Sharm El Sheikh – Egypt
Egypt is a country of countless opportunities: millenniums old unique cultural heritage, diverse underwater world, life in East bazaar and unforgettable quiet wilderness. For Millenniums Nile represents the life vane for Egypt. The largest part of the Egypt area covers the desert, which is not populated. The capital city is Cairo, which lies to the north of the country before the Nile River Delta.
Egypt is in the north of the border on the Mediterranean Sea.
Red Sea a paradise for divers
With its coral reefs and tropical fish you can say it is one of the most beautiful diving places of the world. Approximately 100 diving places along the coast of Sharm El Sheikh and Hurghada provides facilities for training, diving and surfing conditions. The traditional tour through the desert with a camel or a ground vehicle is an unforgettable experience.
Location and Climate
The city lies at the southern-east tip in the Sinai Peninsula on the coastal strip between the Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba with the mountains of the Sinai in the back. The climate is dry and in the summer months, temperatures of 35 ° C are common, in the winter time, it is significantly colder, but with an average of 12-16 ° C is still bearable. During the months of May to August is almost no precipitation. The ideal travel time is in autumn and in the spring months.
History
The first time, Sharm El-Sheikh was included in charts is 1762. Egyptian President Nasser blocked the Strait of Tiran and the entrance of Israel to the Red Sea here in 1967. This sparked the Six Day War during which Israel occupied the Sinai Peninsula. After the peace treaty of 1979 between Israel and Egypt, the Sharm El-Sheikh was returned to Egypt again.
Sharm El-Sheikh was a small fishing village before 1967. It experienced a major upswing through the tourism in the 1990s. Sharm El-Sheikh today is based economically completely on tourism, and is now considered by far the most expensive seaside resort in Egypt. This is mainly because the ideal water sports and the warm and very clear water of the Red Sea. Especially among divers and snorkelers, the whole area (with the Ras Mohammed National Park) is known as the best area for these sports worldwide. Besides the large, international hotels and excellent restaurants there ware also several golf courses created.
On the night of 22 to 23 July 2005 three bomb explosions occurred in the city and nearby Naama Bay, in which at least 88 people were killed and, according to the Egyptian Health Minister Mohammed Awad Tag Eddin more than 200 were injured. The first explosion occurred around 01:15 clock on the square (old market) Sharm El-Sheikh. A few minutes later, the terrorists perpetrated an attack on the Ghazala Village Hotel and ignited at the same time about a bomb in the parking lot in front of the Hard Rock Cafe. ”
Located in the north of the city, the Naama Bay is the little Las Vegas of the Egyptians. Here, they feel open and free from any political doctrine. Not for nothing meets the international political elite here. This has existed for many years for fundamentalist groups often enough, this western reprehensible “to halt”. Veiled women, are not often seen here. Here there is everything that is not popular in familiar surroundings – Hard Rock Cafe, McDonald’s, outdoor Cartbahn, Buddha Bar, Night Clubs, and several official casinos.
Traffic
Each day there is a fast and comfortable bus to Cairo.
From the port of the town there are regular ferry services to Hurghada and Aqaba. Cruise ships often dock here. The local marina berth and is focal point for numerous private yachts and sailboats.
The international airport of Sharm El-Sheikh is with more than 5 million passengers (2006) to Cairo to second place in Egypt. Originally, the airport opened in 1968 as an Israeli military airport, which after the peace treaty between Israel and Egypt received its civilian status with the return of Sinai to Egypt. In May 2007, a second terminal with an annual capacity of 8 million passengers opened.
Food and drink
Egyptian cuisine is strongly influenced by Arab, Turkish and partly by Mediterranian. The range of vegetarian dishes is extremely diverse. Mezz is a typical dish served in small trays, which immediately satisfies hunger. You have to try fresh Tabbouleh salad with plenty of parsley, with a meal of wheat, minced lamb and the rest. Coffee is prepared in the Turkish manner, with water, and is beneficial for digestion.
In addition, a wide selection of refreshing soft drinks, for example lemonade, juice or Tamarhindi – sour drink of fresh juice extracted Tamarinds. Egyptian specialty of the hibiscus karkadeh.
