South Sinai Governorate

Lore & Background

South Sinai Governorate is divided into municipal divisions with a total estimated population of 117,113 as of January 2023. The majority of residents lived in urban areas in 2024, with an urbanization rate of 51.1%. The Bedouin inhabit the Mount Sinai area, and due to poor accessibility, orchards in the mountains have served to hide narcotics smugglers.

The governorate is an attractive destination for tourism due to its nature scenes, but has been the site of several terrorist attacks. These include the 1985 Ras Burqa resort mass murder (8 killed), the 2004 Sinai bombings in Taba and Ras Shitan (34 killed, over 170 wounded), the 2005 Sharm El Sheikh attack (88 killed, over 200 wounded), and the 2006 Dahab bombings (23 killed, 80 wounded). The Sinai insurgency occasionally spilled over from North Sinai, including a February 2014 attack on a tourist bus in Taba that killed the Egyptian driver and three South Korean tourists.

After 2014, the Egyptian government and army took firm actions to eliminate terrorism, and the city is now safe. Landmarks include Saint Catherine's Monastery, built between 548 and 565, one of the oldest working Christian monasteries in the world, containing the world's oldest continually operating library. Raithu Monastery in El Tor was built on a site where some 40 monks were massacred in the 4th or 5th century.

Reader's Guide

South Sinai Governorate holds significance as Egypt's least populated governorate, yet it contains one of the world's most important Christian monastic sites: Saint Catherine's Monastery. This UNESCO World Heritage Site, built between 548 and 565, houses the oldest continually operating library, which once held the Codex Sinaiticus. The governorate's tourism-driven economy has been repeatedly disrupted by terrorist attacks, including the 2005 Sharm El Sheikh attack that was then the deadliest in Egypt's history. The Egyptian government's post-2014 security measures have been credited with restoring safety. The region also reflects the cultural presence of the Bedouin and the challenges of smuggling in remote mountain orchards. Its coastal towns—Sharm El Sheikh, Dahab, Nuweiba, Taba—and inland sites like Wadi Mukattab and Wadi Feiran contribute to its historical and natural heritage. The governorate's demographic shift toward urbanization (51.1% in 2024) and its administrative divisions underscore its evolving role within Egypt.

Did You Know?

• Saint Catherine's Monastery contains the world's oldest continually operating library.
• The 2005 Sharm El Sheikh attack killed 88 people, making it the deadliest terrorist action in Egypt's history at the time.
• The Bedouin inhabit the Mount Sinai area, and mountain orchards have been used to hide narcotics smugglers.