The Sinai Peninsula in Egypt

The Sinai Peninsula in Egypt

The Sinai Peninsula in Egypt has been a part of Egypt since the First Dynasty of ancient Egypt.

Sinai was the eastern gateway and one of the main borders of Egypt.

Moreover, it is one of the main touristic destinations.

In this article, we will reveal Sinai’s secrets for you, as we will talk about the Sinai’s history, resorts, tourist attractions

History of the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt?

• Due to the location of Sinai, and the distinction between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea, the land of Sinai witnessed many historical events from antiquity, including the First Crusade.
• The Sinai witnessed many wars such as the tripartite aggression in 1956 AD, the June 1967 war, and the October 1973 war.
• In addition to that, the Suez Canal was opened in 1869, which contributed greatly to an increase in the national income, and made Egypt a link between the continents of the world.
• Since the era of the Old Kingdom, the Sinai Peninsula was the eastern gateway to Egypt and its most important border.
• In addition, it is the link between Asia and Africa, which made it, over the ages, an important center for trade.

Why it is called “The Sinai “?

It was called by this name by the Canaanites who inhabited it, a name that means the land of the moon, due to the Ancient Egyptian moon god called “Sin” was worshiped.

In addition, it was named after the land of turquoise, as a result of the turquoise mines, it contains.

What is the geographical location of the Sinai Peninsula?

• Sinai is located in the west of Asia in the northeast of Egypt.

Borders:

North: Mediterranean Sea.

South: Red Sea.

East: Palestine and Aqaba Gulf.

West: Suez Gulf and Suez Governorate.

The area:

Sinai covers an area of 60088 km².

It is administratively divided into:

• North Sinai Governorate
• South Sinai Governorate
• The city of Port Fouad belongs to the PortSaid Governorate.
• The city of Qantara Sharq is in the Ismailia Governorate.

How is the weather in the Sinai Peninsula?

The weather in Sinai is different from North Sinai to South Sinai.

North Sinai:

It has a Mediterranean climate, which is characterized by hot and dry summers.

Summer: hot and dry with maximum degrees between 19 and 30.

Winter: rainy with humidity and the maximum degree between 8 and 20 degrees.

South Sinai:

It has a continental desert climate, which is generally characterized by dryness and heat most of the year except for some areas

Summer: hot, dry and snowy. The maximum temperature is between 28 and 38 degrees.

Winter: mild and dry, and the maximum temperature in it ranges between 15 and 23 degrees.

Sinai Peninsula population:

The population of Sinai is about 1400000 people, according to statistics 2013.

What is the currency of the Sinai Peninsula?

• The Egyptian Pound is the official currency of Sinai, and its abbreviation is “EGP”.

What is Sinai Peninsula’s main national language?

• Its native residents speak the Arabic language with a Bedouin dialect.

What is the main traditional food in the Sinai Peninsula?

• There are many Sinai traditional foods, such as Mujeza, Lasaima, and Mandi, in addition to Bedouin coffee and dates.

What are the available transportations in the Sinai Peninsula?

There are various types of transportation in Sinai, such as:

1. Taxis and buses.
2. Bus Transportation.
3. The Ships.
4. The public transport networks.

What are the main airports in the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt?

There are many airports located in Sinai which are divided into two types:

First: international airports, such as:

1. Sharm El Sheikh International Airport.
2. El Arish International Airport.
3. Taba International Airport.
4. Saint Catherine International Airport.

Second: Domestic airports, such as:

1. Al-Tur Airport.
2. Al-Maliz Airport.
3. Abu Rudies Airport.
4. Al-Naqab Airport.

What are the main ports of the Sinai Peninsula?

The Sinai Peninsula includes many seaports, each one has its specialization such as:

First: Commercial ports, such as:

• Al-Arish Port
• East Port Said Port.
• Nuweiba Port.
• Sharm El-Sheikh Port.
• El-Tour Port.

Second: Mining ports, such as:

• Abu Zenima port.

Third: Petroleum ports, such as:

• The port of Wadi Ferran.
• The port of Ras Sidr.

Fourth: Tourist ports:

• The port of Taba.

Nature reserves in the Sinai Peninsula:

Sinai is famous for the nature that enables it to have many nature reserves such as:

Ras Muhammed Reserve:

• This reserve is located at the confluence of the Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba in the southern part of the Sinai Peninsula. The reserve covers an area of ​​about 200 km2 and is the first nature reserve in Egypt.
• The reserve is famous for being a distinguished site for diving because of its 150 species of coral reefs, in addition to 1000 species of fish such as parrotfish, butterfly, grimace, snapper, and sometimes sharks, tuna, and barracuda, and there are sea turtles such as leatherback turtle, turtle Hawk beak and green tortoise.
• Not only that but there are also wild animals on land such as deer, hyena, ibex, mountain hare, fennec, desert fox, mountain goats, as well as types of birds and hawks.
• Moreover, Ras Mohammed Reserve is famous for its mangroves and enchanted pond area.

Nuweiba Reserve:

It is characterized by enormous green spaces, especially in the Abu Galum Reserve in Nuweiba, as well as wildlife and many rare animals.

Taba Reserve:

It has an area of ​​3500 km and is located on the border between Palestine and Egypt and enjoys beaches and stunning views of the Red Sea, in addition to the presence of many endangered animals as well as rare coral reefs.

Taba Reserve:

It has an area of ​​3500 km and is located on the border between Palestine and Egypt and enjoys beaches and stunning views of the Red Sea, in addition to the presence of many endangered animals as well as rare coral reefs.

Nabq Reserve:

• This reserve is located in the area between Sharm El Sheikh, Dahab, and Wadi Um Adawy in South Sinai.
• The Nabq Reserve is characterized by the fact that it contains several ecosystems at the same time, as it has a mountainous environment and a desert environment with its sand dunes at Wadi Kid.
• In addition to wildlife such as deer, foxes, and hyraxes, as well as rodents and reptiles.
• There are also many resident and migratory birds, the most famous of which are waders, eagles, and egrets.
• In addition to the plant system, which includes 134 species of plants, at least 86 species have disappeared, just like the mangrove plant.

Tourist Cities in the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=IJbxf8DA-5M

There are many tourist attractions in Sinai as well as important tourist cities such as:

Sharm El-Shaikh:

It is one of the main tourist destinations in Egypt for foreign and Arab tourists as well.

Dahab:

It has many tourist places and beaches that many tourists from all over the world visit, local Egyptians as well.

The most important tourist places in the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt:

There are many touristic areas in Sinai where tourists from all over the world visit it such as:

1. Moses bath

It is one of the most important sites for therapeutic tourism, as it is characterized by sulfur water, and its water is poured into five eyes this water helps in healing many skin and rheumatic diseases.
Musa’s bath also contains large green spaces and useful herbs used in the treatment of many diseases such as drunkenness, and wormwood.

2. Pharaoh’s Bath:

• It is located in the city of Abu Zenima in the South Sinai Governorate, south of Ras Sidr.
• It contains sulfur water springs and includes 15 springs, from which hot water flows from inside a cave on the mountain.
• This water helps in curing many rheumatic diseases.
• In addition to diseases of the digestive system, kidneys, liver, and lung sensitivity.

3. Mount of Moses:

• It is also called Mount At-Tur, the mountain on which God spoke to our master Moses, and it was mentioned in the Qur’an as well as in other heavenly books such as Christianity and Judaism.
• Many tourists from all over the world come to it, because of its height and stunning views.
• In addition to the snow falling on it in the winter.

4. St. Catherine’s Monastery:

It is a monastery located at the mouth of a strait at the foot of Mount Sinai, below Mount Catherine.
Its name is related to the nun Catherine of Alexandria, who was from a wealthy family and converted to Christianity.

5. Mount Saint Catherine:

It is one of the highest mountains in the Sinai Peninsula, with a height of 2,629 m².

Moreover, Snow falls on the mountain in winter.

In addition, it was named by this name in memory of Saint Catherine.

Tourism in the Sinai peninsula:

There are many types of tourism in Sinai such as:

1-Conference Tourism:

The city of Sharm El-Sheikh in the Sinai is one of the most important centers for international conferences and exhibitions tourism, due to it contains hotels, roads, and airports necessary for this type of tourism.

4-Religious tourism:

Sinai is characterized by having passed through important events in the three monotheistic religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, such as:

5-Beach tourism:

The beaches of the Red Sea in the Sinai are characterized by fantastic nature, in addition to the soft sand, and rock-free beaches

6-Historical Tourism:

Castles and forts:

Sinai is also famous for its archaeological tourism, where there are many forts and castles, such as:

Historical ways:

There are monthly historical methods such as:

Museums:

There are also museums in Sinai that narrate its history, such as

• Al-Arish Archeology Museum.
• Sinai Heritage Museum.

In the end, we cannot deny the importance of Sinai, because of its importance on the borders of Egypt and the control of trade through the Suez Canal, as well as its tourist cities and nature reserves with rare living creatures, in addition to its role in the history of Egypt and the religions as well.