Siwa Oasis
Good to know
- Best time to go
- October to April
- Budget
- $
- Accessibility
- limited
- Coordinates
- Open in maps
A remote oasis depression in the Western Desert of Egypt, roughly 300 kilometres from the Libyan border, inhabited by a Berber-speaking Siwi community. The oasis is notable for the Oracle Temple of Amun, visited by Alexander the Great in 331 BC, and for the ruined medieval mud-brick city of Shali that dominates the town centre. Freshwater springs feed date palm and olive groves across the basin, and several warm saltwater pools offer natural swimming. The surrounding Great Sand Sea provides access to dramatic dune landscapes.