Header Dot Taba


Sub Dot Key Attractions


Sub DotTaba Protected Area
Inland from Taba and Nuweiba is the latest addition to Egypt's national park series. The huge 2800 square kilometer Taba Protected Area is a complex network of wadis and canyons that navigate through the park's granite and sedimentary mountains. Here, years of water and wind erosion have carved out gripping geological monuments. Some of Sinai's most stunning natural spots, like the Coloured Canyon, Ein Umm Ahmed and Ein Khudra, are located within the protectorate. History buffs are intrigued as much by the park's ancient rock art of religious symbols and vanished animals, as by it's presumably stone age Nawamis tombs. The most noticeable plant species along the wadis is the thorny acacia tree, but diversity still abounds. Experts have identified as many as 72 different plant varieties in one wadi alone. Within the park thrive gazelle, Nubian ibex and hyrax, as well as large birds like bustards and the Egyptian vulture.


Sub DotColored Canyon
One of the natural wonders of the Sinai, the Colored Canyon is awe-inspiring. Take a walk in between dramatic sandstone canyon walls streaked with melting yellows, purples, reds, magentas and gold. In certain places the canyon walls reach up to 40 meters. You feel as if you are enclosed in a spectacular coloring book. Formed by the natural elements over centuries, the walls of Colored Canyon cascade with colors as a result of ferrous oxide and manganese. Consequently, a natural maze has been formed that is excellent for exploring and taking photographs. A haven of tranquility, Colored Canyon promises its visitors peaceful moments and silence. To ensure your safety, in some areas of the Colored Canyon you will need to be reasonably fit to investigate. Day trips to the Colored Canyon can be arranged from Dahab, Nuweiba, or Taba.


Sub DotEin Kid
One of the jewels on the Sinai, Ein Kid is a palm-filled oasis at the end of a pastel colored path. Promising shade and tranquility for every visitor, Ein Kid is the perfect remedy for the stress of urban life. The walk from Wadi Kid to Ein Kid is stunning as you spot the water flowing down from the oasis. The path is flanked by awesome granite boulders hovering, as you ascend into the oasis. You will feel so small in the shadows of these stupendous creations.

When you set your eyes on the oasis, you will be amazed by the contrast of colors created by the desert landscape and the lush trees. Complete with date palms, acacias, and fruit bearing trees, Ein Kid is the ultimate place for an afternoon picnic and a hike. You can organize a day trip or camping trip from Sharm el Sheikh or Dahab.


Sub DotAbu Galum Protected Area
Abu Galum Protected Area, along the Gulf of Aqaba between Dahab and Nuweiba, is a 500 km2 natural wonderland. Shell speckled gravel beaches run parallel most of the way to the splendid coral reefs below, unless rudely interrupted by plunging mountainsides. Close examination of the beaches will expose masses of Nerita splendens, a tiny snail whose decorative shell blends seamlessly into the pebble mosaic. Inland into the park, deep wadis interlace with massive granite mountains that are intermittently cut by dark dolerite dykes. Out of a total 167 species recently recorded in this environmentally unique region, as many as 44 plant species are endemic. Mammals seem to like this plant diversity. Nubian ibex, hyrax, red fox and striped hyena thrive here, as well as a variety of lizards and snakes, including the black cobra, the horned viper and Burton's carpet viper.


Sub DotBlue Desert
The most amazing thing about the Blue Desert isn't the blue paint on the rocks, it is the wadi itself - against the backdrop of the legendary blue Sinai sky. Massive granite sculptures and golden boulders cover the desert floor along with beautiful pink flowers dotting the plains. The Blue Desert is a great place for climbing, taking pictures or just getting away from it all. In 1980, Belgian artist Jean Verame came to the Sinai to paint a line of peace. With the permission of Anwar Sadat and a grant of ten tons of paint from the UN, the artist managed to paint four miles of the Sinai. One year later, a stretch between Dahab and St Katherine was blue; hence, the name the Blue Desert.


Sub DotEin Umm Ahmad
One of the most precious and lush desert locales in the Sinai is Ein Umm Ahmed. Translated from Arabic, Ein Umm Ahmed means "spring of the mother of Ahmed". This oasis spans along a wadi filled with life. The abundance of fruit trees bearing lemons, olives, figs and dates is overwhelming in this remote location in the desert. A complete vegetable garden with tomatoes, basil and mint is witness to the abundance of water. The oasis is bursting with flora, fauna and birds. The spring and bountiful water supply are a welcome relief for all desert travelers. The oasis of Ein Umm Ahmed is inhabited by local Bedouins, who are always interested in seeing a visitor, have a tea and show off this amazing location. It is advisable to take a guide from either Nuweiba or Dahab to Ein Umm Ahmed, as there are many interesting spots to check out along the way


Sub DotMonastery of St Katherine
The Monastery of St. Katherine lies at the foot of the Gebel Musa, or Mount Moses, in the heart of the South Sinai. In 330 AD the mother of Emperor Constantine, Empress Helena, ordered the construction of a small church by Moses' Burning Bush. It was called the Church of the Transfiguration. The fortified monastery we see today was built around this church during the reign of Emperor Justinian (527-565 AD).

In the 11th century the monastery was dedicated to St. Katherine of Alexandria, who had died in 310 AD. Her remains, reportedly found by monks on a mountain peak next to Mt Sinai, are buried in the monastery's Basilica.

Fronted by gardens and cypress trees, the monastery is owned and run by the Greek Orthodox Church. Its rich library houses the world's second largest collection of illuminated manuscripts after the Vatican. You can see the Burning Bush and a large number of antique works of art: invaluable icons, beautifully carved doors, exquisite wall paintings and other fine religious ornaments.


Sub DotMount Sinai (Gebel Musa)
Mount Sinai, just south of the Monastery of St Katherine, is of great religious importance to Jews, Christians and Muslims. According to the Old Testament this is where Moses received the Ten Commandments. Throughout the centuries the mountain has drawn thousands of pilgrims from all over the world. You can ascend to the summit (2285 m, 7497 ft) to experience the ultimate spiritual high; either by climbing some 4000 steps built by monks or by following an easier but longer path. Both lead to an open area known as Elija's Basin where you walk up the remaining 750 steps to the top. At the summit you will find the Chapel of the Holy Trinity that was built in 1934 on the site of a much earlier chapel built in 363 AD. The climb takes about three hours but the view from the top is truly breathtaking, especially at sunrise.













 
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