Siwa Oasis

Download or read book Siwa written by Margaret M. Vale and published by American University in Cairo Press. This book was released on 2015-01-01 with total page 302 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Siwa is a remote oasis deep in the heart of the Egyptian desert near the border with Libya. Until an asphalt road was built to the Mediterranean coast in the 1980s, its only links to the outside world were by arduous camel tracks. As a result of this isolation, Siwa developed a unique culture manifested in its crafts of basketry, pottery, and embroidery and in its styles of costume and silverwork. The most visible and celebrated example of this was the silver jewelery that was worn by women in abundance at weddings and other ceremonies. Based on conversations with women and men in the oasis and with reference to old texts, this book describes the jewelery and costume at this highpoint of Siwan culture against the backdrop of its date gardens and springs, social life, and dramatic history. It places the women's jewelery, costume, and embroidery into social perspective, and describes how they were used in ceremonies and everyday life and how they were related to their beliefs and attitudes to the world. The book also describes how, in the second half of the twentieth century, the arrival of the road and of television brought drastic change, and the oasis was exposed to the styles and fashions of the outside world and how the traditional silver ornaments were gradually replaced by gold.

Download or read book The oases of Egypt written by Ahmed Fakhry and published by . This book was released on 1982 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Sunset Oasis written by دار الشروق and published by دار الشروق. This book was released on with total page 295 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Siwa Oasis written by Ahmed Fakhry and published by . This book was released on 1973 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Song of Siwa written by Louis Grivetti and published by Xlibris Corporation. This book was released on 2013 with total page 243 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Song of Siwa: Chapter Summaries Beginning (lines 1-65). Ethereal description of the hidden valley Siwa; Marzuk and his clan of Ice-Age hunters seek protection from environmental changes; Marzuk senses approaching ice will doom his people; Marzuk leads his clan to new caves near the Sea of Vanton; Pine-tree spirits speak to Marzuk that death awaits if his clan remains by the sea; Marzuk completes construction of pine-log rafts to cross the Sea of Vanton; Clan members debate whether or not to trust and follow Marzuk; Marzuk and followers depart while the others remain behind; Wind and waves batter the rafts as they cross the Sea of Vanton; Weakest clan members are swept overboard and disappear; Survivors reach the shore of what is now North Africa; Clan members who remained behind perish under layers of grinding glacial ice; The hidden valley Siwa awaits its first human occupants. Eastward (lines 66-149). The North African coastal lands breed illness and danger among Marzuk's clan; The clan splits: Marzuk leads his faction southward while others remain along the coast; The clan passes through high mountains into the vast Sahara region; Illness and danger continue to plague Marzuk's clan during their journey; Many clansmen lose hope and begin to murmur; God Zaghilie sends messenger bird and a life-saving spring is revealed; Gosla, Marzuk's mate, promises to erect a temple to god Zaghilie at journey's end; Feathers from the messenger bird float earth-ward as symbols of hope and safety; Renewed in spirit Marzuk's clan continue their eastward trek. Promise (lines 150-277). The long march continues as clan members fear god-sent promise was only a vision; Advance scouts cross the Great Sand Sea and view the Siwa for the first time; Scouts report that the Siwa is filled with wild game and springs of clear water; Marzuk's clan reaches the Siwa and establishes their settlement near Aghourmi hill; Clan members erect Zaghili's temple atop Aghourmi thus fulfilling Gosla's promise; Clan members offer sacred green stones as ritual offerings to god Zaghili; Zaghili descends and promises clan protection if his rules are followed; Rules for clan behavior, personal dress, and body ornamentation are identified; Mothers must display sunburst designs on their dress symbolic of Zaghili's feathers; Fathers must prepare silver disks for virgin daughters to wear; Daughters must wear their disks until marriage, then pass them to younger sisters; Sons must honor their fathers and mothers; Zaghili promises Gosla the line of Marzuk will flourish if his requirements are followed; Zaghili requires clan leaders to wear the horns of Gurzel [ram-god] as a symbol of power; Zaghili specifies rules for maintaining Aghourmi's temple flame; Zaghili promises that if rules are kept Marzuk's line will not experience strife; Zaghili blocks the sun's light; The clan agrees to honor Zaghili's requirements and sunlight returns to the Siwa; The grace of Zaghili now resides within the line of Marzuk. Manhood (lines 278-489). Relation on clan hunting and tracking skills; Relation on the valor and strength of Marzuk; Gosla becomes pregnant; Relation on clan birth practices; Gosla delivers twins as birth attendants watch in fear; Gosla rejects clan tradition that requires the death of one twin; Relation on the growth and maturation of the twins Zel and Zechen; Zel and Zechen mature and undergo initiation, scarification rituals, and fasting; Each twin required to prepare spear points, track, and kill a farna [leopard]; Zechen killed by a farna during his hunting initiation; Zel kills a farna, honors his father, and becomes a man. Death (lines 490-573). Marzuk anguishes over the death of his son Zechen; Glim's cautionary words uttered at the birthing time of the twins are recalled; Relation on the aging of Marzuk and Gosla; Relation on Gosla's illness and impending death; Death of Gosla; Rela

Download or read book Egypt written by Dan Richardson and published by Rough Guides. This book was released on 2003 with total page 892 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Provides practical advice on planning a trip to Egypt; describes points of interest in each section of the country; and includes information on restaurants, nightspots, shops, and lodging.

Download or read book Seawater Intrusion in Coastal Aquifers written by and published by Food & Agriculture Org.. This book was released on 1997 with total page 168 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: