Celebrate Siwa’s festivals next week

Omnia Osama

Thu, 02 Nov 2017 - 08:10 GMT

Omnia Osama

Thu, 02 Nov 2017 - 08:10 GMT

Siwa – Wikimedia

CAIRO - 2 November 2017: Siwa Oasis is no longer an isolated geographical destination. The two upcoming festivals that the oasis will witness this November are the best examples of how booming and inviting it is for visitors .

The first one is the Tourism Festival that will be held in Gebel Dakrur, which is a renowned mountain located about 3km east of Siwa Oasis, from November 5-7.

Thousands of Siwans will gather to celebrate the date of harvest , renew friendships and settle quarrels, and all Siwans gather to eat at the huge feast , no matter what their financial or social status. All are intertwined with Sufism, as they form a circle and join together in “dhikr”, or the remembrance of God.

The second, is the Third Date Palm Festival in Siwa, which is an implemented program to promote the date sector through the development of supply chains, with a focus on the transfer and application of modern technologies.

After the success of the first 2015 and second 2016 festivals, Siwa will witness the third this year from November 15-18, in cooperation with the Ministry of Trade and Industry.

It will include the Khalifa International Prize for Palm and Agricultural innovation in the presence of strategic partners United Nations Economic Development Organization and Siwa City Council. Many aimed activities will take place, including a scientific symposium, Egyptian date competition according to ten different categories, and hosting four major dates exporters, along with folklore segments from the city of Siwa.

Siwa is one of Mother Nature’s masterpieces, located about 560 km from Cairo and stretching over 25m below sea level. It includes many palm trees that were meticulously grown between mud-brick homes and also has a number of crystal clear springs, lakes and rivers as a way for villagers to escape from the harsh heat of the sun.

The bizarre mixture of crystal-clear water and endless deserts between shimmering white rock formations changes this small city oasis to a picture from a storybook and makes it a gateway to understanding the new prospective of rural Egypt.

1-_Siwa_oasis