Embroidery patterns of Siwa Oasis
Tucked away in Egypt’s Western Desert, Siwa Oasis is a sanctary of heritage and age-old craftsmanship. Among its many traditions, the embroidery patterns of Siwa hold a special place — blending cultural symbolism with stunning textile artistry.
I went there for the first time in 2010, and instantly fell in love! It's a place where you can spend time in the desert, among the palm trees and swim in a natural water spring or salt lake, all within the same day.
The Origins of Siwan Embroidery
Siwan embroidery dates back centuries and reflects the identity of the Amazigh people. Women in Siwa have long used thread as a language — telling stories of fertility, spirituality, and protection through geometric patterns and natural motifs. These motifs usually feature on wedding shawls, bridal headscarves, as well as household textiles and ceremonial garments. Every piece is more than decoration — it's a symbolic expression of belief and community.
Colours of Siwan Embroidery
Siwan embroidery uses bold, striking forms — mostly geometric, rendered in earthy tones like black, red, orange, yellow and green. These colours are inspired by nature in the oasis, with the stages of ripening of date palms and olive trees being the main influence. You can find these colours embedded into almost every piece of embroidered garment in the oasis. The Siwa sun brooch is inspired by these colours.
The Siwan bridal dress represents the most striking item of traditional Amazigh embroidery. A basic Siwa bridal dress takes the form of a large ‘T’ shape, with long wide sleeves and a ‘shoulder’ seam, which reach almost to the elbow. The main embroidered pattern on the dress radiates from the seven blocks in all directions, like the rays of the sun. Small mother-of-pearl buttons are sewn onto the garment near or on the ‘rays' with small, isolated embroidered designs covering the dress. At the bottom on each side of the dress there is normally an oblong piece of striped silk of the same material as that used for the 'first night dress' (the litshinab nagil el harir). These often have a hand design (khamsa) with five fingers, as well as diagonal motifs (timidass b’srair). Embroidery can sometimes also be found at the back of the dress's neck.
These motifs are embroidered with satin stitches and are usually mirrored or symmetrical, reflecting harmony in design and life.
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