Country Egypt Time zone EET (UTC+2) Area 33,140 km² Population 164,574 (2014) | Website South Sinai | |
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Points of interest Ras Muhammad National, Tiran Island, Saint Catherine's Monastery, Mount Sinai, Naama Bay Destinations | ||
South Sinai Governorate (Egyptian Arabic: محافظة جنوب سيناء Muḥāfẓet Ganūb Sīnāʾ) is the least populated governorate of Egypt. It is located in the east of the country, encompassing the southern half of the Sinai Peninsula. Saint Catherine's Monastery, an Eastern Orthodox Church monastery and UNESCO World Heritage site of world renown, is located in central part of the governorate.
Contents
Map of South Sinai Governorate, Egypt
History
Sharm El Sheikh has developed into a major tourist resort, but the industry has been severely affected by terrorism. In 2005, the resort was the site of terrorist attacks perpetrated by an extremist Islamist organisation. 88 people were killed, the majority of them Egyptians, and over 200 were wounded in the attack, making it the deadliest terrorist action in the country's history (even exceeding the Luxor massacre of 1997). In February 2014, a tourist bus was attacked in Taba. The perpetrators killed the Egyptian bus driver and three South Korean tourists. On 31 October 2015, Russian plane Metrojet Flight 9268 took off from Sharm El Sheikh International Airport and disintegrated on route to Pulkovo Airport, Saint Petersburg, Russia. All 217 passengers and seven crew members who were on board were killed. On October 14, 2016 twelve Egyptian troops were killed.
Demographics
According to population estimates from 2015 the majority of residents in the governorate live in urban areas, with an urbanization rate of 51.1%. Out of an estimated 167,426 people residing in the governorate, 85,502 people live in urban areas as opposed to only 81,924 in rural areas. The Bedouin inhabit the Mount Sinai area. Due to poor accessibility, at times the orchards in the mountains have served to hide narcotics smugglers in the region.
Landmarks
Saint Catherine's Monastery, an Eastern Orthodox Church monastery and UNESCO World Heritage site of world renown, is located in central part of the governorate, at the mouth of a gorge at the foot of Mount Sinai, in the city of Saint Catherine, Egypt. Built between 548 and 565, the monastery is one of the oldest working Christian monasteries in the world. The site contains the world's oldest continually operating library, possessing many unique books including the Syriac Sinaiticus and, until 1859, the Codex Sinaiticus.
Raithu Monastery is situated in El Tor. It was built on a site where some 40 monks were massacred in the 4th or 5th century.