Fortress of Shali

The centre of the town is dominated by the spectacular organic shapes of the remains of the 13th-century mud-brick Fortress of Shali . Built from a material known locally as kershef (large chunks of salt from the lake just outside town, mixed with rock and plastered in local clay), the labyrinth of huddled buildings was originally four or five storeys high and housed hundreds of people.

For centuries, few outsiders were admitted inside - and even fewer came back out to tell the tale. But three days of rain in 1926 caused more damage than any invader had managed and, over the last decades, inhabitants moved to newer and more comfortable houses with running water and electricity. Now only a few buildings around the edges are occupied or used for storage, including the mosque with its old, chimney-shaped minaret. Those who wander around the outskirts of the fort are likely to be rewarded with glimpses of life as it used to be; there's an old donkey-powered oil press back here, and you should listen out for the clanging of a real-life metal smith plying his trade.With each rainfall more of these buildings disintegrate. However, Siwans are beginning to value the uniqueness of their heritage, as well as the need to preserve it. Recently authorities have been working with an international NGO to reinforce what's left of the fortress using traditional building techniques.