Siwa:
 The most inaccessible of all Egypt's oases until very recently, is also one of the most fascinating. On the edge of the Great Sand Sea, its rich history includes a visit from Alexander the Great to consult the Oracle of Amun in 331 B.C. Siwans have their culture and customs and they even speak a language of their own, Siwi, rather than Arabic. Many women still wear traditional costumes and silver jewelry like those displayed in The Traditional Siwan House museum in the town center. Siwa remains one of the best places to buy jewelry, rugs, baskets, traditional robes and headdresses decorated with antique coins.

The original settlement, Aghurmi, was superseded by Shali, founded in 1203. Built of salt-impregnated mud of kharsif, the fortress-like community expanded upwards rather than outwards. Set among thick palm groves, walled gardens and olive orchards, with numerous freshwater springs and salt lakes, modern Siwa clusters beneath the remains of ancient Shali. Climb through the ruins of the old city for magnificent views of the whole oasis. Walk, hire a bicycle or ride in a caretta (donkey cart) to outlying sights and bathing places.

The area has a nice climate, chilly in winter, hot in the summer and moderate in the spring and autumn. The area is famous for its dates and olives, and is one of the most beautiful landscapes in Egypt. Olive oil is still made in the area by crushing the olives from the 70,000 olive trees in the area with stones. The dates are gathered by "zaggala" (stick bearers), who must remain celibate until the age of forty, and the area boasts some 300,000 date trees. It is located on the old date caravan route, yet until recently, it received few other visitors and retained much of its heritage. In fact, until the battles, which took place around the oasis in World War II, it was hardly governed by Egypt, and remained mostly a Berber (Zenatiya) community for the prior thirteen centuries. Interestingly, each October there is a three-day festival during which Siwans must settle all of their past year's disputes.
The area is also famous for its springs, of which there are approximately 1,000. The water is sweet, and is said to have medical properties.

Bahareya :
Set in a depression covering over 2000 sq. km. Bahariya Oasis is surrounded by black hills made up of ferruginous quartzite and dolerite. Most of the villages and cultivated land can be viewed from the top of the 50-metre-high Jebel Al-Mi'ysrah, together with the massive dunes, which threaten to engulf some of the older settlements. Wildlife is plentiful, especially birds such as wheatears; crops (which only cover a small percentage of the total area) include dates, olives, apricots, rice and corn. The Oasis was a major agricultural center during the Pharaonic era, and has been famous for its wine as far back as the Middle Kingdom. During the fourth century, the absence of Roman rule and violent tribes in the area caused a decline as some of the oasis was reclaimed by the sand.
There are a number of springs in the area, some very hot, such as Bir Al-Ramla but probably the best is Bir Al-Ghaba, about 10 miles north east of Bawiti. There is also Bir al-Mattar: a cold spring which pours into a concrete pool
Otherwise near the Oasis are the Black and White deserts, though traveling to the White desert seems not practical from the oasis. The Black Desert was formed through wind erosion as the nearby volcanic mountains were spewed over the desert floor. There are also the ruins of a 17th Dynasty temple and settlement, and nearby tombs where birds were buried.

The Town of  Bawiti :
With some 30,000 inhabitants, Bawiti is the largest village in the oasis; its picturesque hillside quarter overlooks lush palm groves irrigated by the Ain Al-Beshmo, a natural spring hewn from the rock in Roman times which gushes water at 30 degrees C. The neighboring village of Al-Qasr was built on the remains of a 26th dynasty temple-nearby, at Qarat Hilwah, you can still see tombs with paintings dating from the same period. The town center is modern, while outside the center are mud-brick houses. Recently, the town has received considerable press due to the find of a huge (possibly the largest) necropolis of mommies from the Greco-Roman era.
                                       
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