Top Facts About Sharm El Sheikh
Sharm El-Sheikh in Egypt is the largest and the most important city on the Red Sea. It lies at the southern flank of the Peninsula where Aqaba and Suez meet the Red Sea. The visitor to the area will find a combination of history, tourism and agriculture. However, in recent years, Sharm El-Sheikh has become mainly known for tourism and cheap holidays.
The development of the city offers an exclusive world of luxury and elegance. Sharm el Sheikh is really a fantasy land of style and glamour with low density resorts, unrivalled food shops and exclusive sports facilities. New beaches and tourist villages have been built to accommodate the large numbers of tourists who flock to enjoy the uniqueness of the place.
The definition of Sharm el Sheikh is "Sharm" meaning bay and "El Sheikh" meaning leader. This is according to the original inhabitants of the Sinai Peninsula, the Bedouin tribal people.
Sharm el-Sheikh is sometimes called the "City of Peace", referring to the large number of international peace conferences that have been held there.
Sharm el-Sheikh is on a promontory overlooking the Straits of Tiran at the mouth of the Gulf of Aqaba. Its strategic importance led to its transformation from a fishing village into a major port and naval base for the Egyptian Navy. It was captured by Israel during the Suez Crisis of 1956 and restored to Egypt in 1957. A United Nations peacekeeping force was subsequently stationed there until the 1967 Six-Day War when it was recaptured by Israel. Sharm el-Sheikh remained under Israeli control until the Sinai peninsula was restored again to Egypt in 1982 after the Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty of 1979.
Sharm's marina has been redeveloped for private yachts and sailboats, with a passenger terminal for cruise ships and scheduled ferry service to Hurghada and Aqaba. Sharm el-Sheikh International Airport in addition to scheduled flights to Cairo, Hurghada, Luxor, Alexandria.
Sharm has frequent coach services to Cairo leaving from the Delta Sharm bus station and it is called" Super Jet".
Its population is approximately 35,000 (2008). 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, Saint Catherine's Monastery and Mount Sinai.
Not only the palm trees, blue sky, sea and mountains make Sharm an irresistible travel destination; Sharm’s warm, dry weather year-round attracts tourists as well. The Red Sea coastal town is celebrated for its consistent tropical weather, enabling tourists from all over the world to travel there to escape their native rain or snow or sleet. Always sunny and its just a great place to have the perfect tan.
The average temperatures during the winter months (November to March) range from 15 to 35 degrees Celsius (59-95°F) and during the summer months (April to October) from 20 to 45 degrees Celsius (68-113°F). The temperature of the Red Sea in this region ranges from 21 to 28 degrees Celsius (70-84°F) over the course of the year.
Visitors to Sharm El-Sheikh city can get a glimpse of cultural and religious tourism by visiting historical sites all within easy reach. At the east of the city lies The Monastery of St. Catherine which is one of the very few early Christian buildings not to have been destroyed or reconstructed over the centuries. There are ancient monasteries and temples in abundance.
Sharm el-Sheikh has also become a favourite spot for scuba divers from around the world. Being situated near the Red Sea, it provides some of the most stunning underwater scenery and warm water making this an ideal place to dive. Visitors to Sharm el-Sheikh can experience a variety of water and activities. Beach seekers find many activities such as diving, snorkelling, windsurfing, kitesurfing, para-sailing, boating, and canoeing.
