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Sinai:
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Sinai: Land of
Discovery
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The route to the Promised Land, where Isis
sought Osiris and the Pharaohs found gold. A meeting
point for three great religions, at the
crossroads of Africa and Asia : where Moses
witnessed the Burning Bush, the Holy Family
passed along during its flight into Egypt and
where Amr Ibn El Aas went across on his invasion
of the country. After 8.000 years at the heart
of history, experience the continuing contrasts.
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Sinai :
where rock meets coral reefs and the desert
stops at the sea. Where the grandeur of granite
meets the golden beaches of the "Res Sea
Riviera" Tropical fish and rare sunsets and
clear starry nights.
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El- Arish:
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Shady palm- land beaches, Mediterranean waves
and the glowing colors of Bedouin crafts
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Sharm el-Sheikh:
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The simplicity of sun, sea and sand. The luxury
of five-star hotels, water sports, shopping and
entertainment. This is Sharm el-Sheikh, one of
the most accessible and developed tourist resort
communities on the Sinai Peninsula. Na'ama Beach
is the center of the tourist activities. It has
been said that this is a must visit for all
diving enthusiasts. Four miles south the
southern section of the town stands on a cliff
overlooking the port. There are many diving
sites along the 10-mile beach between Sharm
el-Sheikh and Ras Nusrani.
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Ras Mohamed:
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Situated at the peak of Sinai Peninsula, it is
renowned for having the most exquisite coral
reefs in the world and being a refuge to rare
marine life. It has recently been declared a
natural reserve and is most fit for diving.
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St. Catherine's
Monastery:
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Located at the foot of Mount Moses, St.
Catherine's Monastery, was constructed by order
of the Emperor Justinian between 527 and 565. Is
built around what is thought to be Moses'
Burning Bush, which has a chapel built atop it.
It is a spectacular natural setting for
priceless works of art, including Arab mosaics,
Greek and Russian icons, Western oil paintings,
paintings on wax, fine sacerdotal ornaments,
marbles, enamels, chalices, reliquaries,
including one donated by Czar Alexander II in
the 19th century, and another by Empress
Catherine of Russia in the 17th century. But of
perhaps even greater significance is that it is
the second largest collection of illuminated
manuscripts (The Vatican has the largest). The
collection consists of some 3,500 volumes in
Greek, Coptic, Arabic, Armenian, Hebrew, Slavic,
Syriac, Georgian and other languages. Around the
year 1850, the fourth century Codex Sinaiticus,
which is now in the British Museum in London,
was discovered here. The Monastery even has a
small 10th or 11th century mosque which was
probably built to appease the Islamic
authorities of the time. There is also a small
chapel (the Chapel of St. Triphone, also known
as the Skull House) which houses the skulls of
deceased monks.
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St. Catherine's has a rich history indeed. So
rich that it is a sparkling example of an
undiscovered Jewell of travel. It has been
called the oldest working Christian monastery,
though St. Anthony's predates it, and the
smallest diocese in the world. The Monastery was
originally ordered built by Empress Helen, the
mother of Constantine the Great, but was
actually built by Emperor Justinian to house the
bones of St. Catherine of Alexandria. St.
Catherine, whose body was reportedly carried
away by angels, was discovered five hundred
years later at the top of the peek that now
bears her name. Her relics are stored in a
marble reliquary in the Basilica. We have
additional pictures of this church, and of its
interior. St. Catherine's is also a formidable
fortification, with granite walls 40 to 200 feet
tall, surrounded by gardens and cypresses. Prior
to probably the twentieth century, the only
entrance to St. Catherine's was a small door 30
feet high, where provisions and people where
lifted with a system of pulleys, and where food
was often lowered to nomads. It has withstood
numerous attacks over its 14 hundred year
existence thus protecting a rich store of art,
and today, while it is one of the oldest
monasteries in the world, its original,
preserved state is unmatched. Though established
and patronized most of its history by the
Russian Orthodox Church, it is now under the
auspices of the Greek Orthodox Church. Most of
its monks are also of Greek origin.
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Dahab:
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One of the most beautiful beaches in South Sinai
because of its gleaming sand, clear waters and colorful
marine life. It includes tourist villages,
diving centers, camping sites, glass boats and
windsurf facilities. Dahab means
"gold" in Arabic . In Sinai means
golden sands, turquoise sea and colored fish.
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Nuweiba:
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Famous for its beautiful sandy beaches, it is
another exciting place for underwater fun. You
will see both the imposing mountains of South
Sinai and green oases along palm-fringed
beaches.
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Taba:
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With it's five star hotel, Taba is a meeting of
borders. It overlooks Jordan, Israel and Saudi
Arabia, and Egypt has major plans for this area
as a tourism center. It currently has good
restaurants and beach cafes, and the border can
be crossed on foot, with bus service into Eilat.
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