Siwa Oasis in Matruh

Matruh

Siwa Oasis

Siwa Oasis

Wahat Siwah in Arabic.

An oasis in the western desert of Egypt. It is located in a depression 20-30 meters below the sea surface in the northwest. It is 10 kilometers long, 6.5-8 kilometers wide, and has more than 2,000 springs. It mainly grows olives and date palms, and also produces wheat and beans. There are several salt lakes producing table salt. There is a basket weaving industry. The highway leads to Matruh, and many trade routes connect towns along the Mediterranean coast. There are ruins of temples and dolmens from the Ptolemaic and Roman eras.

Oasis in Marsa Matruh Province, Egypt. It is located 560 kilometers (350 miles) west of Cairo, close to the Libyan border. Among the ruins of Aghurmi are the remains of a temple dedicated to the god Amon (with inscriptions from the 4th century BC). Nearby are the ruins of the monastery of Umm Beda and many remnants of the Roman era. The residents are Sudanese who speak Berber language, and their residences are mud-brick houses. There are about 200 springs in the fertile oasis, and thousands of olive and date palm trees are planted. Olives and date palms are the main source of income. The only trade is basket weaving. Population: The town is approximately 7,329 (1986).