Marsa Alam

Marsa Alam (also known as Mersa; Arab مرسى علم Marsa ' Alam ) is a small town in southern Egypt.

Location

The city is situated on the Red Sea in the province of al -Bahr al Red Sea, 271 kilometers south of Hurghada. Edfu on the western bank of the Nile is about 220 kilometers away and ash- Schalatim is located about 250 kilometers south. To the north is approximately 131 kilometers, the city of al - Quseir.

Development

Marsa Alam has grown over the last two decades by a coastal hamlet with a handful of small stone huts to a small town. Their meaning is owed ​​to the main traffic junction of the coastal through road with the access road to Edfu in the Nile Valley and the tourist sector, which so far concentrated mainly in the hotels on the coast. Getting accommodations and restaurants indicate the tentative beginning of a tourist development.

Since November 2001, Marsa Alam is right about the new Marsa Alam International Airport, which is located about 60 kilometers northwest of the city, accessible.

Climate

The average temperatures in the winter months of October to March are between 16 and 35 degrees Celsius and in the summer months from April to September 19-41 degree Celsius. The temperature of the Red Sea on the coast of Marsa Alam achieved during the year values ​​22 to 29 degrees Celsius.

Population

The nearly 10,000 residents are mainly fishermen, keep sheep, goats and dromedaries, to work in the few mines, marble and granite quarries, many are unemployed. Mining activity in this region for thousands of years. Already in Pharaonic times and later under the Romans, the area was known for its deposits of gold, emeralds and semi-precious stones, as well as copper and lead. The road to Edfu was probably built under Ptolemy II and passes many important historical sites such as the Wadi Miya, with its famous temple built by Seti I and Wadi Baramiya where the ancient Egyptians pits operated. Until period of English occupation in the grinding quartz with thin veins of gold at a grade of about 20 grams of gold per tonne was a business that was then discontinued due to unprofitability. Since a few years, the mines were taken by Australian investors using modern methods again.

The area originally lived two tribes: the Ababda from the northern and the Beja - Bedouins from the south. They live for a long time in the eastern desert and were perhaps already used by the ancient Egyptians to defend the border. Later they mixed with the Arabs, who also brought Islam to the country. ( See also Gebel - Elba National Park. ) They raise cattle, are known for the production of charcoal and were known as excellent hunters. Their houses are called Kischa and usually built on slopes to avoid any flooding after the rains. The houses are built of branches of the Women and roofed with palm leaves.

Frequently found in the entire area petroglyphs ( petroglyphs ), which date back to prehistoric times. In the illustrations you can see at that time still occurring species such as giraffes and cattle, they also depict hunting scenes. In addition, there are many interesting geological sites.

Scuba diving and snorkeling

The reefs and bays along the coast provide many places to dive, well-known places are Marsa Murena (Abu Dabbab Beach ), the wreck of the Hamada at Abu Ghusun or the many reefs in the hotel. Diving around Marsa Alam is comparable to diving in Hurghada or Sharm El Sheikh in the 1980s: almost untouched places of partly excellent quality. Unlike in El Quseir, where only land-based diving takes place on fringing reefs, there are still numerous in Marsa Alam Reefs: as the Elphinstone Reef and the Shaab Marsa Alam, a coral reef with an area of ​​about 100 square meters. A little further south and three miles off the coast is the horseshoe-shaped Shaab Samadai ( " Dolphin House "), which is regularly visited by spinner dolphins, and the Shaab Cluade near Berenike with a cave system that can be safety- well dived, because any time a passage leads to the surface. It is also possible Snorkeling at Marsa Alam, but the frequent heavy surf makes it somewhat weather dependent.

Attractions

Tourist destinations in the area include:

• The approximately 50 kilometers south of Marsa Alam located Wadi al -Gamal National Park, which stretches to the coast of the Red Sea.
• The partly in Hala'ib Triangle, about 30 kilometers from the border with Sudan lying Gebel Elba National Park, which is located 20 to 25 kilometers inland. Since 2005, the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism has released the Hala'ib triangle for tourism.
• Marsa Murena (Abu Dabbab ), one of the most famous beaches in Marsa Alam. The bay is known for its sea turtles, dugong and dolphins are often found here.
• The Emerald and the Pharonic gold mine.
• The Temple of Seti I at Khanais in Wadi Miya.