The hidden beauty of Sinai – the desert lives

A tribute to 15 happy years in Sinai

© Monika Al-Mufti 1986-2001

 

During my time in Sinai (1986-2001) I developed a special interest in desert plants. Due to the harsh climate with very little rain, this is an aspect one only rarely glimpses. And yet it is very much at the heart and soul of Sinai. I hope, the following pictures and comments will go a little way in giving you an insight.

 

 

 

                                      Champions of splendour: the flowers

 

 

                                       Secrets of the wind: the dunes

 

 

                                       Crossroads: where land meets ocean

 

                                       

 Recover your soul: landscapes

 

                                       

                                        About me

 

 

 

 

Note: all material is property of Monika Al-Mufti and may not be copied without prior authorization.

Your comments are very much appreciated. Please contact: nabq2000@yahoo.com

 

 

 

 

 

Champions of splendour: the flowers (and fruits)

 

A downpour in the desert has dramatic consequences.

Within days, life re-emerges where before was only rock and sand.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

           Iphiona scabra                                   Rumex cyprius                                              Blepharis ciliaris

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

          Pulicaria tomentosa                              Cleome droserifolia                              Calotropis procera

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                   Capparis sinaica                                             Fagonia scabra

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

          Hyosciamus muticus                             Nitraria retusa                                               Leptadenia pyrotechnica

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

          Limonium axilare                                 Pulicaria crispa                                              Salvadora persica

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

          Shouwia thebaica                                 Zygophyllum coccineum                                 Zilla spinosa

 

 

 

                                                

 

 

Secrets of the wind: the dunes

 

Some 35km north of Sharm-el-Sheikh lies the Nabq protected area.

Within the protectorate is found the largest stand of ‘Arak’ (Salvadora persica) in die Indo-Pacific region.

The area is very sensitive and therefore closed to all vehicle traffic. However, you can – with the permission of the Park rangers - take a stroll through this extensive landscape.

It is a magical place!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                        Twisting and turning, the roots overcome any obstacle and challenge

                                                                                        Finding new ways where none were apparent before

                                                                                        Each one tells its very own story

                                                                                        For those to see with an open heart

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Crossroads: where land meets ocean

 

Have you ever stood on that particular spot, where sea meets land? Then you know the feeling!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                             Avicennia marina

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recover your soul: landscapes

 

Lose yourself…..

 

 

 

         

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                  

 

 

 

 

 

‘Palm-studded’ dune at sunset (Nakl-el-Tel / Nabq)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sandstorm in Nabq

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

         

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

               Shark observatory beach (Ras Mohamed)                                 Eel garden (Ras Mohamed)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                            

About me

 

Monika Al-Mufti Nadig, Swiss, born 27.02.1967; travel agent, diving instructor, therapist and hobby botanist.

                                                          (with husband Zaid and daughter Yasmeen)

 

                                                                  

   I first came to Sinai in 1986 as a tourist. Then access to the Peninsula was a lot more difficult than it is today. Now you can access Sharm-el-Sheikh, the major tourist destination at the southern tip of Sinai, via convenient charter flights out of every European hub. Back then, there was only one internal flight once a week from Cairo – and this only ‘maybe’. More reliable and frequent were the buses, running several times a day over the long and badly maintained desert highways. And this is how I arrived for the very first time in Sharm.

I spent a wonderful holiday learning how to dive in the Red Sea and discovering the fascinating desert environment. The whole experience struck something very deep inside of me and I decided to make Sinai my home for some time to come – like so many people and dear friends after me.

It was a unique community that gathered there in a seemingly different reality and all were extremely interesting people with open hearts and minds. Those early years were great times for all of us. So much more it is sad, that these things have irrevocably changed. Sharm is a big tourist destination now – with all the good and bad things that come with that. However, there is hope. You can still find the magic of Sinai in many hidden places, if you take the trouble of travelling the less trodden paths and take time to really listen and look. Also, there are a great many people that continue to work hard at preserving the natural and cultural heritage of Sinai. May they be successful!

 

This web-page is one way for me to say Thank You! To Sinai and all the people that have made these years some of the happiest, albeit not easiest, of my life.

 

 

Contact me:

 

mailto:nabq2000@yahoo.com

 

See my homepage:

 

http://uk.geocities.com/nabq2000/homepage.html