Siwa, Destination of Cure in "Wahit El Ghoroub"

3 Years ago, Siwa's deserts and old stone buildings stunned the audience through the captured scenes of Bahaa Taher's and Kamla Abu Zekri's "Wahit El Ghoroub (Sunset Oasis) series. This story is published on the occasion of opening Shali Village at Siwa Oasis after long years of restoration.

The series was based on Taher's award-winning novel "Wahit El Ghorob." The events mainly take place in Shally Village in Siwa Oasis.

In his novel, Taher reviewed different faces that can be classified for the oasis such as the land of secrets, the cure, the journey, and the mirror.

The Land of Secrets

In the novel, Taher asserted that Siwa's sands are hiding a lot of unknown and un-narrated stories beneath them. This concept is enhanced with the novel's protagonist Cathrine's unstoppable search for Alexander the great secrets.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThSMztSpfA8

It also contained the Amun Temple where Alexander the Great declared his belonging to the ancient Egyptian god. Cathrine keeps passing her hands on the ancient writings attempting to feel the power of secrets the wall trap inside.

Moreover, those treasury sands still caught dozens of myths, traditions, and folk songs painting the place in extraordinary colors.

The Cure, The Journey, and The Mirror

The 2 concepts are connected to each other as one of the main goal of traveling and journey is a cure! Traveling away from the noise and having a journey for self-explore and easing from pain is one of the essences of the novel.

When Catherine observed her sorrowful life with her husband Mahmoud. She chose to travel with him to Siwa for an extraordinary journey and knowing herself more.

Mirroring yourself in the fears of crossing the desert is an original concept Taher stresses in his various works such as "Khalti Safia Wa El Dair" (Aunti Safia & The Monastry) and "Ana El Malik Geo't" (I Am, the Crowned King).

The Catherine, an Irish, wishes to find her cure and heal under the warm Egyptian sun which its rays enlighten the darkness of the desert and calm the storm of the soul.

Many questions about home, identity, the reason for existence, and the secret of life revolve before Catherine's eyes continually especially after meeting her desert reflection Malika.

Malika can be considered as a reflection of Catherine; Catherine is always in a search for a home to belong, to embrace her own self, On the other hand, Malika is trying to situate herself as she is in her community, she wants her community accepts her as she is.

Catherine wants that too, therefore both are met with rejection and isolation. Malika is dead physically and Catherine is dead spiritually.

The setting of the novel represented in Siwa is not only a scene of the events but also a real doer of actions. Its secrets can impact the characters' feelings and motives. Furthermore, it is an observer, an open silent eye watches all events and knows all stories from different perspectives.