Hello,
it is often mentioned that, almost miraculously, the waters at the oasis are hot during the night and cold during the day but no one seems to write why.
I checked out the page on the Pothos site on divininty where the Siwah oracle is detailed but no reason is given how the mechanism works.
I just wondered because I live in quite a warm place and all the swimming pools around here certainly do not follow the principle of Siwah.
Maybe there is an oracle out there who could enlighten.
Best regards,
Dean
I think I read somewhere (don't ask me where, i'm terrible with bibliography) that an ancient source (read previous bracket) offered a probable explanation: the water remained at the same temperature throughout the day. The perception, however, changed depending on the time: during the daytime, it was perceived as cool, because the area was very hot (as one would expect in the midst of a desert!); during the night, when wheather was cool (as is often the case in deserts too), one would feel the water as being warm.
The temperature is in the hands of the ... beholder?
I don't know the source, having never heard this explanation before, but it's a great answer! It would make even more sense if the spring was a constantly flowing warm spring - I understand that there were both hot and cold springs at Siwah - because the true temperature of the water would have been little affected by outside circumstances. In the heat of noon, warm water would have been cooler than external temperatures and at night it would have been warmer. I like this explanation, although it suggests that no one had ever come across another warm spring in a desert area. Perhaps there weren't any ...
Hi,
Yep, this seems to make sense, and as Amyntoros says, is a great answer.
and so, as you say, the temperature would be in the hands of the ... beholder and have little to do with divine intervention.
Best regards,
Dean
Found this link in my mailbox today - Chilled out in the Sahara, a travel article from the New York Times. According to the writer:
Cleopatra’s Bath, a marvel since antiquity, feels hot in the early morning and cool at midday. Like all of Siwa’s springs, it is open to visitors and is free.
I had no idea that both the spring and the phenomenon still existed! How wonderful, if true. Marcus, did you get to visit any of the springs during your trip to Siwah? I seem to remember that it was more of a “flying” visit (although that doesn’t mean that I’m not still envious).
amyntoros wrote:I had no idea that both the spring and the phenomenon still existed! How wonderful, if true. Marcus, did you get to visit any of the springs during your trip to Siwah? I seem to remember that it was more of a “flying” visit (although that doesn’t mean that I’m not still envious).
I did go to Cleopatra's Spring. It looked so uninviting that I refused to sample the waters, sitting instead on the edge with a nice cup of tea, chivvying my bearers with gestures of my elephant gun. It might well be warm at night and cold by day, or whichever it's supposed to be. I wasn't prepared, however, to continue with the day's walk having been in, without the chance of a good shower to slough off the yuck ...
Cleopatra’s Bath, a marvel since antiquity, feels hot in the early morning and cool at midday. Like all of Siwa’s springs, it is open to visitors and is free.
I should just add that this makes it sound as if it's some beautiful romantic spot that in other countries people would pay a premium to immerse themselves in. It isn't - it's a grotty, brick-lined circular hole in the ground, diameter about 6 metres, with a greenish/brownish scum on top and a faintly unappetising smell (which might actually come from the rather unpleasant nearby toilets). It's slap-bang in the middle of the "road", which makes it a good spot to hang out, but certainly not one for privacy.
In my opinion (for what it's worth), it was about as romantic and desirable as a rusty nail. Don't get me wrong - the rest of Siwa is fantastic, the people are lovely, the ruins of the medieval city are impressive, the Roman/Ptolemaic necropolis is interesting, the temple of the oracle is ... well ... what you'd expect an Alexanderphile to say; and it's a great place to visit. However, the more you get taken in by the gushing tripe about Cleopatra's Bath, the more you would be let down if you visited it. It's all advertising hogwash, and has about as much to do with Cleopatra as I do.
Amrinder wrote: ↑Tue Apr 16, 2024 12:08 pm
The warm temperature is constant but feels different from a cold hand at midnight than to a warm/hot one in the afternoon.
That sounds a reasonable explanation, and welcome! Though possibly the water may heat up during the day with the sun. Water retains heat longer than the ground so it may be still be quite warm at night with the day's heat.
