South Sinai Governorate (Egyptian Arabic: محافظة جنوب سيناء Muḥāfẓet Ganūb Sīnāʾ) is the least populated governorate of Egypt. It is located in the east of the country, encompassing the southern half of the Sinai Peninsula. Saint Catherine's Monastery, an Eastern Orthodox Church monastery and UNESCO World Heritage site of world renown, is located in central part of the governorate.
Sharm el Sheikh has developed into a major world tourist resort, it is located on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, in South Sinai Governorate, Egypt, on the coastal strip along the Red Sea. Its population is approximately 73,000 as of 2015. Sharm El Sheikh is the administrative hub of Egypt's South Sinai Governorate, which includes the smaller coastal towns of Dahab and Nuweiba as well as the mountainous interior, St. Catherine and Mount Sinai. The city and holiday resort is a significant centre for tourism in Egypt, while also attracting a number of international conferences and diplomatic meetings.
As far as tourism is concerned, Sinai is a precious treasure that has been only partially discovered and developed and the larger portion still promises of further tourist growth.
Sinai possesses almost all necessary assets for potentially successful tourist investment. With its diverse physical, climatic and environmental privileges, the Peninsula is most suited to all types of tourism including: recreational (sports,diving), historical, monumental, religious, therapeutic, safari, race and carnival, conference and scientific tourism.
As a result of a comprehensive development plan for the Peninsula, ultra modern tourist resorts and leisure facilities have spread everywhere in Sinai, attracting hundreds of thousands of tourists from all parts of the globe.
Recreational Tourism
This is the most prosperous in Sinai. This can be attributed to a rich environment, including a moderate climate, sandy and rocky beaches, colourful coral reefs and rare fishes and aquatic creatures. These assets are underpinned by a modern reliable infrastructure. Major centers of this type of tourism are located in easily accessible sites on or nearby the coast.
Beach Tourism
This type of tourism is widespread in coastal areas with fine sand beaches with shallow near-coast clear waters. These features are common in many sites on the Mediterranean and Gulf of Suez.
The Mediterranean coast, with its white fine sand and clear water, stretches from Balouza and Beer el-Abed in the west, through al- Areesh, al-Sheikh Zowayyed and al- Bardaweel Lagoon, up to Rafah to the east of Sinai. The beach at al-Areesh is characteristically known for its rows of palm-trees.
The Gulf of Suez beach extends along the eastern coast of the gulf, through the tourist areas of Ras Masallah, Ras Sidr, Ras Matarmah and at-Toar and the industrial areas of Abu-Znaima and Abu-Redis. The beach is permeated by several landheads and bays extending into the gulf waters. The beaches are also marked with white fine sands and clear, shallow waters stretching for lengths from the coast line.
In addition to moderate climate all the year round, this area is characterized with its proximity to Cairo and other major cities, which makes it a favourite destination for domestic tourism and one-day trips. Notably, Ras Sidr has numerous attractive tourist tourist resorts.
At-Toar beach is no less magnificent, particularly the palm beach, that combines tree plantations and the beach, engulfed between the gulf water and mountain chain in the east. The Moon Beach at-Toar is a land head with fine sandy beach, providing a panoramic view of the whole town .
Water Sports and Diving Tourism
The most favoured site for this type of tourism is the eastern coast of the Gulf of Aqaba, a mostly rocky coast with an immediately deep-water edge.
This area is graded as one of the most prestigious tourist zones in the world, in view of its coral reefs, colourd fishes, all-year-round warm waters, fascinating land and undersea scenery. It is surrounded by breathtaking physical formations, including bays, warm-water springs, rare and diverse fauna and flora. Thriving tourism sites on the Gulf of Aqaba coast include Sharm al-Sheikh, Dahab, Nwaiba and Taba.
Historical Tourism
In addition the famous St. Catherine area, Sinai contains a wide variety of monumental and historical sites, foremost of which is Serabeet al-Khadem nearby Ras Abu-Znaima. Here lies the temple of Hathur, dating back to the Pharaonic era, on a hilltop surrounded by remains of turquoise and copper mines earlier exploited by ancient Egyptians in both the Middle and New Kingdoms BC. Closeby, there exists al-Maghara area with its monumental inscriptions.
Nearby, Taba, there lies Saladin's Citadel in Pharaoh's Island, that is easily accessible from the neighboring resort areas. The Island is visited by great numbers of tourists all the year round. Other hubs for tourists interested in archaeology are some other ancient castles such as Nikhel's, that lies on the international Suez-Taba Highway.
Historical routes in Sinai gain additional importance. On the old Horus Road, running parallel to the Mediterranean Sea northern coast of Sinai, there are many tourist sites, particularly in Polliseum "al-Farina", al-Flusiat and al-Khowainat on al-Bardaweel Lagoon and al-Areesh Castle. Other historical routes have special tourist importance such as that trodden by the Holy Family in the course of their journey to Egypt
Religious Tourism
The land of Sinai was blessed by the Almighty God and frequently mentioned in the Heavenly Books. It was a passageway as well as a refuge for many Prophets.
Earlier, Prophet Abraham passed through it en route to Egypt and then returned to it with his wife Sarah. Abandoned by his brothers, Joseph, son of Jacob, crossed Sinai towards Egypt where he rose to a high position. In Sinai, Moses lived and married the daughter of Sh'aib of Madian. On its mountains, God spoke to Moses in the Sacred Valley of Towa. Here also, Moses and his brother Aaron rested finally in peace.
Later, the Holy Family: Virgin Mary and Joseph the Carpenter together with infant Christ crossed the peninsula on their way to Egypt and then back to Palestine.
At present, religious tourism is basically concentrated in St. Catherine and Wadi Firan. Other sites include Mount Moses, St. Catherine's Monastery, Tombs of Prophets Saleh and Aaron and the Girls Monastery.
Therapeutic Tourism
Sinai possesses many sources of curative tourism including springs of water with therapeutic effects and fine hot sands that are also effective in treating rheumatism.
Sinai is also famous for a wide variety of herbs used in treating a wide array of diseases. These herbs have a high appeal to tourists in view of the increasing global trend towards herbal medication as a substitute to chemical drugs. Salient curative tourist sites include the following:
Hammam Phar'oun "Pharaoh's Bath", which lie about 100 km from the Suez Canal bank and contains 15 hot-water springs with temperatures ranging from 35° to 70°. The rising v***r fills a grotto carved into the mountain on the sea shore.
Scientific analysis proved the possibility of using this mineral water in treating several chest, skin and some eye diseases. An integrated health resort with hotel , a yacht marina and recreational, accommodation and therapeutic facilities is under construction in the area.
Hammam Mousa ( Moses' Bath) lies about 3 km to the north of at-Toar and contains 5 springs with hot water at 37°flowing into a basin-like bath. The sulfuric water effective in treating rheumatic and skin diseases. The Bath and the neighbouring area have been recently developed for tourist use.
Oyoun Mousa ( Moses' Springs) lies about 60 km from al-Shaheed Ahmad Hamdi's Tunnel ( beneath the Suez Canal). In addition to the neigbouring beautiful natural scenery, the spring's water can cure some rheumatic and skin diseases and are useful to gastrointensinal system.
Medicinal Herbs
Sinai's soil is rich many medicinal herbs and wild plants with high curative effect. These have proved effective in curing many diseases and ailments, such as cough and chest, skin and cardiac diseases as well as stomachache, rheumatism, diabetes and muscular contraction.
Safari Tourism
The very geographical composition of Sinai was instrumental in encouraging a very special type of tourism, namely Safari and adventure tourism through its deserts, mountains and valleys. Famous attractions include fascinating mountain chains such St. Catherine and the Coloured Canyon.
In addition to their unique pathways, that are good for mountaineering, the mountains have wide-spectrum colours and exciting formations. Salient of these are a mountain close to Wadi Wateer, nearby Ain Firtaqa on Nwaiba'- St. Catherine road and another one closer to St. Catherine in Wadi Aradh.
Other Safari tourist sites include scenic valleys and water springs such as Ain al-Qedairat, Ain Umm Mohammad, Ain Firtaqa and Firan's springs and valleys.
Safari tourists can enjoy wild game hunting at al-Areesh, al-Sheikh Zowayyed and Rafah, north Sinai or in other areas in the south where hunting is allowed.
Race and Carnival Tourism
Dromedary races, a purely Bedouin tradition, are the major tourist events in Sinai, that attract large numbers of participants and tourists. Related to these are folklore carnivals of popular costumes, traditions and arts.
A local and international dromedary race is conducted regularly at appropriate dates each year, especially in spring season. Sinai's passageways are most suited to car rallies and international cycling races that are conducted often in south Sinai.
Conference Tourism
Recently, this type of tourism has flourished in Sinai, particularly in Sharm el-Sheikh, in view of its temperate climate, adequate modern communications, together with an international airport, well-equipped conference auditory and halls and guest facilities appropriate for all types of conferences.
Sharm el-Sheikh was the venue of many top world conferences, notably the international Peace Makers' Conference, held on March 13, 1996 and other world and international Summits.
Scientific Tourism
Sinai contains many sites suitable for scientific tourism, including fauna and flora research, particularly in St. Catherine and Ras Mohammad nature reserves and watching migrating birds in az-Zaraneeq and Ras Mohammad reserves.
