Siwi people
| |
|---|---|
 A girl from the Siwa ethnic group grinds salt with a hand crank. | |
| Total population | |
| c. 31,100 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 Egypt | 30,000[1] |
 Libya | 1,100 |
| Languages | |
| Siwi, Egyptian Arabic, Libyan Arabic | |
| Religion | |
| Islam | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Other Berbers | |
The Siwi people or Siwan people (Berber languages: Isiwan; Arabic: سيويون), are a Berber ethnic group of about 30,000 native to Egypt's Siwa and Qara oases.[2] They speak the Siwi language, a Berber language, spoken by about 20,000, along with Egyptian and Libyan Arabic. The Siwi are the easternmost concentration of Berbers.[3]
History
The Siwi people are directly descended from the Banu Wasin tribe, which was part of the large Berber-speaking Zenata tribal confederation spread throughout the Maghreb.[4]
References
- ↑ "Minority Rights Group - Egypt". Minority Rights Group. 2 November 2023. Retrieved June 20, 2026.
- ↑ "Minority Rights Group - Egypt". Minority Rights Group. 2 November 2023. Retrieved June 20, 2026.
- ↑ Margaret M. Vale (2015). Siwa: Jewelry, Costume, and Life in an Egyptian Oasis. American University in Cairo Press.
- ↑ Rabaté, Pascale (1987-03-28). "L'Égypte a rattrapé l'oasis de Siwa" [Egypt has caught up with the Siwa Oasis]. Le Monde (in French). Retrieved 2024-05-22.