Land of Turquoise

By and large, the most popular of Egyptian deserts is the Sinai, also dubbed the Land of Turquoise. Ancient Egyptians mined this semi precious stone in the mountains of Sinai; present day Bedouins still do the same.
By virtue of its geographic location, literally a stepping stone between Asia and Africa, this penisula has witnessed, over the millennia, a number of historical events; Moses’ Exodus being probably the most spectacular.

The topography of Sinai consists of rocky mountains of volcanic origin in the south and flat sandy plains in the north.
The mountains of South Sinai reach their highest near the center of the peninsula (Mt. Catherine or "Jabal Katrina", 2642m, 8719 ft). Alluvial plains run outwards to the Gulf of Suez in the west and the Gulf of Aqaba in the east.
The shoreline of South Sinai is made up of sheer cliffs of fossilized coral reef dropping into the deep waters of the Red Sea, alternating with sandy bays at the mouths of floodpaths coming down from the mountains.
North Sinai is mostly characterized by rolling sand dunes and sandstone plateaus.

The Bedouins inhabiting South Sinai belong mainly to two principal tribes; the Mezeina and the Tarabin, both originally from Saudi Arabia and Jordan. North Sinai Bedouins come from Palestine and Jordan. Villages consist of no more than half a dozen huts although in some cases like the village of Serabit el Khadem the population is more than four hundred.

Large towns such as El Arish, the administrative center of North Sinai and Sharm el Sheikh, the tourist showcase of South Sinai, have attracted and absorbed an important number of Bedouins, luring them into business and metropolitan life. The majority however, still lives a nomadic life herding their sheep, goats and occasional camel or donkey.

Wildlife in Sinai consists of fennecs, one of the smallest foxes in the world, gazelles, rodents, snakes, lizards, scorpions and beetles. The elusive sand cat, allegedly a direct descendant of the sabre-toothed tiger (an allegation of doubtful origin) and the size of a small housedog, has been sighted a couple of times in the mountains. Ibex, long hunted for their horns still live as isolated individuals in the higher peaks.

A host of migrating birds cross Sinai every year, sharing the land with resident osprey, wild pigeons, hawks, owls and other smaller species.

Water resources in Sinai come mainly from rain; during a flash flood, massive amounts of water are channeled through wadis toward the sea, some of this water finds its way into cracks in the rock forming underground pools in the wadi beds or open reservoirs high in the mountains.

The shoreline along the Gulf of Aqaba offers some of the best scuba diving sites in the world, Dr. Eugenie Clark, a leading authority on marine biology once said “..if I have only one more dive to make in my life I would want to make it in Ras Mohamed”.Tidal currents from the gulfs of Suez and Aqaba meet at this tip of land forming the southernmost point in the Sinai peninsula. This creates a highly nutrient-rich environment supporting a diverse and profuse ecological system. The Red Sea, being an almost closed body of water, has developed a relatively high level of salinity, water temperatures are fairly stable throughout the year; some of the marine life forms have evolved into true endemic species found nowhere else.

Despite its harsh climate, with air temperatures ranging from scorching heat to snowfall, the Sinai desert has a strange, almost friendly atmosphere to it. The Sayyal trees, found in abundance, provide a cool shade in the heat of summer months, as well as firewood for those cold freezing nights in January.

Around a wadi bend, you might chance on a few Bedouin huts tucked up in the mountainside. You will find children playing, dogs barking and a curious herd of goats coming up to you to inspect your shoelaces and pull at your backpack straps. You will be invited to share a cup of boiled tea with wild herbs and maybe some dates. Almost immediately, a dozen children will sit around you displaying handicrafts and souvenirs for sale. You will be gently manipulated into purchasing bead bracelets, key rings, good luck charms as well as stones, old coffeepots, maybe a pipe, a Swiss Army Knife or any odd object the kids may have found in the desert.