Thursday March 28th, 2024
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Siwa's Shali Fortress Added to ISESCO Heritage List

Shali Fortress was added to the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organizatio's heritage list after it was renovated using traditional building skills, including the use of karshif blocks.

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Siwa's Shali Fortress Added to ISESCO Heritage List

Shali Fortress in Siwa Oasis has been added to the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO)’s heritage sites list.

The decision was made during ISESCO’s last heritage committee meeting in Rabat, after Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities submitted files on the archaeological, artistic, and architectural traits of Shali Fortress.

The fortress and its surrounding buildings are constructed out of karshif blocks, which are made out of cemented salt from nearby lakes, and are bound together by ‘Siwan mortar’, which are made from a mixture of mud and rock salt.

The fortress itself was set up between the 12th and 13th centuries to dispel attacks from Arab forces and other desert tribes. The governorate of Matrouh began restoring the Shali Fortress in 2018, with funding from the European Union.

About 300 workers from Siwa Oasis participated in the project, using karshif, palm pillars and olive trees to restore the city just the way it was 100 years ago. The renovation project hopes to put Shali Fortress on the map and attract tourists to the area.