The UNESCO World Heritage Centre has granted emergency protection status to the Traditional Vernacular Earth-Architecture of the Siwa Oasis in Egypt’s Western Desert. Built using kersheef—a local mixture of salt, mud, and sand—the unique fortified settlements of Shali and Aghurmi are facing severe structural threats from erratic rainfall and rising groundwater levels.
The emergency status will unlock international funding for traditional masons to perform urgent structural stabilization using ancient techniques. UNESCO experts warned that the loss of these sites would not only destroy a unique architectural heritage but also erase the intangible knowledge of sustainable desert living that the Siwi people have refined over centuries of isolation.