Until recently, most visitors to Siwa in Egypt would probably have had to settle for lodgings in camps of straw or mud-brick huts.
Despite being on the eco-tourism map for decades, the remote oasis city in western Egypt maintained a simple take on life that made it an attractive escape from modern living.
But all that is changing after the government began promoting Siwa as a tourist destination, and its predominantly Berber population say they are enjoying the benefits.
Five years ago the main square in the small city of 60,000 was made up exclusively of traditional mud-brick structures; now there are two-storey concrete buildings with busy restaurants, cafes and handicraft shops.
“The city was a lot more crudely built because there was no reason to develop it. We had always had tourists come, but their numbers were limited to those who were interested in eco-tourism, which isn’t for everyone,” said Ali Mohamed, 63, a driver and tour operator.
“But once the city began to be advertised as a tourist destination, around 2019 and 2020, we started receiving tourists who were curious to see the city but weren’t necessarily familiar with its culture.”
These tourists were unhappy with the accommodation on offer, so a number of hotels have sprung up that offer rooms with televisions, minibars, air conditioning and buffet meals – once available at only one or two establishments in the city.
But since the population is mostly conservative Muslim, the city still does not have any establishments that serve alcohol, which recent visitors also complain about, Mr Mohamed said.
“It’s not that Siwans don’t drink. We do, but it’s not something that you want people to know about you because we are all devout Muslims," he said.
"Mostly we drink araq, a local drink that we make by fermenting dates in our homes. But it’s too strong for tourists."
The growing number of tourists has increased sales of Siwa’s famous handicrafts, such as crudely-spun wool ponchos and small handbags and wallets decorated with colourful beads, according to Khaled Hussein, the owner of a large shop in the city square who said he had to hire five more local women in the past three years to meet the demand.
“We used to set up moveable stalls on the sides of the square and display our goods. We would pack them up at the end of the day though. Recently, with more buildings erected that include shops, handicrafts sellers are renting them as more permanent stores,” Mr Hussein said.
Wafting through the square is the aroma from another Berber speciality – soaps made of olive oil mixed with essential oils. The oil is sourced locally from the city's large olive orchards.
The city is also famed for its sand baths, particularly during the summer when high temperatures heat the desert sand to the optimal level.
Egypt's tourism authority is promoting the sand baths as part of Siwa's attraction for visitors in search of “healing experiences”.
Siwa’s founding goes back to prehistory, when Berber tribes arrived from western regions of the Sahara desert and established traditions that have remained unchanged ever since.
The city’s Berbers are culturally distinct from other ethnic populations in Egypt and, as well as Arabic, speak an Amazigh language that has been handed down orally from generation to generation.
“The language has never been written down or recorded, it’s our little secret and will most likely die when the last of us dies,” Mr Mohamed said. “The city has such a long history – there have been people here since the ancient Egyptians and later ancient Greek nobles also visited.”
Among Siwa’s most famed spots is a hot spring named after Queen Cleopatra, who was said to have bathed there when she visited. Near by, a temple to the ancient Egyptian god Amun stands on top of a flat hill that was once visited by Alexander the Great.
Another spot, Jabal Al Mawta, or Mountain of the Dead, has a necropolis dating back to the Late Pharaonic and Greco-Roman periods.
Unlike some of Egypt's other local populations, residents of Siwa have welcomed the effort to increase visitor numbers to the city, which lies about 50km from Egypt's eastern border with Libya and requires an 800km road trip to reach from Cairo. Bedouins in Sinai, for example, told The National during a visit in 2022 that they were against large-scale tourism development in the peninsula.
“Siwa has always been quite underdeveloped, which did attract a certain kind of tourist. But the problem is our schools, roads and services all need upgrading and more tourism will mean we can fix our city up better,” Mr Mohamed said.
It is not a view shared by some of Siwa's residents who moved here to escape the bustle of modern life.
“I moved here in 2009 after spending 10 years as Greece’s consul in Egypt. When I first came here, none of these buildings were here. It was quiet, simple and really beautiful," said an elderly man who introduced himself to The National as "Vasileos the Greek".
"Some of the new structures are out of place and it’s a shame that the intrinsic nature of the city is now changing so much.”
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PROFILE OF STARZPLAY
Date started: 2014
Founders: Maaz Sheikh, Danny Bates
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment/Streaming Video On Demand
Number of employees: 125
Investors/Investment amount: $125 million. Major investors include Starz/Lionsgate, State Street, SEQ and Delta Partners
The five pillars of Islam
If you go
The flights
The closest international airport for those travelling from the UAE is Denver, Colorado. British Airways (www.ba.com) flies from the UAE via London from Dh3,700 return, including taxes. From there, transfers can be arranged to the ranch or it’s a seven-hour drive. Alternatively, take an internal flight to the counties of Cody, Casper, or Billings
The stay
Red Reflet offers a series of packages, with prices varying depending on season. All meals and activities are included, with prices starting from US$2,218 (Dh7,150) per person for a minimum stay of three nights, including taxes. For more information, visit red-reflet-ranch.net.
Company%20profile
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The specs: 2018 Ford F-150
Price, base / as tested: Dh173,250 / Dh178,500
Engine: 5.0-litre V8
Power: 395hp @ 5,000rpm
Torque: 555Nm @ 2,750rpm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 12.4L / 100km
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20IPHONE%2014
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Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
UK’s AI plan
- AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
- £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
- £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
- £250m to train new AI models
Poland Statement
All people fleeing from Ukraine before the armed conflict are allowed to enter Poland. Our country shelters every person whose life is in danger - regardless of their nationality.
The dominant group of refugees in Poland are citizens of Ukraine, but among the people checked by the Border Guard are also citizens of the USA, Nigeria, India, Georgia and other countries.
All persons admitted to Poland are verified by the Border Guard. In relation to those who are in doubt, e.g. do not have documents, Border Guard officers apply appropriate checking procedures.
No person who has received refuge in Poland will be sent back to a country torn by war.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
BIOSAFETY LABS SECURITY LEVELS
Biosafety Level 1
The lowest safety level. These labs work with viruses that are minimal risk to humans.
Hand washing is required on entry and exit and potentially infectious material decontaminated with bleach before thrown away.
Must have a lock. Access limited. Lab does not need to be isolated from other buildings.
Used as teaching spaces.
Study microorganisms such as Staphylococcus which causes food poisoning.
Biosafety Level 2
These labs deal with pathogens that can be harmful to people and the environment such as Hepatitis, HIV and salmonella.
Working in Level 2 requires special training in handling pathogenic agents.
Extra safety and security precautions are taken in addition to those at Level 1
Biosafety Level 3
These labs contain material that can be lethal if inhaled. This includes SARS coronavirus, MERS, and yellow fever.
Significant extra precautions are taken with staff given specific immunisations when dealing with certain diseases.
Infectious material is examined in a biological safety cabinet.
Personnel must wear protective gowns that must be discarded or decontaminated after use.
Strict safety and handling procedures are in place. There must be double entrances to the building and they must contain self-closing doors to reduce risk of pathogen aerosols escaping.
Windows must be sealed. Air from must be filtered before it can be recirculated.
Biosafety Level 4
The highest level for biosafety precautions. Scientist work with highly dangerous diseases that have no vaccine or cure.
All material must be decontaminated.
Personnel must wear a positive pressure suit for protection. On leaving the lab this must pass through decontamination shower before they have a personal shower.
Entry is severely restricted to trained and authorised personnel. All entries are recorded.
Entrance must be via airlocks.
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus
How Islam's view of posthumous transplant surgery changed
Transplants from the deceased have been carried out in hospitals across the globe for decades, but in some countries in the Middle East, including the UAE, the practise was banned until relatively recently.
Opinion has been divided as to whether organ donations from a deceased person is permissible in Islam.
The body is viewed as sacred, during and after death, thus prohibiting cremation and tattoos.
One school of thought viewed the removal of organs after death as equally impermissible.
That view has largely changed, and among scholars and indeed many in society, to be seen as permissible to save another life.
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
Asia Cup Qualifier
Venue: Kuala Lumpur
Result: Winners play at Asia Cup in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in September
Fixtures:
Wed Aug 29: Malaysia v Hong Kong, Nepal v Oman, UAE v Singapore
Thu Aug 30: UAE v Nepal, Hong Kong v Singapore, Malaysia v Oman
Sat Sep 1: UAE v Hong Kong, Oman v Singapore, Malaysia v Nepal
Sun Sep 2: Hong Kong v Oman, Malaysia v UAE, Nepal v Singapore
Tue Sep 4: Malaysia v Singapore, UAE v Oman, Nepal v Hong Kong
Thu Sep 6: Final
Asia Cup
Venue: Dubai and Abu Dhabi
Schedule: Sep 15-28
Teams: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, plus the winner of the Qualifier
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
