Location: Sinai Peninsula Map
Ras Mohammed (Arabic رأس محمد [ɾɑːs mæˈħæmmæd] - “Cape
Mohammed”) (in ancient and Byzantine eras it was called Cape
Poseidon - Greek ἄκρον Ποσειδήϊον) - the first national park of
Egypt , which opened in 1989.
Ras Mohammed National Park is
the pride of Egypt. Located in the very south of the Sinai
Peninsula, 25 km southwest of Sharm el-Sheikh (along the coast),
between the Gulf of Suez in the west and the Gulf of Aqaba in the
east. It is considered one of the most picturesque places in the
entire Red Sea, and its southernmost part is one of the ten best
beaches in the world for scuba diving. The total area of the park is
480 km², of which 345 km² is on the water surface. The information
center is located opposite Marsa Gozlani. The park territory
includes two islands: Tiran and Sanafir.
Various types of
geological rocks are located here and are available for inspection
by visitors. The reserve is home to more than a thousand different
species of fish, and about 150 species of coral grow. In addition,
Ras Mohammed is rich in representatives of land fauna: foxes,
gazelles, reptiles, migratory birds (white storks). Mangrove trees
provide birds with valuable nesting opportunities.
On the
territory of the national park you can see coral reefs rising above
sea level in natural conditions, dating back up to 2 billion years.
There are also geological faults in the earth - the result of
earthquakes.
Another miracle of Ras Mohammed deserves special
attention - the Salt Lake. The water in it is twice as salty as sea
water due to unique salty springs. The water of the bay is similar
in composition to the water of the Dead Sea (Israel), and has a
beneficial effect on the human body.
Another unique place in
the reserve is Lake Zhelaniy, the composition of the water is
partially desalinated thanks to springs that come out of the ground.
Ras Mohammed can be visited either as part of an organized excursion from Sharm el-Sheikh (by bus or sea), or privately, for example, in a rented car. Since June 2014, visiting the park is possible both with an Egyptian visa and with a “Sinai stamp” due to the transfer of the location of the Egyptian checkpoint to the west of the turn to Ras Mohammed.
Ras Muhammad National Park (also spelled Ras Mohammed or Ras Mohamad)
is Egypt’s oldest and first national park, established in 1983 at the
southernmost tip of the Sinai Peninsula. It sits where the Gulf of Suez
meets the Gulf of Aqaba in the Red Sea, spanning approximately 480 km²
(about 70% marine and 30% terrestrial). The park protects some of the
world’s most pristine coral reefs, mangroves, desert habitats, and
marine life, and it has become a global icon for scuba diving and
conservation.
Geological and Prehistoric Foundations
The
park’s landscape is a raised fossil coral reef that emerged during the
Quaternary period (roughly 75,000 years ago) due to fluctuating sea
levels. Fossilized coral formations in the area date back as far as 150
million years, with visible terraces and sedimentary layers from the
Miocene and earlier epochs. The peninsula lies at the tectonic triple
junction of the Arabian Plate, African Plate, and Sinai sub-plate,
creating ongoing seismic activity. A notable 1968 earthquake opened deep
cracks and pools (up to 42 m deep in places), now filled with seawater
and supporting unique ecosystems.
These geological features underpin
the park’s rich biodiversity: fringing reefs, sea grasses, a small but
vital mangrove forest (Avicennia marina) in a shallow channel, and
desert wadis, dunes, and mountains.
Ancient and Early Historical
Context
In antiquity, the promontory was known to the Greeks as
Poseidion, suggesting a possible shrine or temple dedicated to the sea
god Poseidon—reflecting its long-standing importance as a maritime
landmark.
The area served as an ancient maritime passageway along key
Red Sea trade routes. Local Bedouin and fishermen recognized the
distinctive headland cliff (shaped by wind erosion into horizontal
strata resembling a bearded man’s profile) as “Ras Muhammad” (“Head of
Muhammad”), possibly evoking the Prophet Muhammad or a holy figure. This
folk etymology gave the park its name. Cultural resources include
remnants of very old maritime pathways and later military/coast guard
structures.
20th-Century Geopolitics and the Road to Protection
Until the mid-20th century, the region around Ras Muhammad was sparsely
populated, primarily used by local fishermen from nearby El-Tur. Sharm
El Sheikh (just 12 km north) was a small fishing village.
The 1967
Six-Day War led to Israeli occupation of the Sinai Peninsula. During
this period, Sharm El Sheikh (renamed Ophira by Israel) saw some
development, but Ras Muhammad itself remained largely undeveloped and
pristine. The 1973 October War (Yom Kippur War) left a striking modern
landmark: the Gate of Allah (or “Allah Gate”), a monumental stone
sculpture at the park entrance designed by Egyptian engineers using
massive blocks arranged to spell “Allah” in Arabic calligraphy. It
symbolizes national resilience and serves as the symbolic gateway to the
protected area.
The 1979 Egypt–Israel Peace Treaty (Camp David
Accords) led to the full return of Sinai to Egyptian sovereignty by
1982. With tourism rapidly expanding in Sharm El Sheikh, Egyptian
authorities recognized the urgent need to protect Ras Muhammad’s fragile
ecosystems from destructive fishing practices (such as dynamite and
spear fishing that damaged corals and fish stocks) and from coastal
urban sprawl and development pressure.
Formal Establishment: 1983
In 1983, the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA) declared Ras
Muhammad a marine reserve and national park—Egypt’s first—via Prime
Ministerial Decree 1068. The initial protected area covered roughly
96–97 km², including the tip of the Sinai Peninsula and the islands of
Tiran and Sanafir. It was established under Law No. 102 of 1983, which
provides the overarching legal framework for Egyptian protected areas.
The primary goals were to safeguard marine and terrestrial biodiversity,
prohibit harmful activities (fishing, pollution, construction), and
preserve wilderness qualities.
This was a pioneering step in Egypt’s
conservation history, creating a prototype site for inventory,
monitoring, and ecosystem protection.
Expansion and Legal
Strengthening (Late 1980s–1990s)
The park was significantly expanded
in 1989 (Prime Ministerial Decree 2035) to its current 480 km² size,
incorporating extensive surrounding marine waters in both gulfs. Minor
boundary modifications were noted in some records around 1996.
Supporting laws included:
Law 4/1994 (environmental protection
and EIAs for developments).
Prime Ministerial Decree 264/1994 (rules
for activities inside protected areas).
From 1989 to 2002, the
European Union provided major technical and financial support (€23
million) through the South Sinai Protectorates Development Programme,
building institutional capacity, infrastructure (e.g., visitor center,
moorings), training, and patrol capabilities.
Management
Evolution, Tourism Boom, and Conservation Challenges (1990s–2010s)
Management falls under the EEAA’s Nature Conservation Sector (Protected
Area Management Unit). Early efforts focused on patrolling, mooring
installation to prevent anchor damage to reefs, coral monitoring, bird
ringing, and research partnerships with universities.
Tourism
exploded in the 1990s–2000s as Sharm El Sheikh became a global diving
hub. Annual visitors reached hundreds of thousands (e.g., ~329,000 in
2003–2004), generating significant revenue but also pressure on reefs
from diving, snorkeling, boat traffic, and waste. Entrance fees were
introduced in 1991 to fund conservation. Threats included
crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks, oil pollution risk, illegal fishing,
and sedimentation from nearby development.
Community involvement grew
through cooperation with local Bedouin (as guides, skippers, and waste
collectors). By the mid-2000s, the park had a business plan (2008,
marking its Silver Jubilee) outlining sustainable tourism, zoning,
carrying-capacity studies, and financial self-sufficiency.
Recent
Achievements and Current Status
In 2018, Ras Muhammad became the
first marine protected area in Africa and the Middle East to earn IUCN
Green List certification for effective management—recognizing its
success in balancing conservation with sustainable tourism. It remains
on Egypt’s tentative list for UNESCO World Heritage status.
Note that
Tiran and Sanafir Islands were transferred to Saudi Arabia in 2016–2018
under a maritime border agreement, but the core park area and its marine
protections remain intact.
Today, the park continues to protect over
1,000 fish species, 220+ hard coral species, endangered turtles,
migratory birds (a major bottleneck with hundreds of thousands of white
storks), and unique desert-marine interfaces. Strict regulations (no
fishing, limited anchoring, visitor zoning) and ongoing monitoring
ensure its ecosystems endure despite heavy tourism.
In summary, Ras
Muhammad National Park’s history reflects a remarkable transition: from
an ancient maritime landmark and strategic headland, through wartime
occupation and national reclamation, to Egypt’s flagship protected area
and a model of marine conservation in a rapidly developing tourism
region. Its creation in 1983 was a visionary response to emerging
threats, and its ongoing success demonstrates the power of proactive
environmental stewardship.
Seen from the sea, the highest rock at the southern end of the cape bears a resemblance to a male head. The local fishermen then gave the rock the name Ras Mohammed, which means “Head of Mohammed”. In ancient times, the headland was called Poseidon by Roman sailors.
Ras Muhammad National Park (also spelled Ras Mohammed or Ras Mohamed)
is located at the southernmost tip of Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, where the
Gulf of Suez meets the Gulf of Aqaba at the northern end of the Red Sea.
This strategic position places it at the junction of the African,
Arabian, and Sinai tectonic plates within the active Red Sea Rift
system.
The park lies approximately 12 km south of Sharm El Sheikh,
446 km southeast of Cairo, and 70 km from Tor Sinai, at coordinates
roughly 27°46′10″N 34°12′35″E. Established in 1983 as Egypt’s first
national park, it spans about 480 km² (roughly 190 sq mi), with ~135 km²
(30%) terrestrial land and ~345 km² (70%) marine waters. Some references
note slight variations in land/sea breakdowns (e.g., 143 km² land/337
km² sea), but the total area remains consistent. It encompasses the Ras
Muhammad peninsula headland, adjacent coastal zones, and sometimes
references to nearby Tiran and Sanafir islands (though post-2016
territorial changes have refined boundaries).
Geologically, the
park sits in a tectonically dynamic zone shaped by the Red Sea’s
rifting. The peninsula itself is an uplifted fossil coral reef headland
formed over millions of years, with raised Quaternary coral terraces
dating back tens to hundreds of thousands of years due to sea-level
changes and tectonic uplift. Inland bedrock includes Precambrian igneous
rocks from the Arabian-Nubian Shield (monzogranites and alkali granites)
overlain by sedimentary layers and loose recent deposits. Erosion from
wind, rare rains, and temperature fluctuations has carved wadis and
transported gravel/sand to coastal plains.
Terrestrial topography
features dramatic contrasts typical of a hyper-arid desert landscape.
The peninsula juts into the sea as a rugged headland (“Ras” means “head”
or “cape” in Arabic), with steep rocky cliffs, low-lying plateaus, and
fossilized coral formations dropping sharply to the water. Inland,
you’ll find:
Mountains and wadis: Steep, rising mountains meet
the coastline, giving way to wide, sandy or salty wadi beds (dry river
valleys) near the foothills. These channels occasionally carry
flash-flood runoff.
Dunes, plains, and mudflats: Rolling sand dunes
(especially northward), gravel plains, and coastal mud/salt plains
dominate the arid interior.
Mangrove forest: A rare ~0.9-hectare
stand of Avicennia marina mangroves thrives in a shallow 1.16 km channel
at the southern tip—one of the northernmost mangrove systems in the Red
Sea. It creates a vital oasis amid the desert.
Coastal geography
shows a striking asymmetry due to the differing gulfs:
Western coast
(Gulf of Suez): Low-lying, sandy-to-muddy shores with a very wide
tidal-intertidal zone (often exceeding 1 km). Strong tidal influences
create expansive flats ideal for wading birds but with poor vegetation
(dominated by species like Zygophyllum coccinum).
Eastern coast (Gulf
of Aqaba): Narrower, steeper sea cliffs and fringing coral reefs drop
abruptly into deeper waters. This side features dramatic limestone
cliffs, raised terraces, and rocky outcrops.
Notable inlets
include Marsa Bareika (a small bay) and Marsa Ghozlani (a tiny inlet
near the visitor center).
Marine geography is world-renowned. The
convergence of the shallow Gulf of Suez (~300 m deep) and the deep Gulf
of Aqaba (reaching 2,000 m+) generates strong currents and upwelling,
delivering nutrients that support exceptional biodiversity. Fringing and
hermatypic coral reefs line the coasts, with some areas showing up to
90% live coral cover. The underwater landscape includes coral walls,
gardens, plateaus, and drop-offs.
Unique geological features
include visible earthquake fissures near the mangroves: open cracks (one
~40 m long and 0.2–1.5 m wide) formed by seismic activity, containing
deep seawater pools (over 14 m in places) with marine life. These
highlight the park’s ongoing tectonic activity. Fossil-rich raised
terraces and ancient coral formations further tell the story of past sea
levels.
Climate is hyper-arid desert type at ~28°N latitude: hot
summers (daytime highs often >40°C, nights ~27°C) and mild winters (days
~23°C, nights ~14°C), with minimal rainfall concentrated in winter.
Winds and temperature swings drive erosion, while sea currents remain
strong year-round due to the gulf junction.
In summary, Ras Muhammad
National Park’s geography is a spectacular fusion of tectonic forces,
desert aridity, and marine richness—rugged fossil-coral headlands
plunging into crystal-clear waters, contrasting gulf coastlines, hidden
mangroves, seismic fissures, and vast desert expanses. This
“ridge-to-reef” continuum makes it one of the Red Sea’s premier natural
wonders.
Due to the low amounts of precipitation and the high air temperatures all year round, the vegetation is extremely sparse. Nevertheless, there are 80 plant species in the national park. The dominant plants are acacias and doum palms. Mangroves grow in the Mangrove Channel at the southwestern tip of Ras Mohammed. These are the second most northerly on earth. The mangrove is an ecosystem that has adapted to life in the intertidal zone of tropical coastal landscapes. Only near Nabq, a little north of Sharm El Sheikh, are there more northern deposits. The national park is inhabited by 220 bird and 14 mammal species. The red fox (Vulpes vulpes) can often be seen at the southern end of the park in the evenings. The osprey (Pandion haliaetus) is a bird species that is also common in the national park. In late summer, thousands of white storks make a stopover on their way to East Africa.
Ras Mohammed has the greatest diversity of marine life in Sinai. Large schools of fish can be observed, especially at the southern tip of the headland. Parrotfish are constantly found on the reefs. One of the most common representatives are the rusty parrotfish (Scarus ferrugineus) and the longnose parrotfish (Hipposcarus harid). Other common reef inhabitants are surgeonfish (Acanthurus sohal, Zebrasoma veliferum and Naso hexacanthus) as well as anthias (Anthias scuamipinnis) and soldier fish, the largest representative of which is the large-thorned hussarfish (Sargocentron spiniferum). It can reach a length of approx. 50 cm. The large fish among the reef inhabitants are the giant moray eel (Gymnothrax javanicus), which can reach a length of 3 m and a weight of 30 kg, and the Napoleon fish (Cheilinus undulatus), which can weigh a total of almost 200 kg. Particularly graceful reef inhabitants are the lionfish (Pterois volitans) and the radiant lionfish (Pterois radiata). Both move slowly and elegantly through the reef in search of food. The lionfish show little escape behavior because they are armed with poisonous spines on their dorsal fins. The poison is said to be extremely painful. The giant triggerfish (Balistoides viridescens) is feared by divers because of its aggressiveness. During the breeding season, the fish attacks anything that comes near its clutch. The bite of the powerful jaw can cause serious injuries. Blue spotted rays (Taeniura lymma) and sea turtles (Cheloniidae) are often encountered on the western side in the Gulf of Suez and Marsa Bareika. Among the pelagic fish there are barracudas, eagle rays, tuna (Thunnus). Sharks (Selachii) are rarely seen in the national park.
Despite its protected status, the Ras Mohammed National Park is relatively heavily polluted. The underwater flora and fauna in particular are suffering significantly from the ever-increasing diving tourism. In the past, mooring buoys were installed to protect the reefs so that submersibles would not anchor on the reef. However, the sheer number of divers and the sometimes inappropriate behavior are damaging the reefs. To offset this burden, the administration has introduced exclusion zones. The Mangrove Channel and the small island facing the sea is one such, two others are further north in the bay Marsa Bareika. Furthermore, anchor buoys have not been installed at several diving sites - but these can be dived from land. However, this has become increasingly unpopular in times of package tourism in the region, which means that these areas are automatically protected. In addition, in May 2011 the government representative for South Sinai allowed local fishing in the national park again. This constitutes a violation of the legal regulations of the protected area. The reason for this measure is the frequent occurrence of a species of snapper (Lethrinus nebulosus), which is highly valued by fishermen. In 2010, the region around Sharm El Sheikh and Ras Mohammed was a frequent target of shark attacks on humans. These attacks have already resulted in serious injuries and one death among holidaymakers. According to experts, the attackers are oceanic whitetip sharks (Carcharhinus longimanus), which usually avoid coastal waters. The trigger for this unusual behavior is probably the illegal dumping of sheep carcasses in Ras Mohammed National Park.
The national park's reefs have made it a popular diving destination
for divers from Sharm El Sheikh and surrounding resort towns.
Well-known diving sites are:
Shark Reef (shore and boat dive)
Shark Observatory (shore and boat dive)
Jolanda Reef (shore and boat
dive)
Old Quay (shore dive)
Aqaba Beaches (shore dive)
Camping
Area (shore dive)
Jack Fish Alley (boat dive)
Ras Zatar (boat
dive)
The Shark Reef and Jolanda Reef are located directly on
steep reef walls that drop down to 800 m. Due to the particularly strong
current at this point, you can encounter numerous species of fish and a
unique coral world. Jolanda Reef was named after a cargo ship that sank
here in 1980 and whose cargo - mostly toilet bowls - is still scattered
across the reef.