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Sharm el-Sheikh
Arabic:
sharmu sh-shaykh
Touristic town in Egypt with 20,000 inhabitants (2005 estimate), in southern Sinai, at the point where the Gulf of Aqaba meets the Red Sea.
Beyond its strategic importance, Sharm el-Sheikh has little to rely upon except tourism. Tourism is highly developed here, and the name Sharm el-Sheikh is now used for an area far wider than the original town borders. The town includes the newer Na'ama Bay, which is almost solely devoted to tourist traffic.
In the Suez-Sinai War and the Six-Day War, Sharm el-Sheikh played an important role. The state that controlled Sharm el-Sheikh also controlled the entrance to Gulf of Aqaba. Hence it was vital for Israel, who had a strong need for access to the Red Sea.
HISTORY
1970's: During the Israeli occupation, tourist facilities are established in the bay of Sharm el-Maya.
1982: Sinai is returned to Egypt, resulting in heavy investments in tourist facilities along the coasts north of Sharm centre.
2004 January 3: An Egyptian-owned airplane heading for Paris, France, crashed into the Red Sea, killing all 148 aboard.
2005 July 23: Three suicide bombs kill 64 people.
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By: Tore Kjeilen
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