South Sinai extends from Taba on the gulf of Aqaba through the north of Al-Tm desert (the labyrinth) to Ras Messallah on the Gulf of Suez in the west till Ras Mohammed in the South. It has fantastic beaches and moderate weather in summer and a warm one in winter. It has some Pharaonic, Coptic and Islamic monuments. In addition, it has the highest mountain in Egypt, the summit of Saint Catherine, which is 2637 meters high above sea level. “s capital is Al-Tor on the Suez gulf, about 400 km from Cairo.
It is distinguished by its wonderful climate through out the year and by its various orchards.
It has International airports at Sharm El-Sheikh, Saint Catherine and Taba in addition to Al-Tor airport.
It also hosts Nuweiba and A.I-Tor seaports. Its main cities are Abu Redeis, Ras Sudr, Saint Catherine, Sharm Al-Sheikh, Taba and Nuweiba.
St. Catherine Monastery
Set beneath the mountain where Moses is said to have received the Ten Commandments, Saint Catherine Monastery has been one of the world’s great centers of religious pilgrimage for over fifteen centuries. Within its impose of walls rests a citadel like no other, incredibly rich in important religious and historical structures, Among its treasures is a library of ancient manuscripts and icons second only to the Vatican’s itself, and a 6th century church reputed to lie directly on the site of the Burning Bush. Quite simply, the monastery is a defining feature of the Holy Land.
It is the greatest monastery in Africa and its construction goes back to the 4th century AD. It lies in the foothills of Moses Mountain 5012 feet above sea level, built by Emperor Justinian for himself and his wife. The Monastery was named after Saint Catherine “the daughter of Kistery” who was tortured to death by her father for she succeeded in converting 50 of his followers to Christianity in 307 AD. The door is surrounded by a wall about 85 m. long, and comprises church which called St. Catherine church.
Inside the monastery there is EI-Mouta church “Church of the Dead’ There are also 6 Wells, 4 springs and a large garden rich in fruit trees of different kinds and two mills.
Father for she succeeded in converting 50 of his followers to Christianity in 307 AD. The door is surrounded by a wall about 85 m. long, and comprises church, which is called St Catherine church.
Living amidst the isolation of the Sinai desert, St Catherine’s monks had plenty of time to develop their artistic talents and no objects express their skill better than the thousands of icons they created through the centuries. For the monks creating icons and mosaics was not only a pastime, but an integral part of expressing their devotion to God. Their efforts to this end were both beautiful and extraordinarily prolific.
Most of the icons native to St. Catherine were created between the tenth and fifteenth centuries, following a style which has come to be called the ‘ Sinaitic School” of art. Rather than striving for realism the imagery of this time period typically reflects a strong interest in the power of Sinai’s biblical landscape. The school became so influential that many European artists incorporated elements of Sinai’s mountainous terrain into their own compositions.
The library and Gallery of Icons
The Monastery’s Library Considered one of the largest and most important of its type in the word, the library contains a rich collection of 4,500 manuscripts, mainly Greek, but also Arabic, Coptic Syriac, Slavonic and others. The regrettable story of one of the most precious manuscripts in the world, the Codex Sinaiticus, is well known. This mid-4th century Greek text of the Holy Scriptures was officially borrowed in 1859 by the German scholar K. van Tischendorf on behalf of the Czar of Russia, but it was never returned.
In 1933, was purchased by the British Museum, where it is kept to this day. This text, from which the modern King James version of the Bible was translated. is one of those artifacts that should be returned to its rightful owners.
Many of the manuscripts in the collection are illuminated with rare and fine miniatures. In addition to the manuscripts, the Library contains a considerable number of printed books. About 5,000 of these are old editions, some of which date from the earliest days of the art of printing. The Library has been organized in a scientific method and is equipped with laboratories for the conservation and the microfilming of manuscripts.
Old Refectory
The Old Refectory is actually one of the most interesting structures in the compound. This oblong hall with pointed Gothic arches preserves stone carvings with Frankish inscriptions and coats-of-arms, symbols of the Crusader knights. The small conch is decorated with a 16th century painting showing the Hospitality of Abraham, in which the three angels symbolize the Holy Trinity.
A monumental composition, dating to 1573, of the Last Judgment covers the entire surface of the wall. The long narrow wooden dinning table, placed in the middle of the hall was made and carved in Corfu, in the 17th century. On it are carved representations of angels and flowers in rococo style. It was here, during a more distant past, that the monks eat with the Archbishop at the head of the Table.
The Bell Tower
Butt in 1871, the bell tower contains nine bells of different sizes that were a gift of the Czars of Russia. The tower itself was built by a monastery monk named Gregorius. The bells continue to be rung for services on Sundays and feast-days, whereas the wooden semantron (also known as talanton), which predate the bells, is struck for Vespers and Matins.
The Basilica
The physical heart of St. Catherine’s monastery is its Byzantine-style basilica, which was built along with the protective walls in 527A.D. The basilica has three naves, and its dazzlingly ornate interior contains works of art spanning fifteen centuries.
Among the more distinctive pieces are the many lamps which hang from the ceiling in a silvery, glittering constellation, and the impressive mosaics. Lying next to the main alter is a sarcophagus which allegedly holds the remains of St. Catherine herself.
The Chapel of the Burning Bush
The monastery’s spiritual heart is the Chapel of the Burn ~g Bush, an unassuming structure of tremendous religious significance, According the oldest monastic tradition, this chapel sits atop the roots of the same Biblical bush ‘that burned with fire, and was not consumed” (Exodus 3:2) ihen God spoke to Moses for the first time. A few feet away from the Chapel is the reputed bush itself, a rare species of the rose family called Rubus Sanctus This species is endemic to Sinai and extremely long-lived, a fact that lends scientific credence to the site, the sprawling bush is said to have been transplanted in the tenth century, when the chapel was given a roof.
Today, it is very large in size, and many monks and scholars agree that the bush’s presence is the very reason St. Catherine’s Monastery developed in the first place,
The Mosque
It lies beside the main church, constructed in the reign of the Fatimid Caliph, Al Amer Bi-Ahkam Allah, in the 11th century, symbolic of love and fraternity on the land of Egypt. St. Catherine’s Mosque was originally a chapel, but in 1106 it was converted into an Islamic structure for Unknown reasons.
One theory holds that the monks themselves hastily built it to appease an angry caliph threatening to attack; another argues that it was built by a Muslim detachment defending the monastery during the crusades.
On special Occasions the mosque is still used by the local Bedouin who have helped maintain the monastery grounds or centuries, One of the mosque’s most Signffl~00~ features is a member, or Islamic style Pulpit, which remains the only one of its kind.
Justinian’s Wall
In 527 AD., the Byzantine emperor Justinian ordered the construction of two of the monastery’s defining features, the wall and the basilica The imposing wall was meant to defend the inhabitants of the monastery from the local Bedouin tribes, and it reaches up to 9 ft in thickness and sixty ft in height. In 1801, another emperor, Napoleon, ordered their restoration.
Moses Mountain By any other standards. Mt. Sinai would be just another barren peak lost among the Martian landscape of Southern Sinai. It is neither the highest mountain in the region, nor the most dramatic; there is no soaring, heaven-reaching apex. and it is rare to see anything resembling a divine shroud of clouds hugging its peak. Were it not for a single, overwhelming belief that has endured for over fifteen centuries, Mt. Sinai would probably be a topographical footnote.
But this is the mountain where God spoke to Moses. That, at least, is the overwhelming belief, and the belief itself has drawn pilgrims for over a thousand years. Although no archeological evidence of Moses’ presence on the mountain exists, there are abundant relics of faith throughout the eons. Ancient chapels and structures honoring saints and the Virgin Mary appear all along the main route, called Sikket Saydna Musa (“The Path of Moses”), including a stone-hewn arch where, long ago, a monk once sat and heard confession from the pilgrims.
Deir El Banat
Archaeological complex Deir el-Banat (((a female convent’>) is located in the Fayoum Governorate, in two kilometers from the convent Deir el-Naklun.
At the central part of the complex the ruins of a Medieval convent have preserved. The central building was a church, build on rock-cut foundation with fired bricks. Nowadays it is almost destroyed though at the beginning of the XX century it was considered as ((well preserved>>.
The church had a western narthex and a three aisled naos. There are remains of small rooms adjoining to the northern and, most probably, to the southern sides of the church. To the west and the east of the church the remains of living quarters are located. These were erected in mud brick. though it is evident that they were rebuilt several times. One of the buildings could be a refectory, where the monks could have community meals.
According to the authors of the Coptic Encyclopedia, the monastery could be built at the place of an earlier convent. The surface material, including ceramics, different spices of glassware, fragments of textiles, architectural fragments date to I—Xl centuries AD.
It is possible to suggest that the monastery was destroyed during persecution of the Christians that took place during the reign of Fatimid ruler AL Hakim(101 5—1020) To the north and the south of the monastery there are two large cemeteries. The burials of the upper layer of the necropolis date to early Christian period, while the lower ones — to the Greco-Roman period.
Tomb of Prophet Heron
heron [Harun] is brother of Moses and Mit am. 0 19:53 refers to Aaron as a prophet, and in Erasmus 7:1 it’s stated that God made Aaron to be the prophet of Moses. Q 28: 33-35 describes how God offered Aaron as the spokesperson of Moses but Aaron is given no dialogue in the Quran and is not described as having a role in the placates (see 0 7 127-1 36). Aaron is associated with the Golden Calf in Q 7:150-151 and 20:80-98 Muslim exegetes report that Aaron died before entering the Holy Land, referring to Q 5: 26. Some of these accounts claim that Aaron was interred in a special cave.
Christian and Jewish pilgrims visited a site near Petra, said to be the tomb of Aaron. The site was later renovated as a Muslim shrine; another tomb site is located near Mount Sinai in the Sinai.
Tomb of Prophet Saleh
It lies 10 km from Saint Catherine at the meeting point of Murrah valley and Al-Sheikh valley.
This is besides Deir ”Monastery” Tor Sinai in El-To town El-Tor Church, water outlets near mount El Gaalah a church and mosque in Wadi El-Araga and Arabia St. Paula Monastery that was built in the 4ff Century AD, and it contains 764 manuscripts and 4 churches of great architectural significance.
Serabit El Khadim
Archaeologists have found that the very earliest known settlers in the Sinai--they arrived about 8,000 years ago were miners, Drawn by the region’s abundant copper and turquoise deposits, these groups slowly worked their way southward hopping from one deposit to the next.
By 3500 BC, tire great turquoise veins of Serabit eI-Khadem had been discovered At the same time, the kingdoms of Egypt became united under its first pharaohs, and these great ruler soon turned their eye eastward, By about 3000 BC the Egyptians had become masters of the Sinai mines, and at Serabit el-Khadem they set up a large and systematic operation For the next two thousand years, great quantities of turquoise were carved from Serabit el khadem 1cm, carried down the Wadi Matalla to the garrisoned port at EI-Markha Uust south of Abu Zenima), and ~et aboard boats bound for Egypt.
For the Egyptians, the brilliant blue-green stone served myriad purposes: scarabs were carved from it, and the bright mineral enamels of powdered turquoise were used to color everything from fine statuettes to bricks.
Moses’ Bath
A wonderful oasis covered in palm trees around a natural hot spring, It consists of five hot sulfuric springs that treat many rheumatic and skin diseases, its water has ability of healing wounds especially of diabetic patients, it affects the body weakness and regulates the high blood pressure Moses bath is 100 kilometers away from Sharm, The Moses resort contains a specialized hospital (under construction) and a rest house for the employees at South Sinai Governorate
Pharaoh’s Bath
One of the most famous springs is Hammamat Phara’oun, or “Pharaoh’s Bath”. which is located in the southern part of Ras Sudr about 45 kilometers from the main town. It consists of two parts including the Kahf Phara’oun, or “Pharaoh’s Cave” and the springs themselves.
The cave extends about 25 meters into the mountain, while the sulfuric water springs which line the seashore produce significant quantities of water with temperatures as high as 75 uS7 Fahrenheit). This water is said to have properties which are effective in the treatment of bone and skin diseases.
Other springs include Emn Abu Morir in the southern part of the city on the eastern side of the road to al-Tor, which is a fresh water well surrounded by clusters of palm trees and reeds, and Em Taraqi a sulfuric spring with temperatures that range between 20c (68 Fahrenheit) and 30c (86 Fahrenheit), also located in the southern part of Ras Sudr.
Pharaoh’s island
Just a few kilometers south of Taba. at the very top of the Gulf of Aqaba and just a few hundred meters from the coast, lies Pharaoh’s Island. Surmounted by the imposing crenellated bulk of the restored citadel of Salah ad-Din, Pharaoh’s Island is one of the most blatantly picturesque spots in the entire gulf. While the restored fortifications have firmly imposed a medieval character upon the island, the history of Geziret Faroun in actually one of exceptional complexity and interest.
The earliest recorded constructions on the island are those of Hiram, king of Tyre (c.969-936 B.C.), a friend to both David and Solomon. Tyre, an ancient city situated just off the coast of present-day Lebanon, was in Hiram’s time one of the most powerful cities of the Mediterranean. Hiram figures prominently in the Bible (see Kings 9-1 0), where it is related that he supplied much of the cedar and gold for the Temple of Jerusalem. Hiram’s interest in Pharaoh’s Island, which he knew as Esiongaber, was to further develop trade with Egypt, and he built up the island’s fine natural harbor.
RAS SIDR
It overlooks the Suez gulf and is distinguished by several natural tourism aspects: towering mountains, huge valleys soft golden sand - beaches and clear blue water. It is considered a beautiful winter and summer resort. Ras Sudr is an industrial town located about 37 miles south of the Ahmed Hamdi Tunnel, which connects mainland Egypt to Sinai, and is the second most important town on the Gulf of Suez after El-Tor. However there are number of resorts growing up around the town and these have become popular retreats for residents of Cairo.
Look for more information here as we expand this section in the future as more information becomes available and the new resorts are finished.
EL TOOR
El-toor a rapidly developing city and the capital of the South Sinai Governorate. It is a clean and modern city with a number of different tourist accommodations and amenities.
DAHAB Dahab is the pearl of the gulf actually consists of two villages; the Bedouin village of Assalah is the southern half, and the business and administrative center of Dahab is the northern half. Dahab means 'gold' in Arabic. In Sinai it means golden sands, turquoise sea, and off-beat cafe life. It is a focus of tourism development, with swaying palms, fine sand and wonderful snorkeling opportunities. Dahab has excellent hotel accommodations, but also affords less expensive housing in the village, or camping. About 5 miles from town is the famous Blue Hole, for diving. Towards the Israeli border is the Island of Coral, where the Crusaders built a fort. The remains can still be seen.
Blue Hole
Located few miles north of Dahab village. A pleasant site with the greatest attraction lying not in the blue hole itself, but on the rich sloping reef outside. Entry to the site is through a large lagoon in the reef top, about 50m across.
This lagoon is the "blue hole" which gives the site its name. A shallow lip at about 6m leads from the lagoon to the outer reef; deep within the hole, an arched passage also links
TABA At the extremity of Egypt’s international borders, over looking Aqaba Gulf, some 70 km from Nuweiba, it boasts a most exquisite panorama of sea and mountains. T
he region is distinguished by its fascinating natural beauty, clear blue water and abundance of bays which are considered among the landmarks of this tourist region. There is also an international airport and lodging facilities.
The importance of Taba’s geographical location lies in that it links Egypt with Jordan and Israel and attracts tourists from East Asia, At the northernmost edge of the Gulf of Aqaba lies the small town of Taba, a picturesque beach town that in ancient times was once a stopover on caravan route to the Fort of Aqaba in modern times, it is best known as the last piece of land that was returned to Egypt following Israel’s occupation of Sinai.
Taba is situated right on the edge of the Israeli border, which can be crossed on foot.
SHARM EL SHEIKH
Sharm El-Sheikh is probably the best known town of the southern Sinai, for the simple reason that it is Sharm el-Sheikh which gave the Red sea an international reputation as one of the world’s most extraordinary Diving destinations and the coral reefs of Ras Mohammed, Tiran, and the Aqaba coast on which Sharm built its legendary reputation are as dazzling as ever.
Today however diving is only part of the attraction here, as many visitors arrive simply to enjoy the sun to parasail and windsurf and bicycle, to explore the magical desert landscape of the southern Sinai. Since the mid-1980s the Sharm el-Sheikh area has come into its Own as a world-class resort destination with the construction of almost Forty hotels and resorts Of course such expansion brings with it new problem and concerns it is the natural beauty of the Sinai that brings so many guests and it is also the natural beauty of the Sinai that is most endangered by so many visitors .Accordingly the last several years have witness strong efforts by the Sharm el-Sheikh community to protect and to protect and to preserve the fragile environment of the region.
The creation of Ras Mohammed National Park In 1983 marked the first great step in this effort, and today a full 52% of the Egyptian shoreline on the Gulf of Aqaba is now protected Diving is compulsory when around the Red Sea.
The coral reefs and the tropical fish are among the greatest you can get across. And picking up your certificate either PADI or CMAS might be cheaper here than in your home country from Sharm el-Sheikh, not only is it more expensive, but you will get no training with cold water diving.
Sharm El Sheikh is the simplicity of sun, sea and sand. In Addition to the luxury of five-star hotels, water sports, shopping, and entertainment. Sharm el-Sheikh is one of the most accessible and developed tourist resort communities on the Sinai Peninsula.
All around are Bedouins, colorful tents, mountains and sea.
There are small intimate hotels with modern designs, as well as larger hotel complexes belonging to International chains, plus about all the amenities one could expect of a tourist center, including casinos, discos and nightclubs, golf courses, and health facilities. In fact, with diving, snorkeling, windsurfing and other water sports, horses and camel riding, desert safaris, and great nearby antiquities attractions, it is almost impossible for a visitor to ever suffer from boredom.
Four miles south the southern section of the town stands on a cliff overlooking the port, with a breath taking view. Na'ama Bay is one of the center of the tourist activities. Located just north of Sharm el-Sheikh city, this area is a resort town of its own. Most hotels at Na'ama Bay have their own, private beaches with comfortable amenities such as chairs, shades, and beach bars. Shark's Bay is also nearby, and again is a growing resort community with more and more to offer, along with several diving centers.
The small harbor known as Sharm el-Maya is located next to the civil harbor, has accommodations for boats, and includes a Yacht Club with rooms. For those who live to shop, the Sharm El-Sheikh mall provides shops with both foreign and local products, including jewelry, fragrant oils, leather goods, clothing, pottery, and books.
This is a must visit for all diving enthusiasts. There are many diving sites along the 10 mile beach between Sharm el-Sheikh and the Strait of Tiran.
Ras Mohammed National Park: On the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, is Egypt's first national park. A desert plateau gives way to broad sandy beaches in some areas, and drops off into rich coral reefs in others. The boundaries of the park include a great deal of the surrounding waters of the Red Sea. The park is probably best known as one of the top diving sites in the Red Sea. The Shark and Yolanda Reefs are the most popular dive sites in the park and have an amazing array of coral and other marine life.
The dry land in the park is also a part of the marine world. In the north, large dunes are interspersed with outcroppings of limestone where a variety of marine fossils are found. The dramatic promontory that marks the Sinai's southernmost tip is an enormous, fossilized coral reef, left high and dry tens of thousands of years ago.
There is great diversity of wildlife in the park, ranging from gazelles in the northern desert area to brilliant orange coral groupers in the reefs. The reefs undoubtedly have the best wildlife in the park, with fire corals and sea fans among the reef corals, and a magnificent array of both reef and pelagic fish, more than 1,000 species in all. Among them are predators like barracuda and several types of shark, and giant tuna groups. Sea turtles can sometimes be seen here.
Abu Galum Managed Resource Protected Area
Characterized by its spectacular granite mountains ending abruptly on a narrow coastal plain fronted by rich coral reefs. Abu Galum owes its Protected status to its varied ecosystems, unique back reef communities and excellent coral reefs. Recent surveys have identified 167 species of desert plants, many of which are not found in either Ras Mohamed or Nabq.
As a result, Abu Galum also contains the largest number of Nubian Ibex, Hyrax, Red Fox, Striped Hyena and evidence of other mammalian species. Ten species of lizards and snakes have been identified from the Protectorate. Three of these, namely the Black Cobra, the Horned Viper, and Burton's Carpet Viper are very dangerous and visitors to the area should proceed with caution and avoid sandy areas with vegetation. Look for tracks in sandy areas. The Abu Galum Protectorate is managed to ensure that its natural resources are safeguarded from all destructive activities. As a result, diving sites and shore access points are being prepared, nature trails through mountain areas have been identified, the area is being kept clean, Bedouin fishing activities are regulated, and a visitor center is under construction.
Nabq Managed Resource Protected Area
As the largest coastal Protectorate on the Gulf of Aqaba (600kilometers squared), Nabq contains a variety of ecosystems that provide for nature viewing experiences unique in the Sinai Peninsula. The Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA) agreed to protect Nabq on the basis of its rich natural resource base.
These include:
The most northerly stand of mangrove trees in the Red Sea/Indian Ocean complex.
One of the largest single stands of Arak bushes in the Middle East, covering the higher dunes of the Wadi Kid alluvial fan.
134 plant species of which six are found only in Nabq Gazelle, Nubian Ibex, Hyrax and small mammal populations.
Rich coral reef communities.
The Nature Protection Sector of the EEAA, responsible for the management and administration of all Egyptian Protected Areas, has committed itself to a program that fully integrates resident Bedouins into all aspects of its area management strategy. It is foreseen that selected Bedouin groups will provide all tourism services in the Protectorate. These will include: catering services at the visitor center, guide services, provision of camels for access to areas closed to vehicles, maintenance services, visitor interpretation, operation of camping areas, and other activities of mutual benefit.
Nabq Managed Resource Protected Area As the largest coastal Protectorate on the Gulf of Aqaba (600 square kilometers), Nabq contains a variety of ecosystems that provide for nature viewing experiences unique in the Sinai Peninsula. The Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA) agreed to protect Nabq on the basis of its rich natural resource base. These include: ·the most northerly stand of mangrove trees in the Red Sea/Indian Ocean complex.
One of the largest single stands of Arak bushes in the Middle East, covering the higher dunes of the Wadi Kid alluvial fan 134 plant species of which six are found only in Nabq "Gazelle, Nubian Ibex, Hyrax and small mammal populations. Rich coral reef communities.
The Nature Protection Sector of the EEAA, responsible for the management and administration of all Egyptian Protected Areas, has committed itself to a program that fully integrates resident Bedouins into all aspects of its area management strategy. It is foreseen that selected Bedouin groups will provide all tourism services in the Protectorate.
These will include: catering services at the visitor center, guide services, provision of camels for access to areas closed to vehicles, maintenance services, visitor interpretation, operation of camping areas, and other activities of mutual benefit.
