Siwa Oasis

Siwa (in Arabic: واحة سيوة ) is an oasis in western Egypt, close to the Libyan border and 560 km from Cairo. It is the northernmost of the Egyptian groundwater oases, 300 km from the Mediterranean coast at Marsa Matrouh. Populated by nearly 33,000 inhabitants, it is known to have been occupied since ancient times.

Siwa, together with the neighbouring oasis of Qara, it is the most eastern point of Berber-speaking settlement. Today, the Berber language is spoken in its dialectal form of Siwi (Jlan in Isiwan), with a linguistic Arabisation rate of about 40%. 'Siwa', 'Sioua', 'Syouah' or 'Siouah' are synonymous transliterations for the same oasis also known by the older name of 'Oasis of Ammon' (or Amon).