A peaceful visit to Egypt
The Pyramids! Indeed, these are the first symbols that spring to mind when we speak of this land of the pharaohs, with their sharp edges and dramatic islands shining yellow in the desert heat. But there is more yet to see and do, so today I suggest a new perspective: let’s make a peaceful visit to Egypt.
Why peaceful specifically? Well, simply because the city we are going to travel to is often referred to as the “City of Peace” due to the many peace conferences to have been held here. We are talking about Sharm el Sheikh, in the historic province of Sinai, off the coast of the Red Sea.
Belonging to Egypt, the Sinai region and the town have wide cultural connections to both the Christian and the Hebrew cultures. In the Bible, the Sinai Peninsula is said to have been crossed by the Israelis during the great Exodus from Egypt in around 40 years, sometime in the Bronze Age.
The foot of Mount Sinai is often crowded by pilgrims coming to visit St. Catherine’s Monastery, built on the site of the place where Moses is said to have received the tablets of the Ten Commandments. The hermitage is Greek Orthodox and hosts a great collection of artifacts, icons and manuscripts, as well as the “burning bush”.
After you have visited the Monastery and taken a moment of respite, you can hike up the dramatic Mount Sinai itself.
Gorgeous beaches, dramatic landscapes, scuba diving facilities and a shark observatory are all featured in the Ras Mohammed National Park, probably the most renowned tourist destination in town.
Quite predictably, it is indicated to negotiate the maze of the Egyptian landscape with a Sharm el Sheikh airport transfer. It can be quickly booked online and you will truly be saved from trouble.