GEOGRAPHYOF SHARM EL SHEIKH

GEOGRAPHYOF SHARM EL SHEIKH

Sharm el-Sheikh (also transliterated as Sharm Al Shaykh), often known simply as "Sharm", is a city situated on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, in Janub Sina', Egypt, on the coastal strip between the Red Sea and Mount Sinai. Sharm el-Sheikh is the administrative hub of Egypt's Southern Sinai province which includes the smaller coastal towns of Dahab and Nuweiba as well as the mountainous interior, Saint Catherine's Monastery and Mount Sinai.

Location:

• at the juncture of Asia and Africa,
• of a triangular shape with its base along the Mediterranean Sea for about 320 kms long and its apex at Ras Mohamed in the south.

The total length of Sinai's coastlines is about 870 km, which is 30% of Egypt's 2400 km coastlines.

Population:
Basically, Sinai is divided into three kind of population types: the Beduines (approx. 80.000 in Sinai), people working in the tourist sector, and army people (approx. 40.000). Last but not least, the tourists itself should be mentioned, that are forming the biggest portion.

Climate:
The weather in Egypt is typically desertic. It means that days are warm or hot, and nights tend to be cool. Throughout the Red Sea Riviera humidity is almost non-existent, and constant breezes make the warm to hot temperatures more than bearable if not simply very pleasant during any period of the year. There are only two seasons: a mild winter from November to April and a hot summer from May to October.

The only differences between the seasons are variations in daytime temperatures and changes in prevailing winds. Along the Red Sea, temperatures range between an average minimum of 14° C in winter and an average maximum of 35° C in summer. Precipitation is almost non-existent: only in autumn and spring the odd rainfall that lasts no longer than fifteen minutes helps sustaining the rare desert flora and fauna. Some areas can experience years without rain, and suddenly receive downpours that result in flash floods.

Sinai receives somewhat more rainfall than the other desert areas, and the region is dotted by numerous wells and oases, resulting in a somewhat more humid climate than the rest of the Red Sea coast. The area of Marsa Alam, due to the vicinity to the Tropic of Cancer, has a slightly more humid weather than the rest of the Red Sea governorate coast. It results in a beautiful coastal area with a number of mangrove and palm tree groves. A typical feature of Egypt’s weather is the “khamseen�?, a hot sandy spring wind that blows across the country and to the Red Sea between March, April and May. This is what in Europe is called “scirocco�?. The “khamseen�? can occasionally become a real sandstorm, although it blows intermittently. Sun bathing is possible throughout the year, with the interminable blue skies, and very little cloudy days. Weather forecasts for the Red Sea Riviera invariably include clear skies, prevailing northern breezes, and sun, sun, sun!

Touristic Potential:
Sinai is considered a touristic treasure. Its pharaonic, religious, natural phenomena, deserts, recreational and therapeutic render it one of the richest resorts in the world of tourism. The development in the city offers an exclusive world of luxury and elegance. A fantasy world of space and style is there comprising glamorous low density resorts, exclusive sports facilities, unparalleled food courts and shopping centers. The land plan shows that the total area of Sharm El-Sheikh is expected to be about 42 km², in the year 2017. This area is designed to include:

• Tourism resorts 8.4%
• Tourism Facilities 40.9%
• Green & Open areas 12.3%
• Social Services 9.9%
• Roads 12.2%
• Urban Housing 13.7%
• Bedouin Housing 1.6%
• Hand crafts & small industries 1.0%

PLACES TO SEE IN SHARM EL SHEIKH

Mount Sinai
Mount Sinai, just south of the Monastery of St Katherine, is of great religious importance to Jews, Christians and Muslims. According to the Old Testament this is where Moses received the Ten Commandments.

Throughout the centuries the mountain has drawn thousands of pilgrims from all over the world. You can ascend to the summit (2285 m, 7497 ft) to experience the ultimate spiritual high; either by climbing some 4000 steps built by monks or by following an easier but longer path. Both lead to an open area known as Elija's Basin where you walk up the remaining 750 steps to the top. At the summit you will find the Chapel of the Holy Trinity that was built in 1934 on the site of a much earlier chapel built in 363 AD. The climb takes about three hours but the view from the top is truly breathtaking, especially at sunrise.

About 40 kilometers east of Abu Zenima is one of Sinai's most important archaeological sites: Serabit el Khadim. Pharaohs of the 3rd Dynasty (2670-2570 BC) began the long tradition of dispatching mining expeditions to this remote and desolate area to extract turquoise. Ancient Egyptians were not only fond of carving scarabs out of this opaque sky-blue gemstone, but they also used pulverized turquoise as pigment to color statues and other objects.

Methodical mining for this attractive stone continued well after the 12th Dynasty (1955-1750 BC) when a temple dedicated to the goddess Hathor - the Mistress of Turquoise - was built. At the walled temple, which stands on a plateau 850 meters above sea level, you can see the ruins of Hathor's rock-cut chapel and a large number of carved stone slabs with inscriptions. Close to the temple complex at the abandoned mining shafts you can also examine well preserved ancient inscriptions.

Monastery of St Katherine
The Monastery of St. Katherine lies at the foot of the Gebel Musa, or Mount Moses, in the heart of the South Sinai. In 330 AD the mother of Emperor Constantine, Empress Helena, ordered the construction of a small church by Moses' Burning Bush. It was called the Church of the Transfiguration. The fortified monastery we see today was built around this church during the reign of Emperor Justinian (527-565 AD). In the 11th century the monastery was dedicated to St. Katherine of Alexandria, who had died in 310 AD. Her remains, reportedly found by monks on a mountain peak next to Mt Sinai, are buried in the monastery's Basilica. Fronted by gardens and cypress trees, the monastery is owned and run by the Greek Orthodox Church. Its rich library houses the world's second largest collection of illuminated manuscripts after the Vatican. You can see the Burning Bush and a large number of antique works of art: invaluable icons, beautifully carved doors, exquisite wall paintings and other fine religious ornaments.

The Museum at St Katherine Monastery
In February 2002, within the monastery's towering walls, one of the world's finest and most unique collections of Christian artifacts has been made more accessible to the public. A small yet extraordinary nine-room museum, referred to as "The Sacred Sacristy", was opened to display masterpieces of the highest artistic value. Among the tastefully displayed exhibits are exquisite 6th century Byzantine icons, delicate 9th century manuscripts written in Syriac, rare Slavonic prayer books, including splendid objects of silver, gold, ivory and precious stones. Perhaps the most valued items on exhibit, presented in a special glass case, are pages from the Codex Sinaiticus, a 4th century version of the Bible that now rests in the British Museum. Now you can see the Monastery's coveted collection, while listening to gentle Byzantine hymns in an atmosphere of splendor and reverence. The museum is open from 9 to 12 am everyday except on Fridays, Sundays and religious holidays.

Coloured Canyon
One of the natural wonders of the Sinai, the Coloured Canyon is awe-inspiring. Take a walk in between dramatic sandstone canyon walls streaked with melting yellows, purples, reds, magentas and gold. In certain places the canyon walls reach up to 40 meters. You feel as if you are enclosed in a spectacular colouring book. Formed by the natural elements over centuries, the walls of Coloured Canyon cascade with colours as a result of ferrous oxide and manganese. Consequently, a natural maze has been formed that is excellent for exploring and taking photographs. A haven of tranquility, Coloured Canyon promises its visitors peaceful moments and silence. To ensure your safety, in some areas of the Coloured Canyon you will need to be reasonably fit to investigate. Day trips to the Coloured Canyon can be arranged from Dahab, Nuweiba, or Taba.

Feiran Oasis
Feiran Oasis, about halfway between the Monastery of St Katherine and the Gulf of Suez, is one of the earliest Christian centers in Sinai. Convention has it that Moses and his followers passed through southern Sinai's largest oasis. The ruins of many ancient churches testify to the importance this oasis once held as a religious hub through the centuries from as early as the 2nd century. The Seven Girls Monastery, built in the 4th century in the middle of the palm tree filled oasis, is surely worth a visit. Near the convent you can see the remnants of the old archbishopric, the seat of the archbishop of Sinai until the 6th century. A trail through ancient Byzantine churches leads up to the summit of Gebel Tehuna with spectacular views. At the western entrance to the oasis is the rock that Moses supposedly struck with his staff to draw water.

Nawamis
Found only in southern and eastern Sinai are several mysterious prehistoric structures known as Nawamis. Between 2 to 2.5 m (6.6 to 8.2 ft) high and 3 to 6 m (10 to 20 ft) in diameter, these circular inward leaning buildings were constructed using sandstone slabs, each with a small opening facing west. Within these structures archaeologists have unearthed shell bracelets, colored beads, flint tools, tiny jugs as well as bone and copper tools. These items were most likely funeral offerings. Many have been dated to as far back as the Chalcolithic (Copper Stone Age) period (4000-3150 BC). Though the Nawamis were probably ancient burial chambers, the identity of the people buried here is still a mystery. Perhaps the most readily accessible Nawamis structures are those found to the south of Ein Khudra, not far from the St Katherine-Nuweiba road. Go explore some of the oldest man made structures in the world.

Abu Galum Protected Area
Abu Galum Protected Area, along the Gulf of Aqaba between Dahab and Nuweiba, is a 500 km2 natural wonderland. Shell speckled gravel beaches run parallel most of the way to the splendid coral reefs below, unless rudely interrupted by plunging mountainsides. Close examination of the beaches will expose masses of Nerita splendens, a tiny snail whose decorative shell blends seamlessly into the pebble mosaic. Inland into the park, deep wadis interlace with massive granite mountains that are intermittently cut by dark dolerite dykes. Out of a total 167 species recently recorded in this environmentally unique region, as many as 44 plant species are endemic. Mammals seem to like this plant diversity. Nubian ibex, hyrax, red fox and striped hyena thrive here, as well as a variety of lizards and snakes, including the black cobra, the horned viper and Burton's carpet viper.

Nabq Protected Area
Nabq Protected Area embraces the Gulf of Aqaba coast and its hinterland between Sharm el Sheikh and Dahab. This unique 600 square kilometer area of wadi systems, sand dunes, alluvial plains and salt marches supports a relatively diverse animal and plant life. Gazelles, hyrax, nubian ibex and foxes, as well as a variety of reptile and invertebrate species, have been recorded here. Birdwatchers particularly enjoy sightings of herons, spoonbills, ospreys, gulls, terns and storks. Of the 134 flowering plant species found at Nabq, six are endemic. Most impressive are the four saltwater filtering mangrove forests. These evergreen trees represent Sinai's largest communities and are reportedly the most northerly in the world. Farther inland grow the rare Arak, a bush-like plant that grows sideways along the leeward face of dunes. The protectorate's Arak specimens are the largest in the Middle East. Only local Bedouins live in the park, mostly at El Gharqana and Khereiza villages.

St Katherine Protectorate
St Katherine Protectorate is perhaps Egypt's most picturesque national park. It encloses most of the mountainous area of central South Sinai, including the country's highest mountain Gebel Katharina (2624m). The park is a treasure trove of wild plants. Of the 317 flora species that have been recorded, 19 are found nowhere else in the world. Approximately 35 reptile species live within this unique high altitude ecosystem, many of which are endemic, including the Sinai banded snake and the Innes cobra. The 4,350 square kilometer natural park also supports many mammal species: rock hyrax, Nubian ibex, Dorcas gazelle, red fox, wild cats and hyenas. When exploring the protectorate's mountains and wadis you will probably spot a curious bird, the white-crowned black wheatear. The observant visitor may also see the colorful Sinai rose finch and the Tristam's grackle. Far less common and much more difficult to locate is the recently discovered Sinai baton blue, the worlds smallest butterfly.Â

Ras Mohammed National Park
Ras Mohammed National Park is both a terrestrial and an aquatic nature reserve. The 480 square kilometer protected area lies where the Gulf of Suez meets the Gulf of Aqaba at Sinai's southern extremity. The arid desert terrain of sand dunes, gravel plains, fossilized corals and granite mountains is home to a number of rare mammal species: Dorcas gazelle, Nubian ibex and red fox. Easier to spot are the resident birds like terns, herons, gulls and ospreys. Thousands of white storks pass through Ras Mohammed each year, heading south during September/October and back north during April/May. About 85 flora species live in the park, including mangroves. In glaring contrast to the seemingly desolate landscape above, the ecosystem underwater is a magnificent eruption of life: 200 coral species (125 of which are soft corals), 1000 fish species, 40 starfish species, 25 sea urchin species, 100 mollusk species, 150 crustacean species, and 2 turtle species: the Green Turtle and the Hawksbill Turtle.
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