The Siwa oasis lies in western Egypt near the border of Libya, home to a tribal community of 15,000 that boasts a unique Amazigh dialect and religion. Sheikhs who adhere to 13th century Siwan law, the Koran, and answer to a council of respected elders, lead the ten tribes who dwell there. Adhering to traditions distinct from Egyptian culture, the community's ways are reportedly threatened by Siwa's integration into the mainstream economy, with a road that was constructed in 1985, opening their preserved lifestyle up to tourism and development. A Siwan anthropologist has come under fire for exposing some of those traditions to public view.
