Siwa Oasis

Almost completely isolated from the rest of Egypt, awash in infinite desert sands, Siwa has developed a unique culture and history. Amidst groves of date palms and cool natural springs, the Siwans have retained most of their ancient customs. But as visitors continue to flood the oasis, the traditional way of life has begun to succumb to the demands of kitschy tourism. Even so, like Alexander the Great, who made Siwa famous with his pilgrimage to the Oracle of Amon here in 332 BC, the modern visitor will be richly rewarded.

A bus from Marsa Matrouh takes you through a completely barren landscape on much the same path followed by Alexander’s camel caravan. Today a paved road cuts through the desert, a tendril of modernity, and the 300km trip takes only five hours. Siwa’s isolation has made it legendary in the annals of Egypt: ancient historians told tales of strange cities and mysterious kingdoms in the desert. Nature, however, defeated most attempts to ascertain the truth; in 500 BC a desert sandstorm blew an entire Persian army into smithereens. This suited the Siwans fine; they have always resented outsider interference in their lives, particularly those invaders who demand taxes.