Siwa Oasis

The Siwa Oasis (Siwi: Isiwan/ⵉⵙⵉⵡⴰⵏ; Arabic: واحة سيوة‎ Wāḥat Sīwah, IPA: [ˈwæːħet ˈsiːwæ]) is an oasis in Egypt, between the Qattara Depression and the Egyptian Sand Sea in the Libyan Desert, nearly 50 km (30 mi) east of the Libyan border, and 560 km (348 mi) from Cairo. About 80 km (50 mi) in length and 20 km (12 mi) wide, Siwa Oasis is one of Egypt's most isolated settlements, with 23,000 people, mostly Berbers who developed a unique culture and a distinct language of the Berber family called Siwi.

Its fame lies primarily in its ancient role as the home to an oracle of Amon, the ruins of which are a popular tourist attraction which gave the oasis its ancient name Ammonium. Historically, it is part of Ancient Libya.

Geography

The Siwa oasis is in a deep depression that reaches below sea level, to about −19 m. To the west the Jaghbub oasis lies in a similar depression and to the east the large Qattara Depression also lies below sea level.

Name

The oasis was called Ammonium in ancient times. Early Arab geographers termed it Santariyyah. Its modern name Siwa, first attested in the 15th century, is of uncertain origin. Basset links it to a Berber tribal name swh attested further west in the early Islamic period, while Ilahiane, following Chafik, links it to the Tashelhiyt Berber word asiwan, a type of bird of prey, and hence to Amon-Ra, one of whose symbols was the falcon.