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 ARTS & CULTURE

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The Unseen World of Egypt’s Siwi Berber
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MONA ABDOU
 15 MAY 2022

Siwa Oasis, Salt Lakes | Photo Credit: Rachid H via Flickr

Isolated and idyllic, the Siwa Oasis sits spun with sand and stone. Its water is clear,
near-mythic, its shores baked with salt. For some, it is an escape—a place far
removed from the bustle of the city. As the pulse of Egypt’s Western Desert, the
location is a thing of immense beauty, sitting just short of the Libyan border.

For others, the oasis is much more than beautiful.

It is home.

Among the palm and olive groves live the Siwi, a people of Berber origin often
characterized as “independent, private, and resistant to central authority.” In their
own words, they are Imazighen: ‘noble and free men.’ Nomadic in nature, the Siwi
are farmers and vagabonds indigenous to North Africa. Although their communities
are various, and often speckled with respective idiosyncrasies, the Siwi are most
famously Swians: peoples who inhabit the Siwa oasis.

Their staple crop includes olives and dates, a romantic duo associated with their
intrigue. To a lesser extent, the Siwi farm wheat, barley, sorghum, onions, and broad
beans. Land is bought and sold amongst them, as are water rights; the Western
Desert is arid and inhospitable, and their dependence on the oasis is essential to
their survival.

Siwa girls in their family's bridal outfits, late 20th century.

“Siwa girls in their family’s bridal outfits, late 20th century.” | Photo Credit: TRC Leiden

“Traditional Music and Dancing in Siwa.” | Photo Credit: Taziry

As Berbers, they are the furthest East in comparison to similar Imazighen

communities in Algeria and Morocco. Still, the Siwi adopt a Berber dialect (Siwah)
that separates them from Arabic-speaking tribes and communities in the Western
Desert. Berber as a language, also known as Tamazight, belongs to “the Afro-Asiatic
language group, which embraces ancient Egyptian and Semitic languages.” Despite
the connection, Siwah is not as closely related to other Berber languages.

Though language is not the only thing that defines the Siwi.

Their town is walled, and their villages are recognizable mud-brick, separate from the
whole, with patriarchal dynamics ingrained into their intra-group politics. The majority
of Siwi are Sunni Muslims, though many still adhere to traditional belief systems,
observing pre-Islamic customs. Interestingly, Siwa has a patron saint (Sidi Suleiman)
whose tomb sits beside a new mosque in the center of town.

Siwa | Photo Credit: Flo P via UNSPLASH

Egyptian Berber | Photo Credit: Global Times

Present-day Siwa has nine Siwi tribes in total: three Western tribes and six Eastern
tribes. Their central town—an unmissable enclosure—separated itself organically
into a West-East split. The Western tribes are Shihayam, Awlad Musa (Sons of
Moses), and Sarahena. The Easterners are Zanayn, al-Hadadin (the Blacksmiths),
Lehamudet, al-Jawasis (the Spies), Sharameta, and Aghurmi.

Although considered a minority on Egyptian soil, the existence of the Siwi is common
knowledge among locals, and with the influx of tourism, insight into their
communities has been on a steady incline. Still, it is important not to overly
romanticize their existence; the Siwi’s reality as isolated and tribal has manifested
several issues, including risky separation from state.

“Amany El Weshahy, leader of the Imazighen World Congress in Egypt.” | Photo Credit: Marc Español via
Nationalia

“Window overlooking the Siwa Oasis” | Photo Credit: Rawan Yasser

While Cairo remains in control of basic necessities such as water and electricity, any
and all issues present are often overseen by the tribes themselves. Traditional
processes are often favored over lengthy, costly, and often discriminatory court
proceedings.

Additionally, despite Siwah being the predominant language spoken—and in some

cases, the only language—Arabic is often imposed in all forms of legislation and
schooling. Reasonable as it is to assume an Arabic-speaking country must speak
Arabic, the lack of infrastructure surrounding the Siwa Oasis has prevented
integration and continues to be a disconnect that severs the Siwi from Cairo’s
linguistic, cultural, and political philosophies.

Regardless, it is reasonable to admire the Siwi for what they are: a colorful,
enigmatic facet of Egypt prior to its Arabization. They are a raw, and unfiltered
observation of how culture can simultaneously persist against all odds and evolve to
survive.

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