The rise of tourism brings Egypt's remote oasis of Siwa into the modern era

Until recently, most visitors to Siwa, Egypt, would likely have had to stay overnight in a camp of straw brick huts.

Despite being on the ecotourism map for decades, the remote oasis city of western Egypt maintains a simple lifestyle that makes it an attractive escape from modern life. I did.

But things are changing since the government started promoting Siwa as a tourist destination, and its mainly Berber residents say they are reaping the benefits.

Five years ago, the central square of this small city of 60,000 people consisted entirely of traditional adobe structures. Today, his two-story concrete building houses a lively restaurant, cafe, and craft shop.

“The city was built much more shoddily because there was no reason to develop it. We always had tourists coming, but the number was limited to people interested in ecotourism, and no one But it doesn't mean I can participate,'' said Ali Mohamed, 63, a driver and tour operator.

“However, as the city started to be promoted as a tourist destination around 2019-2020, it started to attract tourists who were interested in seeing the city but were not necessarily familiar with its culture. Ta.”

As these tourists became dissatisfied with the accommodations offered, many hotels sprang up offering televisions, minibars, air conditioning, and buffet meals, which were once only available in one or two hotels in the city.

But with most of the population being conservative Muslims, there are still no establishments serving alcohol in the city, and recent visitors have been similarly dissatisfied, Mohamed said.

“It's not that Siwanese don't drink. We know that, but we're all devout Muslims so we don't want people to know about us,” he said.

“We mainly drink arak, a local drink made at home by fermenting dates. But it's too strong for tourists.”

Khaled Hussein, owner of a large shop in the city square, said the increase in tourists has led to a drop in sales of Siwa's famous handicrafts, such as woolen ponchos and small handbags and wallets decorated with colorful beads. is said to be increasing. To meet demand, we have hired an additional five local women over the past three years.

“Earlier, we used to set up mobile stalls on both sides of the square to display our products. However, at the end of the day, we would pack them up. Recently, there has been an increase in the construction of buildings, including stores, and handicrafts. Retailers are renting them out as permanent stores,” Hussain said.

The square is filled with the scent of soap, a mixture of olive oil and essential oils, another Berber specialty. The oil is locally sourced from the city's large olive orchards.

The city is also famous for its sand baths, especially during the summer when high temperatures heat the desert sand to optimal levels.

Egyptian tourism authorities are promoting sand baths as part of Siwa's attractions for tourists seeking a “relaxing experience”.

Siwa's founding dates back to prehistoric times, when Berber tribes arrived from the western Sahara desert and established traditions that have remained unchanged ever since.

The city's Berbers are culturally distinct from Egypt's other ethnic groups and, like Arabic, speak the Amazigh language, which has been passed down orally from generation to generation.

“This language has never been written down or recorded. It is our little secret and will probably disappear when the last of us dies,” Mohamed said. “This city has a very long history. People have lived here since the ancient Egyptians, and then the nobility of ancient Greece.”

One of Siwa's most famous spots is the hot springs, named after Queen Cleopatra, who is said to have bathed here during her visit. Nearby, a temple to the ancient Egyptian god Amun stands on a flat hill once visited by Alexander the Great.

Another site, Jabal al-Mawta (Mountain of the Dead), contains cemeteries dating back to late Pharaonic and Greco-Roman times.

Unlike some of Egypt's other local populations, residents of the city of Siwa are located approximately 50 kilometers from Egypt's eastern border with Libya and require an 800 kilometer drive from Cairo. We welcome efforts to increase visitor numbers to the city. For example, a Bedouin in the Sinai Peninsula said: The National During their 2022 visit, they expressed opposition to large-scale tourism development on the peninsula.

“Siwa has always been fairly undeveloped, which has attracted a certain type of tourist. But the problem is that schools, roads and services all need to be improved, and the more tourists the It means we can repair things better,” Mohamed said.

This is not a view shared by some of Siwa's residents, who have moved here to escape the hustle and bustle of modern life.

“I moved here in 2009 after spending 10 years as a Greek consul in Egypt. When I first came here, these buildings weren't here. It's quiet, simple, It was really beautiful,” said the older man who introduced himself. The National as “Vasileos the Greek”;

“Some of the new structures are out of place and it’s a shame that the essential nature of the city is changing so much.”

Updated: February 9, 2024, 6:00 p.m.