A huge part of Ancient Egyptian civilization, Sinai consists of a peninsula being the only part of Egypt to be categorized as part of the Asian continent. A highly visited destination among tourists, the Sinai carries so many secrets of Ancient Egyptian civilization. With a vast territory of 60000 square km, Sinai is a mix of a red desert, surrounded by gracious mountains formation and turquoise water with sand beaches.
it’s located between the Mediterranean Sea in the North of Egypt and stretching out to the South of the Red Sea. The Sinai consists of a peninsula with a population of about 600.000 people and it’s divided into two governorates, being them the South Sinai Governorate and the North Sinai Governorate.
The Sinai Peninsula is also located in the borders of Egypt and the Gaza strip, for that reason, the Egyptian government has a heavy army and police presence in the whole of Sinai, so for travelers who choose to drive then police checkpoints are very common and it can interfere with travel times.
The peninsula has acquired the name of Sinai in modern times due to the conclusion that a mountain located within the area nearby the Saint Catherine's Monastery is the actual Mount Sinai mentioned in the Bible, which was the place where Moses went to meditate and ended up receiving The Ten Commandments from God. For this reason, Mount Sinai receives tourists from all over the world as it is considered a sacred place for many Catholics.
Having been the center of conflict between Egypt and various other Countries due to its location, the Sinai Peninsula has now been a part of Egypt since the First Dynasty of ancient Egypt. Some of its northern territories were lost in conflicts and now belongs to Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, and Palestine.
The most recent empires to have occupied the Sinai was the Ottoman Empire from 1517-1867 and the United Kingdom from 1882-1956. During the Suez crisis, Israel invaded and occupied the Sinai Peninsula, where Egypt suffered the coordinated attack of the UK, France, and Israel also known as the Tripartite Aggression which happened in 1956 and the Six-Day war in 1967. In October 1973, Egypt tried regaining control over the Sinai Peninsula launching the Yom Kippur War, known in Egypt and much of Europe as the October War. The war ended following a mutually agreed-upon ceasefire. After the peace agreement signed between Israel and Egypt in 1982, Israel then withdrew all troupes from the Sinai Peninsula and Egypt to regain full control over the Sinai.
Scuba Diving
The Sinai Peninsula covers some of the best diving spots in the whole world. The Red Sea of Egypt is located within the Sinai Peninsula and it has a marine life to leave any world traveler experience diver speechless. The Red Sea underwater eco-system has over 300 species of corals in all colors and shapes and 1,200 species of different types of fish, which 10% of these species are not found anywhere else in the world other than in the Red Sea. Turtles, spinner dolphins, dugongs, mantas, and sharks are some of the possible encounters divers will have while diving in the beautiful waters of the Red Sea.
Best Scuba Diving Spots in Sinai
Ras Mohammed National Park
With one of the richest marine lives in the world with over 220 species of coral, the Ras Mohamed National Park is a marine reserve located in the sea area of Sharm El Sheikh.
The Blue Hole
Considered one of the most dangerous scuba diving sites in the world, The Blue Hole located in the relaxing Sinai city of Dahab, is not recommended for beginners divers. Consisted of over 100 meters in-depth and a tunnel, diving in the Blue Hole is the ultimate diving adventure for experience adrenaline seekers only.
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