Siwa Oasis
Central Siwa is dominated by the spectacular organic shapes of the remains of this 13th-century mud-brick fortress. Built from kershef (chunks of salt…
Must-see attractions in Siwa Oasis
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Siwa Oasis
This small hill, at the northern end of Siwa Town, is honeycombed with rock tombs peppered with wall paintings. Its name, Gebel Al Mawta, means 'Mountain…
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Siwa Oasis
The 26th-dynasty Temple of the Oracle sits in the northwest corner of the ruins of Aghurmi village. Built in the 6th century BC, probably on top of an…
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Siwa Oasis
A favourite Siwa excursion is the freshwater lake at Bir Wahed, 15km away on the edge of the Great Sand Sea. Once over the top of a dune, you come to a…
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Siwa Oasis
This fairly secluded pool is on a small island in the salty Birket Siwa, accessible across a narrow causeway. Nicknamed ‘Fantasy Island’ for its idyllic…
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Siwa Oasis
Just north of Kharmisah, around 17km northwest of Siwa Town, the City of the Romans has about 100 tombs cut into the rock of the nearby hills and the…
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Siwa Oasis
This almost totally ruined temple was dedicated to Amun. It was originally connected to the Temple of the Oracle by a causeway and was used during oracle…
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Siwa Oasis
Following the track that leads to the Temple of the Oracle and continuing past the Temple of Umm Ubayd will lead you to Siwa’s most famous spring. The…
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Siwa Oasis
Just above the entrance to the Fortress of Shali is the old mosque with its distinctive chimney-shaped minaret. The mosque was recently restored and a…
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Siwa Oasis
Sixty kilometres west of Siwa Town, this stunning salt lake on the edge of the Great Sand Sea is ringed by palm trees. It’s a popular stopover for…
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Siwa Oasis
Abu Shuruf, a clean spring said by locals to have healing properties, is 27km east of Siwa Town and 7km east of Ain Qurayshat spring in the next palm…
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Siwa Oasis
The best of Gebel Al Mawta's paintings are in this tomb, where beautifully coloured reliefs portray the dead man – thought to be a wealthy Greek landowner…
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Siwa Oasis
Roughly 30km east of Siwa Town, this abandoned mud-brick village, beaten by the sand and wind, sits alone on the sandy plain. Hundreds of Roman-era tombs…
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Siwa Oasis
In the Tomb of Niperpathot, one of the oldest in the oasis, the inscriptions and crude drawings are made in the same reddish ink you can see on modern…
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Siwa Oasis
This small museum contains an interesting display of traditional clothing, jewellery and crafts typical of the oasis. It’s worth the entry fee just to…
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Siwa Oasis
The closest spring to central Siwa is Ain Al Arais, a cool, inviting waterhole with a grotto-like bottom, just five minutes’ walk from the main market…
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Siwa Oasis
Ain Qurayshat, about 20km east from Siwa Town, has the largest free-flowing spring in the oasis. The best way to reach the spring is via the causeway…
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Siwa Oasis
The unfinished Tomb of Mesu-Isis in Gebel Al Mawta is interesting for its beautiful depiction of cobras in red and blue above the entrance. The tomb was…
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Siwa Oasis
This tomb's name comes from its wall painting of a yellow crocodile representing the god Sobek. Many of the paintings inside are badly deteriorating.
