Gebel Dakrur
The mountain of Siwa's hot-sand cures and the October full-moon festival of reconciliation.
A mountain of healing
Gebel Dakrur is a rocky mountain on the desert edge a few kilometres south-east of Siwa town. It is known throughout Egypt for its traditional sand baths: in the hottest months of summer, from about July to September, people come from across the country to be buried up to the neck in the hot sand at the foot of the mountain for short periods, a treatment believed locally to relieve rheumatism, arthritis and other ailments, followed by rest and herbal drinks in tents. The mountain's red and ochre rock is also used to make pigments.
The Siyaha festival
Gebel Dakrur is also the setting for Siwa's most important festival, known as the Siyaha or the Festival of Reconciliation. Each year at the full moon in October, the people of Siwa gather at the mountain for three days of prayer, Sufi chanting (dhikr) and communal meals, in a celebration of unity and the settling of disputes, said to date back to a peace agreement between rival families. Visitors are welcome to attend, respecting the spiritual character of the event.
Views
From the slopes of the mountain, there are wide views over the palm groves, the salt lakes and the desert, especially at sunset.
Exhibo editorial
Most of the year Gebel Dakrur is a quiet, sun-scorched mountain on the edge of the oasis — a good place for a sunset walk with the palm groves spread out below. But in summer it becomes a strange open-air clinic, with people from all over Egypt lying buried to the neck in hot sand, convinced (perhaps rightly) that it cures their aches.
Come in October at the full moon, though, and you will see Siwa at its most extraordinary: the whole oasis gathered at the mountain for three nights of chanting, prayer and shared meals. If your dates line up, don't miss it.
Gallery
How to find it
Gebel Dakrur lies about 4–5 km south-east of Siwa town, reached by tuk-tuk, bicycle or car along the road through the palm groves. Sand-bath camps are set up at the foot of the mountain in summer; paths lead up the slopes for views over the oasis.
