Review: Siwa Oasis
Siwa Oasis by Ahmed Fakhry [1]📙
This book was published in 1973, and I decided I wanted to read it before my planned trip there this fall. I want to have a feel for the history of the Oasis, and this book was said to cover the paleolithic to the present (late 20th century). I hope to discover more recent history on my upcoming visit.
“According to some ancient Arab writers, there were one thousand springs in Siwa; but even if we admit this figure is much exaggerated, there is no doubt that the number of springs in Siwa in ancient times was much more than the 281 known today.”
Generational memory can leave us to believe that the 1,000 springs referred to above was inflated, but during field research published in 2015 (42 years after Fakhry’s book was published) the number of springs identified in Siwa had already shrunk from 281 to 190, of which only 159 remained active.[2]
The water 💧🌴in Siwa is what brought people there, and why they stayed, but overuse and construction[3] may bring about a complete collapse of the aquifer systems. I truly hope not, but the trend is not promising.
This book covers a lot of the history, architecture, customs, some references to language [4] and notable points of interest. Not only is it a historical volume, but I would say also a travel guide. It is full of local knowledge and interesting facts. The book is written in seven chapters that include:
The Oasis of Siwa: A General Survey
Siwan Customs and Traditions
From the Earliest Times to the Rise of Islam
From the Rise of Islam to the Present Day
The Antiquities of Siwa
The Temples of Amun at Siwa
The Tombs of Jabal al-Mawta
The book also includes 81 illustrations (photos and drawings). What this book does not include is a natural history of the wildlife of the area.
While all the chapters were interesting, I was most interested in the chapter on the Temples of Amun. Why did Alexander the Great make the long and dangerous voyage to seek out the Oracle at Siwa? Because of Alexander’s connection to this place is one of the main reasons I will make the trek to Siwa. Of note, the Egyptian Government nominated the Siwa archaeological area as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994, but it remains on the Tentative List likely due to the lack of submitted materials and identification of Outstanding Universal Value.[5]
“Callisthenes, Alexander’s court historian...left us a detailed, eye-witness description, states that he (Alexander) made the journey not only on account of the oracle, but also because he had the ambition to rival Perseus and Hercules who had likewise formerly consulted the god.”
With regards to the Amun Temple (Umm ‘Ubaydah), Fakhry provides some details on the destruction of the site:
“The house of Hassunah Mansur was confiscated in 1896, and Mahmud ‘Azmi, the Ma’mur at the time, turned it into and office for the Police Station. In 1897, he committed the crime of placing dynamite under the sanctuary of Umm ‘Ubaydah, blowing up one of the walls and the ceiling in order to obtain stone for his office steps and a house for himself.”
Fakhry not only provides information on the antiquities of the area, but has drawings and plans available that make this book an excellent reference for archaeologists looking for some general information. He notes that this book is not intended to replicate all the data of his previously published book which provides full descriptions and translations.[6] I really enjoyed the following quote about the Tomb of the Crocodile, in the chapter on the Mountain of the Dead.
“The crocodile painting caused a great sensation among the inhabitants who flocked to see it when the tomb was cleaned, and to hear stories told by their compatriots who claimed to know all about crocodiles from their visits to the Cairo zoo. I was much amused by their descriptions. All agreed that one could swallow a man or a woman, but one character assured his listeners that it could swallow a loaded camel. As for length, their estimates varied from ten to a hundred metres! Some of them wanted to know the truth from me, but I refrained from saying anything which might spoil their fun.”
Every archaeologist with an interest in Siwa should read this book. It is a primary reference for much of the archaeological material. Every Classicist should read this book for the importance of the Oracle of Ammon in Libya (Siwa Oasis). Every tourist should read this book in order to appreciate what they are seeing on the ground. This definitely is a volume worthy of purchase and I’m sure I will refer to it during my visit.
sḫt jꜣmw - Siwa Oasis in hieroglyphs - meaning ‘Field of Trees’[7]
[1] Ahmed Fakhry was an Egyptian archaeologist (1905-1973). This book was published just prior to his death. His career focused on the oases and the Western Desert. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmed_Fakhry. For more about Ahmed Fakhry: Jeuthe, Clara (2024) "Egypt through the eyes of Ahmed Fakhry". Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek. Deutsches Archäologisches Institut, Archiv der Abteilung Kairo. In German, English and Arabic. Online exhibition, retrieved Aug 4, 2025.
[2] Powell, O., Fensham, R. (2015) The history and fate of the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer springs in the oasis depressions of the Western Desert, Egypt. Hydrogeol J 24, 395–406 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-015-1335-1
[3] “According to the census of 1966, the total population of Siwa Oasis was 5,169 persons.” (Fakhry, 1973: 22) The Population Estimate in 2021 was 25,031 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siwa_Oasis retrieved Aug 4, 2025.
[4] Note: The Siwan language seems to be losing viability in the oasis. See: Vigil, R.B. (2016) A Decline of Language But Not Identity: Tifinagh in Egypt’s Siwa Oasis. Egyptian Streets. Posted online Apr 9, 2016. https://egyptianstreets.com/2016/04/09/a-decline-of-language-but-not-identity-tifinagh-in-egypts-siwa-oasis/
[5] The Siwa Archaeological Area has been listed on the UNESCO Tentative List since 1994. https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/186/
[6] Fakhry, Ahmed (1944) Siwa Oasis: Its History and Antiquities. Government Press. Cairo.
[7] Budge, E. A. Wallis (1920) An Egyptian hieroglyphic dictionary : with an index of English words, king list and geological list with indexes, list of hieroglyphic characters, Coptic and Semitic alphabets, etc. Vol. II. p. 1035.
Other Archaeological Reports
Steindorff, Georg (1926) Ein ägyptisches Grab in Siwa. Zeitschrift für Ägyptische Sprache und Altertumskunde, vol. 61, no. 1, 1926, pp. 94-98. https://doi.org/10.1524/zaes.1926.61.1.94
Steindorff, Georg (1900) Durch die Libysche Wüste zur Amonsoase. Bielefeld : Velhangen und Klasing. Available online - https://polona.pl/item-view/c40f1526-4dc0-4789-b412-fe0ef92b9de9?page=6 (English translation of title: Through the Libyan Desert to the Amon Oasis)
