Shali Fortress

In the center of Siwa lies the Shali Fortress, a 13-century structure that is built by karshif which are chunks of salt from the lake just outside town, mixed with rock and plastered in local clay. The fortress is about 5 stores high, and you can see the entire city from there. The fortress has survived devastating floods in the 20th century and bombing during World War 2. Amidst the fortress lies a Mosque that is the oldest mosque built using kershef, which was previously a commonly used material for mosques and homes.