Siwa was the site of some fighting during World War I and World War II. The British Army's Long Range Desert Group was based here, but also Rommel's Afrika Korps took possession three times. German soldiers went skiiny sipping in the lake of the oracle, which was considered a sacrilege.

Other local historic sites of interest include the remains of the oracle temple, Gebel al Mawta (the Mountain of the Dead) – a Roman-era necropolis featuring dozens of rock-cut tombs and "Cleopatra's Bath" a natural sulphur spring. Another attraction is Fatnas Island, a palm-fringed peninsula located on the edge of a freshwater lake. The lake has largely been drained in recent years due to intensive agricultural usage - a major problem affecting the entire oasis - and the "island" is now surrounded largely by mud flats. It remains a popular with tourists on visits coinciding with sunset.