Sinai, land of turquoise

Sinai is characterized by a very important strategic location, as it is considered the north-eastern gateway to Egypt. It enjoys a very moderate and healthy climate, in addition to its great economic and tourism importance. It has many lands suitable for agricultural reclamation, water wells, and mining. It also possesses the most important industrial navigation canal in the world, in addition to Many tourist cities, and from the cultural aspect, they are of a special nature, which is the nature of the Bedouin society, which results in cultural diversities that differ from the prevailing culture in the delta and the valley.

Its enormous natural potential

Throughout medieval history, Sinai was part of the distant margin that the capital was forced to deal with sometimes but ignored most of the time. This is despite the fact that Sinai is characterized by an extremely important strategic location, and it also possesses the most important industrial navigation canal in the world and has many lands. Suitable for agricultural reclamation, in addition to many tourist cities. Hence, the issue of developing Sinai from the economic, political, social and cultural aspects has become an urgent and indispensable necessity.

Sinai and its strategic location

Sinai is surrounded by water on all sides, and this makes its climate very moderate and healthy. The Sinai Peninsula also has great economic importance represented by its possession of the most important industrial navigation canal in the world. It also has many mining areas, water wells, and mineral and sulfur springs that are distinguished by their ability to Recovery from many diseases, and it is considered the largest valley whose lands are suitable for rehabilitating agriculture and cultivating medicinal and aromatic plants. This is in addition to the great importance of tourist cities that generate a large income for Egypt and provide many job opportunities for young people.

archaeologist, Professor Dr. Abdel Halim Nour El-Din, reveals in his previous studies what we must do in order to protect and develop Sinai, which is to encourage investment in the fields of tourism - agriculture and land reclamation - industry - investment in mines, quarries, mineral resources, etc., and tourist and archaeological interest in the road. The Holy Family Journey - the ancient Hajj Route - and the ancient Horus Military Route, establishing cultural palaces, youth centers and sports clubs, completing the Al-Arish Stadium and establishing a stadium in Al-Tur, distributing land to families or young people wishing to settle in Sinai, reviving the Peace Canal Project to expand the area of ​​agricultural land, interest Education and the establishment of educational institutions.

Pointing to the importance of Sinai, as it is the eastern gateway to Egypt. It witnessed religious, historical, military and economic events recorded in the pages of history. Sinai, which was associated with the three heavenly religions, was on one of its mountains, Mount Moses... God Almighty spoke to our master Moses, peace be upon him, and through its land the journey of the Holy Family passed and the journey settled in an area. Tel Al-Farama (near Qantara) in order to seek rest and hide from the eyes of the pursuing Romans. Through Sinai, Amr Ibn Al-Aas entered and conquered the land of Egypt. The land of Sinai witnessed the most important military road in ancient history, which is known as the “Horus Road,” which extends from Qantara east to Rafah.

 

Sinai, which was embraced by the Mediterranean and Red Seas and which witnessed throughout the ages the creativity of the Egyptian man in architecture, arts, etc., Sinai, which witnessed monasticism and where church towers and mosques met as an expression of the embrace of heavenly religions, Sinai, which witnessed the most important castles, military fortresses, and military roads to secure its borders and preserve its components, Sinai, which It includes dozens of archaeological sites that have not yet been exploited within the framework of cultural tourism and that have been absent from the tourism map in Egypt

Sinai, which was embraced by the Mediterranean and Red Seas and which witnessed throughout the ages the creativity of the Egyptian man in architecture, arts, etc., Sinai, which witnessed monasticism and where church towers and mosques met as an expression of the embrace of heavenly religions, Sinai, which witnessed the most important castles, military fortresses, and military roads to secure its borders and preserve its components, Sinai, which It includes dozens of archaeological sites that have not yet been exploited within the framework of cultural tourism and that have been absent from the tourism map in Egypt

Reviving the Sinai heritage

Archaeological expert Dr. Abdel Rahim Rayhan also calls for developing Sinai culturally by reviving its heritage, as it is an integral part of the Egyptian national memory. He pointed out that Sinai possesses a unique cultural heritage that attracts the attention of scholars from all over the world, calling for the revival and development of this cultural heritage system, because the people of Sinai built culturally. It is the basis for any economic development, and reviving the Sinai heritage includes opening the way for researchers to study it

 

 

          This heritage and the establishment of specialized art schools inside Sinai to develop heritage products and open the way for marketing them abroad by participating in foreign exhibitions.”

The archaeological researcher stressed the importance of exploiting the skill of the people of Sinai in herbal medicine, especially in the St. Catherine area, and establishing a college of pharmacy there to legalize herbal medicine in a scientific manner, and paying attention to spontaneous arts groups inside Sinai, to revive Sinai music and art. The archaeological expert called for the formation of a working team from the Ministries of Antiquities, Culture, Tourism and Environment to develop a program for the revival, development and promotion of Sinai heritage, and to achieve cultural linkage and communication between diverse cultures within Egypt.

 

Because it possesses all the elements of eco-tourism in Sinai, including diverse mountains, rare birds, natural and sulfur springs, and valleys containing medicinal plants, including the red, black, gray and green granite mountains of Al-Tur, which are interspersed with gold threads. The ancient Egyptians exploited them in the manufacture of decorative tools and cups.

Pointing out that there is a famous mountain behind Sat Catherine Monastery on which ancient plants have been petrified, imprinting their shape on the depth of the mountain. There is the summit of Mount Serbal in Wadi Firan, which forms a unique peak consisting of five peaks representing a great crown in the form of a semicircle, and from these mountains flow many valleys that flow into the Gulf of Suez or Aqaba contains plants and springs, as well as rare animals and birds. Sinai also contains sulfur baths, such as Mount Pharaoh’s Bath, 240 km from Cairo, from the foot of which emerges a sulfur spring called Pharaoh’s Bath, whose temperature is 57 degrees Celsius. Sinai is a global site for medical tourism.

He explained that there are a number of archaeological discoveries of Christian antiquities in Sinai, which represent the greatest and oldest Byzantine architectural school for designing cells and churches from the fourth to the sixth century AD. Sinai was a safe haven for its early monotheists, and its geographical conditions contributed to the ease of communication between its valleys and the availability of building materials and blessings in the places. The Holy City in Mount Sharia and on the path of the Holy Family’s journey in Sinai from Rafah to Al-Farma in the spread of monasticism for which it became famous worldwide.

 

He added that the South Sinai Area of ​​Islamic and Coptic Antiquities uncovered cells and churches in the Wadi Al-Awaj area (9 km southeast of the city of Tur Sinai) in 2002. It also revealed an integrated monastery representing the third phase from 1984 to 1996, which is the Valley Monastery in the village of Al-Wadi, which is 6 km north. Tur Sinai is the only monastery in Sinai that preserves all its architectural elements from the sixth century AD until now. It is a unique artistic architectural masterpiece made of limestone and sand. It includes 96 rooms on two floors, some of which are cells for monks and the other rooms for those arriving to the monastery to stay for a period to visit the holy places in Tur and then go to the Monastery of St. Catherine

Which includes three churches, an olive press, a restaurant, and a well. An integrated Byzantine city was also uncovered in the Tal Mahred area in Wadi Ferran in Sinai. It was revealed by a German archaeological mission under the supervision of the region in several excavation seasons from 1984 to 1995. It contains the oldest cathedral in Sinai before the establishment of the Monastery of St. Catherine in the 19th century. Fourth to sixth century AD, indicating that the diocese continued to perform its role ninety years after the construction of the Monastery of Tur Sinai, which was built between 548 and 565 AD. Then its name was changed to the Monastery of Saint Catherine in the ninth century AD after the famous story of Saint Catherine, and Wadi Firan represents a school. Various architectural styles were presented in the research, and Christian antiquities were also uncovered on the Holy Family Road in North Sinai, which includes several stations from Rafah - Sheikh Zuweid - Al-Arish - Al-Falusiyat - Al-Farma.

The importance of Sinai, its historical and archaeological value, and how it collected the relics of the three monotheistic religions, which is why it deserved to be the capital of religious tourism. He pointed out the presence of a large number of Islamic and Coptic antiquities spread throughout Sinai, the most prominent of which are Nakhal Castle, Nuweiba Castle, Ras Al-Jundi, and Saladin Castle in Taba. It has many historical roads, such as the Horus Military Road, the Exodus Road, the Islamic Hajj Road, and the Holy Family Journey, pointing to the Oyoun Musa area and its historical and religious importance.