South Sinai Governorate

South Sinai Governorate is the least populated governorate of Egypt. It is located in the east of the country, encompassing the southern half of the Sinai Peninsula. Saint Catherine's Monastery, an Eastern Orthodox Church monastery and UNESCO World Heritage site of world renown, is located in central part of the governorate.

History

Sharm El Sheikh developed into a major tourist resort, but the industry has been severely affected in recent years by the threat of terrorism. In 2005, the resort was hit by terrorist attacks, which were perpetrated by an extremist Islamist organisation. 88 people were killed, the majority of them Egyptians, and over 200 were wounded by the attack, making it the deadliest terrorist action in the country's history (exceeding the Luxor massacre of 1997). In February 2014, a tourist bus was attacked in Taba, killing the Egyptian bus driver and three South Korean tourists. On October 31, 2015, the Russian plane Metrojet Flight 9268 took off from Sharm El Sheikh International Airport and was shot down en route to Pulkovo Airport, Saint Petersburg, Russia. All 217 passengers and seven crew members who were on board were killed. On October 14, 2016 twelve Egyptian troops were killed.

Landmarks

Saint Catherine's Monastery, an Eastern Orthodox Church monastery and UNESCO World Heritage site of world renown, is located in central part of the governorate, at the mouth of a gorge at the foot of Mount Sinai, in the city of Saint Catherine, Egypt. Built between 548 and 565, the monastery is one of the oldest working Christian monasteries in the world. The site contains the world's oldest continually operating library, possessing many unique books including the Syriac Sinaiticus and, until 1859, the Codex Sinaiticus.

Raithu Monastery is situated in El Tor. It was built on a site where some 40 monks were massacred in the 4th or 5th century.

Sites

• Wadi Mukattab
• Wadi Feiran