The Japanese court moved from Heian to Nara. ... Islām is described as a dÄ«n, meaning way of life and/or guidance. Six articles of belief There are six basic beliefs shared by all Muslims: 1. ... (11th century - 12th century - 13th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 12th century was that century which lasted from 1101 to 1200. ... Events April 16 - Philip II of France enters Rouen, leading to the eventual unification of Normandy and France. ...

The first European to visit in modern times was W. G. Browne, who came in 1792 to see the ancient temple of the oracle. The oasis was officially added to Egypt by Muhammad Ali of Egypt in 1819, but his rule was tenuous and marked by several revolts. Siwa was the site of some fighting during World War I, and during World War II; the British Army's Long Range Desert Group was based here. 1792 was a leap year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Muhammad `Alī Muhammad `Ali Pasha (Arabic: محمد علي باشا) (many spelling variations, including Turkish Mehmet Ali (Kavalalı Mehmet Ali Paşa), are encountered) (c. ... 1819 common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Clockwise from top: Trenches in frontline, a British Mark I Tank crossing a trench, the Royal Navy battleship HMS Irresistible sinking after striking a mine at the battle of the Dardanelles, a Vickers machine gun crew with gas masks and a Sopwith Camel biplane. ... Combatants Allied Powers Axis Powers Commanders {{{commander1}}} {{{commander2}}} Strength {{{strength1}}} {{{strength2}}} Casualties 17 million military deaths 7 million military deaths World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a mid-20th century conflict that engulfed much of the globe and is accepted as the largest and deadliest... The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ... The Long Range Desert Group (LRDG) was a British Army unit during World War II. The unit was founded in Egypt following the Italian declaration of war (June 1940) by Major Ralph A. Bagnold with the assistance of Captains Clayton and Shaw, acting under the direction of General Wavell. ...

The ancient fortress of Siwa, built of natural rock salt, mud brick and palm logs and known as the Shali, although now mostly abandoned, remains a prominent feature, towering five storeys above the modern town. Other local historic sites of interest include the remains of the oracle temple, Gebel al Mawta (the Mountain of the Dead) – a Roman-era necropolis featuring dozens of rock-cut tombs, "Cleopatra's Bath" a natural sulphur spring, and Fatnas Island.

Images

The old town of Aghurmi Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 341 KB)Aghurmi, the second elevated old town of Siwa Oasis with the remains of the Temple of Amun File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...	The old town of Shali illuminated by night Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1800x1200, 287 KB)The old town Shali illuminated by night, View from www. ...	Salt lake and sabkha of Abu Shuruf Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1600x1147, 364 KB)Salt Lake and Sabkha of Abu Shuruf in Siwa (c) David Haberlah (david@haberlah. ...	Famous palm tree on fatnas island Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 302 KB)The famous palm tree on Fatnas Island in Umrans garden (c) David Haberlah (www. ...
Architecture with "karshif" (salt mud) in Shali.]] Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 577 KB)Houses made from traditional salt mud karshif in Shali, Siwa (c) David Haberlah (www. ...

External Links

• Siwa Oasis Photo Gallery
• The Locally Run Website of Siwa Oasis
• History of Siwa
• Siwa Oasis – Extraordinary