Siwa Oasis

A remote oasis in the western desert, home to the Oracle of Amun that Alexander the Great consulted in 331 BCE.

Practised and told of here

Siwa OasisOracle of AmmonAmunAlexander the Great

Best time: October to April.

Siwa lies near the Libyan border and has its own Amazigh language, Siwi. The Temple of the Oracle on the rock of Aghurmi was known in the Greek world.

The oracle

The god Amun, whom Greeks identified with Zeus, spoke through a priest, and the god's statue was carried on a boat borne by priests, and its movements were read as answers. Alexander went there after taking Egypt and, according to ancient sources, was greeted as son of the god. Historians disagree on what he asked and what was said.

Siwa today

The people of Siwa keep their own customs, including a festival of reconciliation in autumn, and Sufi lodges. The saltwater lakes and old fortress town of Shali are tourist draws, and visitors are asked to respect local rules on dress.

Visiting

Siwa is conservative: dress modestly. Women's photographs should only be taken with permission.

A respectful visit to Siwa Oasis

Living communities are not a show. Ask before photographing a person or a ceremony, and follow local rules.

The Temple of the Oracle at Aghurmi See the ruined temple on the hill.
Shali Fortress Walk the old mud-brick town.
The Cleopatra spring Visit the pool in the palms.

About this page

Written by the EveryJaadu desk with AI assistance. Background: "Siwa Oasis" on Wikipedia. Opening hours, markets and ceremonies change; check locally before travelling. If something is wrong, tell us.

KindTradition Rite Charm Oracle Substance Being Figure Text Illusion Belief

PurposeProtection Healing Seeing and foretelling Luck and prosperity Love and attraction Cursing and harm Cleansing and purification Speaking with spirits and the dead Change and initiation Binding and oaths Power and authority Wonder and entertainment

WhoShamans Folk healers Priests and ritual specialists Witches, sorcerers and cunning folk Diviners and readers Mediums and the possessed Ceremonial magicians and alchemists Households and ordinary people Stage magicians Scholars and sceptics

BeliefHindu and Tantric Buddhist Jain Muslim and Sufi Jewish Christian Sikh Zoroastrian Shinto and Taoist Indigenous and shamanic African and Afro-diasporic Pagan and Neopagan Esoteric and occult Folk and village custom Secular and stage Other traditions

OccasionWeddings and betrothal Festivals Birth and childhood Death and remembrance Harvest, farming and weather New year Initiation and coming of age Illness and misfortune Journeys and voyages Everyday use

StandingLiving Revived Fading Historical Legendary Performed

OrderBest known A to Z Newest Living first

🇱🇾 Libya and 4 moreTraditional Berber religionAmazigh religion Ancient beliefs of Northwest Africa centered on celestial bodies, caves, and ancestors.Tradition · Speaking with spirits and the dead · Luck and prosperity Historical

🇪🇬 Egypt and 2 moreAmunjmn (Old/Middle Egyptian); Amoun (Coptic) The hidden creator god of ancient Egypt, later fused with the sun deity Ra.Being · Power and authority · Protection Historical

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

Traditional Berber religion: Potymkin, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Amun: MusikAnimal, CC BY-SA 4.0, source