Berber

The Siwa region is also very rich in cultural heritage resources. The local inhabitants have a rich and colorful traditional culture and have their own unwritten dialect of the Berber language. Although, nowadays, almost all of the Siwans and Qarans speak Arabic, amongst themselves they speak Berber. As far as they can remember, the people of Qara descend from a branch of the Hamudat tribe, a mixture of Morabiteen Arabs, Berbers and Sudanese. Their unique culture forms an important and integral part of the region’s landscape.
During the nineteenth century, a religious judge in Siwa began a unique document that is now known as the Siwan Manuscript. In this book, he noted mentions by medieval writers of Siwa and other oases; he added many other details about Siwan life including accounts of some of their customs and traditions. This book, which was carried on by his son and grandson, is still added to whenever something noteworthy occurs in the oasis.