The paradise of the Red Sea

For more than 25 years, I’m spending with my family all our holidays and weekends in attractive beaches in the red sea.
It's really a very beautiful paradise and there we can meet many friends and members of our families. But always the younger have had their special fun and sports.
At the Red Sea which is considered one of the most salty seas in the globe, swimmers float easily in water than in other fresh waters. It gives our swimming more fun.
Since I really like the red sea and lived there so many times during my vacations, I would like to write general notes about it, especially its climate, its location, its geographical nature, its history, beaches and its fishes probably different and imaginable.

It’s a very interesting subject, so I will try to describe here, all my experiences on the beaches and the hours I spent swimming, diving and discovering (in photos) the special nature of its seaside, mountains, deserts, people and fish.

Red Sea Climate
The Red Sea possesses very exceptional characteristics very rare that cannot be found elsewhere. That's why it has become a popular destination for its unconditional holiday sun, sea, desert and nice weather due to its wonderful climate.
The water temperatures are relatively constant between 21 and 25 degrees centigrade. Then it is considered one of the warmest seas and pleasant in the world.

Geographical
The Red Sea is located between Africa and Saudi Arabia in Asia. It communicates to the North West Suez Gulf which leads to the Suez Canal, then to the Mediterranean Sea and to North East Aqaba Gulf east of the Sinai Peninsula located between the two gulfs.
In the south, Red Sea communicates with the Indian Ocean through the strait of Bab el Mandeb in Yemen.
The countries bordering the Red Sea are Egypt, Sudan, Eretria, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Jordan & Israel.
There is some island in the Red Sea, where the most important are: Giftun Island, the island of Pharaoh, Tiran Island, Zabargad, the Dahlak Archipelago and the Hanish Islands.
The major cities on the Red Sea are the Suez, Hurghada, Sharm El Sheikh, Dahab, Nuweiba, Port Safaga, Marsa Alam & Taba in Egypt and Port Sudan in Sudan and Asmara in Ethiopia and Djibouti and Aden in Yemen and Jeddah & El Hodeida in Saudia Arabia and Eilat in Israel and Aqaba in Jordan. (See photo no. 1)

1- Location of Red Sea and bordering countries


RED SEA History
The Red Sea includes very remarkable events in the history:
1- The ancient Egyptians were the first to do missions to try the Red Sea.
2- According to the Bible stories, it is mentioned that Moses had led the Israeli people fleeing Egyptian army to cross the Red Sea to reach Sinai to freedom.
3- It is mentioned also in the Bible that in the sacred Moses Mount in the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt, Moses has received the10 Commandments from God. (See photo no.26, 27)
4- Salah al-Din el Ayouby has built the Citadel of Salah al-Din in Taba, which is representing a historical, cultural, tourism value as an important defense strategy that overlooks the borders of 4 countries are Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Palestine, and away from the coast of Egypt 250 m as far from the city of Aqaba, Jordan 10 km. it is established by leader Saladin in 1170 calendar 566 Hijri years.
Salah al-Din has chosen a strategic location on the island of Pharaoh, and built the castle on a high hill in the island so difficult to climb. The citadel also had strategic importance. It was controlling the traffic between the three banks of the Gulf of Aqaba; from the north coming from Palestine and Syria, from the east from the Arab Peninsula and from the west from Sinai and from Egypt.
Salah al-Din was planning mainly for the protection and defense within the Crusaders invasion as they had real intentions of the occupation of Egypt. The Citadel secured also the protection of the Egyptian pilgrimage through the Sinai and had an important role in the protection of the Crusader invasion of the Sinai, Aqaba, Jordan and Aden in the south.
The castle contains a defense installations and towers and walls of furnace for the manufacture of weapons and military hall meetings, also includes elements of subsistence and the rooms we have provided soldiers for bread and grain stores, a steam bath, water tanks and a mosque. (See photo no.31, 32).
5- France sent a special diplomat engineer, Ferdinand de Lesseps, to study the foundation of a canal connecting Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea. The Suez Canal has opened in 1869.
6- The Suez Canal was obligatory closed during the war that erupted between Egypt and Israel in the period 1967 to 1975.
7- Negotiations begin now between Egypt and Saudi Arabia to revive the land bridge project linking Egypt and Saudi Arabia, which should be extended to a distance of 50 miles of the Gulf of Aqaba and to reduce travel time of 20 minutes.




Tourism in the Red Sea
The Red Sea is a famous tourist destination, especially for the amateurs of diving and all sub marine activities.
Diving, snorkeling and windsurfing activities are known and are the most active and practicing in the Red Sea, but there are also other interesting activities such as Safari, cruises, observation stars, birds and wildlife.
There are also tours of archaeological monuments in the desert with Bedouins.
This series of activities is offered in the Red Sea from the Gulf of Suez in the north to the Sudanese border in the south, through Ain El Sokhna, Ras Ghareb, Hurghada, Safaga, Al Qosseir, Marsa Alam and Chalatine, also in the cities of the Peninsula Sinai; Sharm El Sheikh, Dahab, Nuweiba and Taba.
This variety of activities throughout this area includes at the same time the sea, sand, mountains, desert and the green.
The mountain chains on the coast of the Red Sea are colorful, rich in minerals. Tourists and Egyptians have the opportunity to make real adventurous excursions and lead, in one or two days, an oriental life with the Bedouins that prepare for them oriental meals including roast sheep and goats.
Travelers there have a stay opportunity in a complete nature life in a Bedouin community. They live in a tent or a cave. It’s completely primitive life. They are getting rid of any technology or agitation.
Normally in these cruises, passengers are using four-wheel drive vehicles (4x4) to avoid difficulties.

Every desert has its nature and its taste. The Eastern Desert bordering the Red Sea is specified by the mountains of sedimentary rocks and valleys; they are fascinating.

During the evening the travelers have the opportunity to trace the stars through telescopes at certain places on the mountains. (see photos 2-4)

02- Desert, sand and mountain chains in Sinai Peninsula Desert

03- Daisy flowers grow in the mountain rocks in Sinai Peninsula Desert

04- Entertainments for travelers and tourists in the desert with Bedouins1

04- Entertainments for travelers and tourists in the desert with Bedouins2


At the Red Sea, the sky is clear most of the months of the year with a clean environment. (See photos 5 to 7)
At dusk it's still magnificent mountain ranges acquire an orange color (red yellow), then at dawn and sunrise, the rays offer a golden color. These are the most important moments to take pictures.
Then it remains for travelers to observe the mysterious habits to observing the wildlife and watching the birds. Also in the mountains and their caves live much kind of reptiles, gazelles, foxes and bats.
Camels are especially numerous in the south of the Red Sea (Marsa Alam and Chalatine). Excursions to the backs of camels are adored by tourists.

05- Sun, Sky, Sea at a resort in the colorful mountains lap at Sharm el Sheikh

06- Sun, Sky, Sea, Sand and greenery at Ain El Sokhna resort

07- Sun, Sky, Sea, Sand and mountains in a Resort at Sharm El Sheikh


Cruises and Maritime sports
All the borders of the Red Sea represent a suitable environment for practicing the various water sports, mainly diving in deep depths, sailing and windsurfing.
The Red Sea contains thousands of rare sea creatures attracting fans of diving and aquatic sports amateurs from around the world.
The Red Sea region is characteristic for its wealth of colorful fish and submarine life and in its rare coral reefs.
When diving there, the members of tours group found themselves surrounded by many kinds of fishes, including the Manta, dolphins and sharks and many others.
Sea safaris in open sea are organized to visit several islands, where in some of those islands visitors can watch shark marriages.
It's not easy to specify all kinds of fishes and corals in the Red Sea, but following photos may give an idea. (see photos 8 - 25)

08- Different colorful corals and fishes - Red Sea

09- Many colorful fishes and coral in the Red Sea

10-Coral reef, Red Sea, Sharm-el Sheik, Sinai

11- Coral reef, Marsa-Alam, Red Sea

12- Colorful fishes and coral reef - Red Sea, Egypt,

13- Ferialas fish Red Sea live near the rocks. I was attacked by one in Kuwait gulf @ 1977.

14- Pygoplites Di-acanthus fish in Red Sea

15- Sea turtle in the Red Sea

16- Colorful Fishes and coral underwater in the Red Sea

17- Lion-fish at coral reef, Red Sea

18- Blow fish in the Red Sea

19- Coral Grouper with red dotted fish - Red Sea

20- Devil scorpion fish and coral reef; Marsa alam, Red Sea

21- Giant moray eel most dangerous marine animals of the Red Sea

22- Blue Spotted String ray in the Red Sea

23- Shark and shadow in the Red sea

24- Nice colorful coral and a frightening fish at Red sea

25- Giant Clam Red Sea, Egypt


Religious tourism
Along the Red Sea and Sinai Peninsula is located several religious Pharaohs, Coptic and Islamic places:
1- The Islamic Citadel at El Quseir that has protected the soldiers of the French expedition.
2- The Mosque of Abul Hasan Al Chazli: located in the valley of Hamera 150 km from Marsa Alam. This is one of the greatest Sufi Muslim and the founder of the Sufi roads.
3- The Musa Mountain where Moses has received the 10 Commandments from God as per the Bible. There, the tourists admire their visit to this sacred place and also to watch the sunrise from this mountain in the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt. (see photo 27)
4- As for the Coptic period, the Red Sea offers visitors the convents and monasteries of St. Anthony's Monastery that was built in 356 AC; located at the top of a high hill in the desert of Ras Gharib. And the Monastery of St. Paul was founded the first Christian era. These two monasteries are the oldest of Egypt show the beginnings of monasticism in the world. (see photo 28, 29)
5- St. Catherine Monastery at the base of Mount Musa of a Byzantine identification. It is named after the saint who was killed as a martyr in Egypt in 307 AC. The monastery has a library of the finest collections of ancient manuscripts in the world considered the second after the Vatican.(see photo 30)

26- Moses after receiving the 10 Commandments from God on the Moses Mount in Sinai

27- Tourists admire the sunrise from Mount Moses where Moses received the 10 Commandments from God.

28- Monastery St. Antonio's (Anthony) in the red sea, Egypt

29- Monastery St. Paul - in the red sea, Egypt

30- Monastery St. Catherine in Sinai, Egypt

31- Citadel of Salah El-Din in Pharaoh's Island in the Red Sea - Taba. Egypt

32- Citadel of Salah El-Din in Pharaoh's Island in the Red Sea - Taba. Egypt
References http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Sea http://www.flyandsea.com/articles/egypt-and-the-red-sea-quick-facts http://www.redsea-divingsafari.com/ http://www.redsea.org/ http://www.mackoo.com/egypte/mer-rouge.htm http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2300624170058230818nNkgOe http://www.dinosoria.com/mer-rouge.htm http://acoeuretacris.centerblog.net/6581436-les-mers-et-oceans-la-mer-rouge https://www.google.com/search?q=red+sea+fish&hl=en&rlz=1G1TSEH_AREG411&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=Aw1rT_L_H8nL0QXouK3kBg&ved=0CEUQsAQ&biw=1525&bih=659 http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Red_Sea.aspx http://www.linternaute.com/voyage/les-plus-belles-plages-de-la-mer-rouge/4933 http://www.worldatlas.com/aatlas/infopage/redsea.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Catherine%27s_Monastery,_Mount_Sinai http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monastery_of_Saint_Anthony http://www.arce.org/conservation/archive/u25 http://www.almasalla.travel/News/News.asp?id=76487 http://articles.latimes.com/1989-12-03/news/mn-335_1_sultan-saladin http://www.exploreregypt.com/Sightseeing-and-Destinations/Red-Sea-and-Sinai/taba.html https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rlz=1G1TSEH_AREG411&q=salah+el-din%27s+castle+taba+egypt&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=iBhrT_T7BoSr0QW4tsHXBg&biw=1525&bih=659&sei=3xhrT535KIO50QWQkM3QBg