Sharm El Sheikh City Guide

Sharm el-Sheikh – The City of Peace

Sharm el-Sheikh is a city located on the Egyptian Red Sea coast, at the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt. It lies on the coastal strip between the Red Sea and Mount Sinai with a population of approximately 35,000. Sharm El-Sheikh city has been subdivided into five homogeneous centers namely: Sharm El Maya, Na’ama Bay, Nabq, Umm Sid and Ras Nusrani.

‘The City of Peace’

Sharm el-Sheikh, also known as “City of Peace” in regards to the big number of international peace conferences that have been held there, is the administrative hub of Egypt’s South Sinai Governorate including the minor coastal towns of Nuweiba and Dahab as well as the mountainous interior, St. Catherine’s Monastery and Mt Sinai.

Sharm El Sheikh has acted host to numerous important Middle Eastern peace conferences, including the September 4, 1999 the agreement for the restoration of the Palestinian self governance over the Gaza Strip. A summit was held on August 3, 2005 in this city on developments in the Arab world such as the situation in Iraq and the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Sharm el-Sheikh considers itself and indeed is the seaside resort in Sinai. Several visitors holiday here year in year out. Sharm el-Sheikh Bay, Na’ama Bay and Shark Bay are about 6 km apart but the development of the resort is such that they will soon form one settlement. The long beaches of fine sand already attract visitors and since the small town has grown rapidly, there are more and more tourists enjoying the charms of the place. The small town has grown rapidly and there are more and more tourists enjoying the charms of the place.

Historical Background

Before 1967, Sharm el-Sheikh was little more than an occasional base of operations for local fishermen; the nearest permanent settlement was in Nabk, north of Ras el-Nasrani. Commercial development of the area began during the Israeli presence in the area. The Israelis built the town of Ofira overlooking Sharm el-Maya Bay, and the Nesima area, and opened the first tourist-oriented establishments in the area six kilometers north at Na’ama Bay.

After the Sinai was restored to Egypt in 1982, the Egyptian government embarked on an initiative to encourage continued development of the city. Foreign investors – some of whom had discovered the potential of the locality during the Israeli occupation – contributed to a spate of building projects. Environmental zoning laws currently limit the height of buildings in Sharm el-Sheikh so as to avoid obscuring the natural beauty of the surroundings.

Places of interest and for enjoyment

This is Sharm el-Sheikh, one of the most accessible and developed tourist resort communities on the Sinai Peninsula. Na’ama Beach is one of the centers of the tourist activities. Located just north of Sharm, this area is developing into a resort town of its own. Most hotels at Na’ama Bay have their own, private beaches with comfortable amenities such as chairs, shades and even bars.

Visit the 4th century’s St Catherine’s Monastery, take a safari to the colored Canyons with its beautifully colored rock formations. Sharm El Sheikh is actually a collection of bays and coves – including Na’ama Bay, Sharks Bay, Tiger Bay and Garden Bay. Na’ama Bay is the main entertainment hub. In the evening the promenade comes alive as holidaymakers enjoy the bar, restaurants and nightclubs. With all this, it is almost impossible for a visitor to ever suffer from boredom.

Family and sporting attractions;

Visitors love to lie and roast in the sun but beware of too much exposure, as it is very fierce. They also love to swim in the extraordinarily clear waters and to hire windsurfing boards, ideal for making the most of the ever-present breeze. The seabed close to the coast is like some gigantic coral aquarium, home to coral grouper (red fish with blue spots), Napoleon wrasse, parrotfish, butterfly fish (always in pairs), map angelfish (blue and yellow), threadfins and scorpion fish with long, elegant fins.

Luxury hotels with swimming pools have flourished along the coast. They offer all the facilities, including plenty of sports and leisure activities, such as Diving, snorkeling, deep sea fishing expeditions and a variety of water sports demanded by an international clientele who make for the resort summer and winter. Highly qualified instructors offer an introduction to scuba diving for those wishing to swap the snorkel for a tank. There is an excellent golf course.

Book a Nile cruise holiday and gain a new understanding and insight into Egypt’s spectacular and historic landscape. You can choose to sail on a luxury cruise ship or a more intimate beautifully-crafted boat.

Family Shopping

For those who live to shop, the Sharm El-Sheikh mall provides shops with both foreign and local products, including jewelry, leather goods, clothing, pottery and books. There is plenty of good shopping with tourists’ boutiques selling a wide range of Pharaonic souvenirs, leather goods, jewellery, pottery and beach and diving equipment. It has been said that this is a must visit for all diving enthusiasts. There are many diving sites along the 10 mile beach between Sharm el-Sheikh and Ras Nusrani.