| Nuweiba | |
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| Port of Nuweiba. | |
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Nuweiba
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Egypt |
| Governorate | South Sinai |
| Time zone | EST (UTC+2) |
Nuweiba (Egyptian Arabic: نويبع, IPA: [neˈweːbeʕ]) is a coastal town in the eastern part of Sinai Peninsula, Egypt. Located on the coast of the Gulf of Aqaba, it sits at around . It is believed by many to be the site of the Exodus account of ancient Israelites crossing the Red Sea.
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Nuweiba lies on a large flood plain measuring about 40 km2 (15 sq mi),sandwiched between the Sinai mountains and the Gulf of Aqaba, and is located some 150 km (90 mi) north of Sharm el Sheikh, 465 km (290 mi) southeast from Cairo and 70 km (40 mi) south of the Israel–Egypt border separating Taba and Eilat. It is believed by many to be the site of the Exodus account of ancient Israelites crossing the Red Sea. Regardless of the controversy surrounding a number of artifacts recovered or documented from the sea floor, the existence of the prominent land-bridge spanning the entire distance between Nuweiba and the Saudi Arabian side of the sea, lead many to still consider this the crossing point the Israelites took, (although many consider the Straits of Tiran a more likely crossing point).
Nuweiba consists of four main areas: Nuweiba Tarabin, Nuweiba Town, The Dunes, and Nuweiba Muzeina. Nuweiba Tarabin is the northern area, and is made up of a thick grove of palm trees, a shallow bay, and the ruins of a Turkish fort. Inside the ruins is a well that has historically been used by the Bedouins as a source of fresh water for hundreds of years. Nuweiba Tarabin was settled mostly in the 1980s when members of the Tarabin tribe residing in the area north of Nuweiba permanently moved into the area typically occupied in the summers, and began building simple accommodations, which gradually turned into more established camps and huts as tourism picked up.[1]
Nuweiba Town was built during the Israeli occupation of 1971 around the Moshav Neviot, and marks the boundary between the Tarabin and Muzeina tribes. The town has a bank, a hotel, a few restaurants, and many camps [1]
The Dunes is split into Duna and small Duna, and is a link between Nuweiba Town, and Nuweiba Muzeina, with many camps and small hotels in the area. The Dunes is known for the beautiful coral reefs that are found right off the shore. While most campsites are located at small Duna, Duna itself has remained somewhat more untouched with the most simple camp accommodations.[1]
Nuweiba Port was built in 1985 on the Gulf of Aqaba, and serves as a ferry port as well, which allows for easy travel between Jordan and Egypt.[1]
It's suggested that this town marks the location of the Crossing of the Red Sea in Biblical times. Nuweiba is short for Nuwayba'al Muzayyinah in Arabic which means waters of Moses open.
Historically, the area was inhabited by two different Bedouin tribes: the Tarabin to the north, and the Maizena, some 8 km (5 mi) to the south. Since the Six Day War when Israel captured the area, Nuweiba Town sprung up just 1.5 km (1 mi) south of Tarabeen, under the Israeli name, Neviot. After the departure of the Israelis, the town expanded and Nuweiba Port, some 7 km (4 mi) to the south, was established and developed, with several car ferries now running every day to Aqaba in Jordan by the Arab Bridge Maritime company, and with a small town growing up around itself.
Nuweiba castle (or Newibah castle), built on top of the remains of a still older castle in 1893, has been proposed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.[2]
Between the town and the port are a strip of modern hotels, such as the Swisscare Nuweiba Resort Hotel or the Hilton Nuweiba Coral Resort or Elaria Beach Resort, catering to beach holiday makers and divers. One km from Nuweiba, Tarabin village as well as the Habiba Village are well known for its Bedouin-style camps where one can rent cheap huts.