Safāgā - Safāgā

View over Safaga
Safāgā · ‏سفاجا‎
GovernorateRed Sea
Residents
28.261 (2006)
height
23 m
no tourist info on Wikidata: Add tourist information
location
Location map of Egypt
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Safāgā

Safaga or Bur Safaga (also Port Safaga, Arabic:سفاجا‎, Safāǧā orبور سفاجا‎, Būr Safāǧā, „Safāǧā port“) Is an important port, boat building and industrial city as well as a resort on the coast of Red sea, about 60 kilometers south of Hurghada, and is one of the holiday resorts at the Red Sea Riviera. In addition to bathing tourism, divers and surfers get their money's worth here because of the good wind conditions. The city is less crowded with tourists. There are few hotels in the old town. Most of the hotels are located about eight kilometers north of the city in the tourist center Abū Sōmā, ‏أبو سوماSouth of the headland Soma Bay.

background

location

The port city of Safāgā is located on the Egyptian coast of the Red Sea, about 60 kilometers south of Hurghada, 16 kilometers south of the headland Abu Soma and 80 kilometers north of el-Quṣeir. The city is located at the intersection of the coastal trunk road and the trunk road to Qinā.

In the 1990s, a tourist village with several hotels was built in the north of Safaga, about eight kilometers north of the old town, and to the west of it the new residential district Hay esch-Schurūq (also Kilo Thamaniya, i.e. kilometer 8). The touristic expansion did not take place to the same extent as in Hurghada. Later, further hotel complexes were built on the southern edge of Soma Bay and south of Safāgā. The city had a population of 28,261 in 2006.[1]

Safaga Island, about ten kilometers long, is located off the coast.

The old town of Safāgā is located in the north of the city. North of the old town splits on 1 Dolphin spinning top(26 ° 46 ′ 5 ″ N.33 ° 56 ′ 29 ″ E) Coastal trunk road 24 splits about one and a half kilometers into a western and an eastern street, which unite again in the south of the old town. There are numerous shops and restaurants in the northern half of both streets.

history

In the Safaga area there was port facilities from ancient times. Here was one of the ports for the ancient Egyptian expeditions to the gold country punt, the location of which is still unknown today and which is roughly in the range of Somalia or Eritrea supposed. The necessary ships were assembled by the expedition participants on site in the port. The port of 1 Marsā Gawāsīs(26 ° 33 ′ 19 ″ N.34 ° 2 '12 "E) at the mouth of the Wādī Gawāsīs is located 23 kilometers south of Safaga and was, as can be deduced from the text, under the king Sahure in the 5th ancient Egyptian dynasty, around 2480 BC Chr., Created. First archaeological references to this port, two important steles, were made in the 19th century by James Burton (1788-1862) and John Gardner Wilkinson (1797–1875) found nearby, in the Wādī el-Gasūs. One of the steles comes from the captain Chentchtaywer (Khentekhtiwēr) from the 28th year of the king's reign Amenemhet II (around 1849 BC) about the safe return from Punt to the port Sawu reported. This black basalt stele is now in the Durham University Oriental Museum.[2] In 1976 the location of this port in Marsā Gawāsīs by Abdel Monem Sayed from the University of Alexandria could already be located, but no further finds were made.[3] It was not until 2005/2006 that researchers from the Universities of Boston and Naples succeeded in archaeological confirmation with the discovery of remains of ropes and planks in five caves.[4]

In Marsā Gawāsīs itself or in the immediate vicinity let in Greek time the king Ptolemy II Philadelphus (Reign 285–246 BC) the port city of Philotera (also Philoteras, Philoteris, Greek: Φιλωτέρα) probably around 271 BC BC or later create for the procurement of war elephants.[5] Like the historian Strabo (63 BC to after 23 AD) in his Geographics knew to report, the harbor settlement was named after the deceased and deified sister Ptolemaios ’II, Philotera (315/309 - 282/268 BC), daughter of Ptolemy I. and Berenike I., named.

“... Those who sail from Heroonpolis along the troglodyte coast [the southern coast of the Red Sea] first come across the city of Philotera, named after the sister of the second Ptolemy, an extension of the [general] Satyrus, who researched [the area] of elephant hunting and the troglodyte coast had been sent ... "[6]

The port was given up again in Greek times. In Roman times the port was of no importance.

Nothing is known from the following two millennia. After conquering Egypt in 1882, the British recognized the strategic importance of this place and built a port here. This was used by the Allies during World War II and is still the base of the Egyptian Navy today.

At the turn of the 20th century, between Safaga and el-QuṣeirPhosphate deposits discovered that were exploited by European companies. After the Egyptian Revolution of 1952, these deposits came into Egyptian possession through expropriation. The phosphates were shipped via the local port. Part of the phosphate mines was closed around 2000 due to inefficiency and the miners' settlements were abandoned.

Safaga port

The port is mainly used today for aluminum and fertilizer exports and grain imports as well as for Ferry connections to Saudi Arabia for Mecca pilgrims. And these ferries bring Safaga to mind again and again, as not every ship reaches its destination: On December 14, 1991, the sank Salem Express, and officially 470 died, but probably around a thousand passengers. On October 7, 2001, the Al Salam 90, which carried 1,180 passengers, with a Cypriot freighter. On the Al Salam 95 a fire broke out on June 24, 2002, killing one crew member. The Pride of al-Salam 95 with 1,466 passengers collided with the Cypriot bulk carrier on October 17 Pearl of Jebel Ali in front Sue. All passengers were able to be evacuated in good time before the ship sank.[7] The worst accident in Egyptian shipping history to date occurred on February 2, 2006, when the Al-Salam Boccaccio 98 sank with 1,414 passengers after a fire and a failed extinguishing attempt. Only 388 passengers survived the accident.[8] The court hearings dragged on for several years. Initially, those responsible for the Al-Salam Company, among them the owner Mamdouh Ismail, acquitted, the captain was sentenced to half a year in prison and the victims were compensated with LE 150,000 (around 20,000 euros at the time).[9] The sentence was later increased by an appeals court: the captain received a three-year prison sentence, Mamdouh Ismail, who had since gone to Europe, received a seven-year prison sentence in absentia.[10]

getting there

City map of Safāgā
Distances
Cairo520 km
Hurghada60 km
el-Quseir80 km
Marsā ʿAlam213 km

By plane

Safaga is about the airports from 2 HurghadaWebsite of this institutionHurghada International Airport in the Wikipedia encyclopediaHurghada International Airport in the Wikimedia Commons media directoryHurghada International Airport (Q385191) in the Wikidata database(IATA: HRG) or 3 Marsa AlamWebsite of this institutionMarsa Alam International Airport in the Wikipedia encyclopediaMarsa Alam International Airport in the Wikimedia Commons media directoryMarsa Alam International Airport (Q123222) in the Wikidata database(IATA: RMF) reachable. The shorter route is to Hurghada, the journey time by taxi is around three quarters of an hour.

In the street

Highway 24 from Hurghada to Marsa Alam runs directly through the city. The hotels are also close to this street. Safaga can also be reached via trunk road 28 Qinā reachable. This route is the shortest connection between the Nile valley and the Red Sea coast.

By bus

Buses run both along the coastal road and into the Nile Valley. There are different bus terminals for both directions.

The 4 Bus station(26 ° 44 '32 "N.33 ° 56 '24 "E) for the buses to Hurghada or Marsā ʿAlam is located in the city, just south of the port. 9 pairs of buses run daily to and from Hurghada (around LE 20), seven to Cairo and three pairs of buses after el-Quṣeir and Marsā ʿAlam (at 9 a.m., 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.). From Hurghada there is also a further drive to Sue possible.

For buses to Qinā and Luxor there is another 5 Bus station(26 ° 45 ′ 38 ″ N.33 ° 55 ′ 13 ″ E) in the west of the city. Six pairs of buses run daily to and from Luxor via Qinā. From Luxor there is also a continuation to Aswan possible.

There are also minibuses and service taxis to Hurghada (about 30 minutes, LE 5). The stop for the service taxis is around 500 meters south of the port entrance. The onward journey to the hotels takes place in a taxi.

By boat

In addition to the cargo ship port, Safaga has a passenger port. Ferries for Mecca pilgrims to and from here start and end here 1 Duba, Arabic:ضبا‎, Ḍubā, also Debbah, in Saudi Arabia. The ferry company Al Salam Maritime Transport Company with its 15 ferries it does not have a good reputation. Tickets from LE 300 are sold at the Telestar agency in front of the port.

mobility

Minibuses operate in the city including the tourist village. They cost around LE 1–2 per trip. Orange and white taxis are also available.

Tourist Attractions

There are few sights on land. From the city you have a good view of the 2 Safaga Island(26 ° 44 '57 "N.33 ° 59 ′ 5 ″ E).

17 kilometers south of Safāgā there is a 900 meter long one off the coast 3 Mangrove swamp(26 ° 36 '59 "N.34 ° 0 ′ 40 ″ E).

More under trips.

activities

Wellness and cure

Be at the Menaville Resort Wellness and spa treatments offered. Psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis can be treated.

water sports

Yacht in front of Safaga

In addition to bathing, swimming, snorkeling and diving, the main activities are windsurfing and kite surfing. The Red Sea slopes only gently on the beaches. The sand of the beaches is interspersed with various minerals, including slightly radioactive uranium and thorium minerals.

They are also suitable for swimming and snorkeling 4 Sandy Island and the island 5 Tubiya (Tobia), both in Soma Bay, which can be reached on a day trip.

Diving

The dive sites are even better preserved than in Hurghada. The reefs stretch from Safaga into the Soma Bay. Important diving areas are:

  • 7 Panoramic reef(26 ° 45 ′ 20 ″ N.34 ° 5 '4 "E): Drift dives to the south can be carried out at a depth of three to 40 meters. The underwater world includes anthias, garfish, lionfish and parrotfish.
  • 8 Ras Umm Hesiva(26 ° 54 '4 "N.33 ° 59 ′ 47 "E), north of Ras Abu Soma: the hard coral reef with Acropora table corals and brain corals drops onto a sandy plateau. The reef inhabitants include barracudas and turtles, but also reef sharks and thresher sharks.
  • 9 Salem Express wreck(26 ° 38 '22 "N.34 ° 3 '40 "E)which sank in 1992 in the area of ​​Shaʿb Hamdala due to a navigation error. The wreck is at a depth of 30 meters, but will probably continue to sink in the future. The wreck can only be dived from the outside as it is still a mass grave today.

Other possible diving areas are from north to south 10 Tubiya / Tobia Island(26 ° 49 ′ 54 ″ N.33 ° 58 ′ 44 ″ E), 11 Sandy Island or Utopia Island(26 ° 49 ′ 4 ″ N.33 ° 58 ′ 44 ″ E), south of the aforementioned, 12 7 pillars(26 ° 50 ′ 12 ″ N.33 ° 59 ′ 29 ″ E), 13 Tobia Kabir(26 ° 48 ′ 41 ″ N.33 ° 59 ′ 45 ″ E), 14 Tobia Saraya(26 ° 48 ′ 21 ″ N.33 ° 59 ′ 43 ″ E), south of the aforementioned, 15 Gamul Soraya(26 ° 47 '47 "N.33 ° 59 ′ 30 ″ E), 16 Gamul Kabir(26 ° 47 '11 "N.33 ° 59 ′ 13 ″ E), the 17 Middle Reef(26 ° 42 '38 "N.34 ° 6 ′ 17 ″ E), 18 Shahr Reef(26 ° 39 '36 "N.34 ° 2 ′ 55 ″ E), also Shaʿb Shear, 19 Shaʿb Claude(26 ° 39 ′ 5 ″ N.34 ° 3 '49 "E), 20 Shaʿb Shear Soraya(26 ° 38 '37 "N.34 ° 2 ′ 58 "E), 21 Sha'b Hamdala(26 ° 38 ′ 20 ″ N.34 ° 3 ′ 41 ″ E), 22 Cannon Reef(26 ° 39 '35 "N.33 ° 59 ′ 31 ″ E) and the 23 Spit Reef(26 ° 40 ′ 8 ″ N.33 ° 57 '48 "E).

Diving center

  • 1  Barakuda Diving Center Safaga (Lotus Bay Beach Resort). Tel.: 20 (0)65 326 0049, Email: . The diving center, which has existed since 1997, offers dives on the house reef as well as day and half-day trips on five of its own boats. Nitrox free. Training takes place after PADI, CMAS, SSI, TDI, The training languages ​​are German, English, Arabic and Russian. Equipment rental including manifold twin tanks set. Free WiFi. The dive provider also runs liveaboards with the M / Y Longimanus by.Open: Daily 8 am–6pm.Price: see website.(26 ° 47 '33 "N.33 ° 56 '8 "E)

shop

The shops in the old town of Safaga mainly offer everyday necessities for Egyptians. There are only a few tourist and souvenir shops.

Souvenirs can be bought in the small shops in front of most of the hotels in the new Hay esch-Schurūq settlement.

kitchen

  • 1  Ali Baba Restaurant "1", Magles El Madina, Port Safaga. Tel.: 20 (0)65 325 0253. The restaurant with Egyptian cuisine belongs to the Ali Baba Hotel, which also has a similar restaurant. It is particularly suitable for those passing through because it is located directly on the west side of trunk road 24 and has parking facilities.Open: Daily 12 noon – 10 p.m.(26 ° 45 ′ 53 ″ N.33 ° 56 ′ 29 ″ E)

nightlife

The nightlife takes place mainly in the hotels. But there are also a few bars outside of the hotels.

accommodation

Most of the hotels belonging to Safaga are in the north of the village. The city of Safaga itself can be reached with the local buses that go to the hotels.

The hotels to the north on the Ras Abu Soma headland are below Soma Bay and Abū Sōmā listed under el-Quseir.

Between Abū Sōmā and Safāgā

Some hotels have this in their name or address Soma Bay, although they do not belong to the holiday area of ​​the same name.

medium

Upscale

4 star hotels

  • 3  Lotus Bay Beach Resort & Gardens, Km 8 Hurghada Safaga Rd., Safaga Tourist Center. Tel.: 20 (0)65 326 0003, (0)65 326 0005, Fax: 20 (0)65 326 0009, Email: . Simple 4-star hotel with 224 twin rooms, including family rooms and junior suites, the Garden Room restaurant (international cuisine), café, bars, spa, sauna and fitness room, tennis court, swimming pool and private beach. The rooms have a balcony or terrace, air conditioning, bathroom with bathtub or shower, French bed or double beds and satellite TV. Safes at the reception. Wifi chargeable. Parking spot. With diving center Barakuda.(26 ° 47 '33 "N.33 ° 56 '8 "E)

In Safāgā

Cheap

2 star hotels

Unclassified hotels

medium

South of Safāgā

medium

Beach at Magic Life Kalawy
  • 13  Nefertari Hotel, Km 20 Safaga - al-Quseir Road. Tel.: 20 (0)65 326 2001, (0)65 326 2002, Fax: 20 (0)65 326 2003. 3-star hotel with 225 twin rooms and the restaurants Magico (international cuisine), Mai Thai (Thai cuisine), Paie Restaurant (Mediterranean cuisine) and Sofar Restaurant (Egyptian cuisine).(26 ° 34 '45 "N.34 ° 1 '44 "E)

Upscale

5 stars hotel

health

  • 1  Central Hospital (‏مستشفى سفاجا المركزي‎, Mustashfā Safāǧā al-Markazī, Safaga Central Hospital), Magles el Madena St., ‏شارع مجلس المدينة‎ (500 meters south of the town hall). Tel.: 20 (0)65 325 1549. (26 ° 45 ′ 21 ″ N.33 ° 56 ′ 28 ″ E)

Another decompression chamber for treating diving accidents is located in Hurghada.

climate

Safaga has a mild to warm climate all year round.

valuesJanFebMarchAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec  
Mean highest air temperature in ° C222324263133343433292623O28.2
Mean lowest air temperature in ° C101414172225272725211614O19.3

Practical advice

Tourist info

There is no tourist information center in Safāgā.

Currency Exchange

In the old town there is a branch of the north of the bus stop 1 Banque Misr(26 ° 44 ′ 37 ″ N.33 ° 56 ′ 25 ″ E). There are also branches of the Bank of Alexandria and the Egyptian National Bank nearby. There are other banks in the Shams Safaga Hotel and in the shopping arcade near the Safaga Palace Resort.

post

In the old town near the port there is both a post office and a telephone exchange on the main street. The post office is open every day except Friday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Gas station

administration

trips

About 25 kilometers as the crow flies south of Safāgā is the abandoned miners' settlement or phosphate mine 24 Umm el-Ḥuweiṭāt(26 ° 32 ′ 1 ″ N.33 ° 54 '52 "E), also Ghost City, the Ghost town, called, which is named after the Gebel Umm el-Ḥuweiṭāt four and a half kilometers north-west. Both the remains of the phosphate mines and the dilapidated village are visible. Only the mosque and the grave of the local saint Awad Suleiman are still maintained. Getting here on paved roads is easy. You leave Safaga in a southerly direction on the western of the two coastal roads. After about 12.5 kilometers you will come to an intersection at 7 26 ° 37 '59 "N.33 ° 57 ′ 32 ″ E. The northern road leads in a south-westerly direction after 15 kilometers to the miners' settlement, the southern to the modern village 2 Umm el-Huweitat.

55 kilometers west of Hurghada can the former imperial porphyry quarry Mons Porphyrites and 50 kilometers west of Safaga the former diorite quarry Mons Claudianus be explored.

They are located about 300 kilometers north of Safāgā Monastery of St. Antony and the Monastery of St. Paul.

The cities can be reached from Safāgā Luxor (220 kilometers) with its pharaonic monuments, Cairo (580 kilometers) and el-Quṣeir (80 kilometers) can be visited.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑Population according to the 2006 Egyptian census, accessed June 4, 2014.
  2. ↑Wilkinson, John Gardner: Modern Egypt and Thebes: being a description of Egypt; including the information required for travelers in that country; Vol.2. London: Murray, 1843, P. 385. — Erman, Adolf: Steles from Wâdi Gasûs near Qosêr. In:Journal of Egyptian Language and Antiquity (ZÄS), ISSN0044-216X, Vol.20 (1882), Pp. 203-206. — Nibbi, A.: The two stelae of the Wadi Gasus. In:Journal of Egyptian archeology (JEA), ISSN0075-4234, Vol.62 (1976), Pp. 45-56.
  3. ↑Sayed, Abdel Monem A.H.: Discovery of the site of the 12th Dynasty port at Wâdi Gawâsîs on the Red Sea shore. In:Revue d'Égyptology (RdÉ), ISSN0035-1849, Vol.29 (1977), Pp. 139-178.
  4. ↑Fei: New reference to enigmatic gold country, Message from the Standard dated January 27, 2006. - El-Aref, Nevine: Sailing to punt (Archived version of February 23, 2006 in the Internet Archive archive.org), Report in the Al-Ahram Weekly of February 16, 2006. - Bard, Kathryn A.; Fattovich, Rodolfo (Ed.): Harbor of the pharaohs to the land of Punt: archaeological investigations at Mersa / Wadi Gawasis, Egypt, 2001-2005. Napoli: Università degli studi di Napoli L'Orientale, 2007, ISBN 978-88-95044-11-8 . — Joint Archaeological Expedition at Mersa / Wadi Gawasis, 2005-2006 Field Season at www.archaeogate.org.
  5. ↑Cohen, Getzel M.: The Hellenistic settlements in Syria, the Red Sea Basin, and North Africa. Berkeley [et al.]: Univ. of California Press, 2006, Hellenistic culture and society; 46, ISBN 978-0-520-24148-0 , Pp. 339-341.
  6. ↑Strabo, Book 16, Chapter 4, § 5, z. B. in Strabo; Forbiger, Albert (transl.): Strabo's description of the earth; Vol.7: Book 16 and 17. Berlin: Langenscheidt, 1860, Langenscheidt library of all Greek and Roman classics in newer German sample translations; 55, P. 55.
  7. ↑Bad Company (Archived version of February 16, 2006 in the Internet Archive archive.org), Report from Al-Ahram Weekly, February 9, 2006.
  8. ↑AP / dpa / AFP / rtr: Passenger ship sunk with 1300 people, Report on Spiegel Online from February 3, 2006.
  9. ↑Gamal Essam El-Din: Drowning twice over (Archived version of August 5, 2008 in the Internet Archive archive.org), Al-Ahram Weekly report, July 31, 2008.
  10. ↑SDA, AFP: Seven years for shipowners after the ferry disaster, News from the Neue Zürcher Zeitung from March 11, 2009.
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