Pioneer in the Desert: Rosita Forbes and Her Visit to Siwa

Today, I’m starting a short series of posts dedicated to the first European female explorers who reached Siwa in modern times!

In this first episode, I want to tell you about Rosita Forbes (1890–1967), a British adventurer and writer who, in the early 1920s, became the first documented Western woman to reach Siwa oasis in Egypt’s Western Desert.

In 1921, Forbes joined an expedition led by Ahmed Hassanein Bey, whose aim was to cross the Libyan Desert and reach the mysterious oasis of Kufra. On their return journey, the expedition stopped at Siwa, describing the oasis both in Hassanein Bey’s book and in Forbes’s famous travel volume.

Their arrival in Siwa on 19 February 1921 marked the end of an epic journey and the conquest of a place then almost inaccessible to Westerners – especially to women.

Rosita Forbes described the oasis as a magical place: palm trees, salt lakes, ancient fortified villages, and a sense of deep tradition and mystery. Despite the curiosity and initial suspicion of the locals, she managed to sensitively document their daily life, architecture, and Berber customs.

In her most famous book, “The Secret of the Sahara: Kufara” (1921), Forbes vividly and poetically recounts the emotions, challenges, and wonders of her journey. She offers evocative details about the desert landscape, the ruins of the Temple of Ammon, and the traditions of Siwa’s people, emphasizing the ingenuity and caution required to overcome the prohibitions imposed on women and foreigners.

Rosita Forbes’s visit to Siwa was not only a personal achievement but also a turning point in female exploration and in the understanding of Saharan cultures. A true pioneer, she paved the way for many other women travelers

#Siwa #RositaForbes #AhmedHassanein