
Siwa Oasis - zeristor
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siwa_Oasis
======
heimdall
My family visited here in 1998/99 when my dad (USA Air Force) was stationed at
"Peace Vector 3" in Ismailia, Egypt. The Siwa Oasis was a fascinating place -
people still lived in the ancient mudbrick houses that have been around for
hundreds of years (so we were told). The whole neighborhood looked like Dr.
Suess buildings because torrential rains that came once a decade warped
everything and then re-dried. Just like everywhere we visited, the people were
welcoming and generous, the street food was amazing, and there was more to
experience than we had time for. I'd love to go back some day.

Also, we went on a tour of the dunes and salt flats and the guide started his
jeep with a flathead screwdriver. That was a culture shock for my 12yo
american kid self.

~~~
Ozzie_osman
My dad's family is from Ismailia (I grew up in Cairo but went to Ismailia on
an almost monthly basis and would often spend summer months there). It's such
a beautiful town, hope you get to enjoy it too.

------
kvee
One of the most intense experiences of my life was a "sand bath" at Siwa
Oasis. You get buried in unbearably hot sand with supposed healing powers. I
didn't have any particular problem, just read about it in Lonely Planet and
wanted to see what it was like. Definitely recommended for a crazy intense
life experience.

[https://widerimage.reuters.com/story/sand-baths-of-
siwa](https://widerimage.reuters.com/story/sand-baths-of-siwa)

------
apo
> The Siwa Oasis (Arabic: واحة سيوة‎, Wāḥat Sīwah, IPA: [ˈwæːħet ˈsiːwæ];
> Coptic: (ϯ)ϣⲉϣⲁⲙⲟⲩ (Di)Şeşamu; Berber languages: Isiwan, ⵉⵙⵉⵡⴰⵏ ) is an
> urban oasis in Egypt between the Qattara Depression and the Great Sand Sea
> in the Western Desert, nearly 50 km (30 mi) east of the Libyan border, and
> 560 km (348 mi) from Cairo.[1][2][3]

Oddly enough, there was a plan to flood the Qattara Depression with
Mediterranean seawater to bring rain to the Sahara. It involved the use of
hydrogen bombs:

> In the 1970s and early 1980s, several proposals to flood the area were made
> by Friedrich Bassler and the Joint Venture Qattara, a group of mainly German
> companies. They wanted to make use of peaceful nuclear explosions to
> construct a tunnel, drastically reducing construction costs compared to
> conventional methods. This project proposed to use 213 H-bombs, with yields
> of one to 1.5 megatons, detonated at depths of 100 to 500 metres (330 to
> 1,640 ft). That fitted within the Atoms for Peace program proposed by US
> President Dwight Eisenhower in 1953. The Egyptian government turned down the
> idea.[22]

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qattara_Depression](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qattara_Depression)

------
walrus01
a fictional version of which appears in this video game, as the home of the
protagonist:

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassin%27s_Creed_Origins](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassin%27s_Creed_Origins)

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYZRMcjw7Ek](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYZRMcjw7Ek)

~~~
Fnoord
That's mentioned on the Wikipedia page, [1]. What isn't mentioned is that the
game Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory [2] from 2003 also contains a map called
Siwa Oasis.

[1]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siwa_Oasis#In_popular_culture](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siwa_Oasis#In_popular_culture)

[2]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfenstein:_Enemy_Territory](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfenstein:_Enemy_Territory)

~~~
nhggfu
had some great times here in ET - didn't realize it was a real place. :)

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lReY8z6ykE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lReY8z6ykE)

~~~
claudiawerner
Agreed, the title rang such a strong bell in my mind that I had to know if
anyone else remembers this map and the game in general... The number of hours
on that game laughing and having fun with regulars from all over Europe...

~~~
ahje
Definitely! I got banned from multiple servers for repeatedly shooting rifle
grenades into the tunnel the attackers had to pass through. Good times! :D

~~~
claudiawerner
What I liked was that the riflenades are so predictable that on some maps you
learn just exactly at what wall to fire them. Having a field ops behind you
giving you ammo and shooting grenades into a tunnel is a solid tactic :D

