Siwa Oasis
In Egypt 's Western Desert lies the fertile depression of Siwa, 
an oasis inhabited by an indigenous community that has only recently emerged from centuries of isolation. Located about 70 km east of the Libyan border Siwa is the largest oasis in Egypt . In ancient times it was also renowned as one of the world's most important oracle centers. Alexander the Great braved the dangers of the Sahara and traveled to Siwa on horseback to seek inspiration before he went on to conquer the world. Siwa possesses a unique natural environment with exceptional geo-morphological features, a diversity of habitats and living organisms, and some 230 natural freshwater springs fed by the Nubian aquifer. Occupying a surface of 1,125 km 2 , with a population of about 20,000, the oasis is made up of the town of Siwa and five villages. Its relative seclusion has allowed the Siwan community to maintain its unique cultural heritage and traditional practices.
The Siwans originate from the North African Berbers known
as Amazigh, considered “the true Western Desert indigenous people, who once roamed the North African coast between Tunisia and Morocco ”. The natives, inhabiting the area as early as 10,000 BC, have their own “language, traditions, rites, dress, decorations and tools, differing from those of the other Western Oases”. Due to the remoteness of the oasis, Siwans have lived in isolation from the outside world over long periods of their history. Recent developments, however, such as the institution of local government in the early 1960s, the introduction of electricity in the late nineties and with it the introduction of television, and improvements in the road network connecting Siwa with other parts of Egypt, have served to link the oasis more closely to the outside world.
These developments have in some respect resulted in the gradual replacement of traditional handicrafts and centuries-old systems for managing the environment, with modern but inappropriate technologies that have begun to erode Siwa's unique natural and cultural assets. It is these very assets that enhance Siwa's chances of achieving a special status in the international tourism market and opening up opportunities for the export of a wide range of natural and chemical-free local products to a growing market of environmentally conscious consumers.
form an integrated plan that aims at establishing a sustainable private sector led development model, which is socially and environmentally responsible.
published July 31, 2007
Source: EQI
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