Hurghada

Hurghada’s story begins in 1905, when a small settlement emerged along a natural harbor where three Bedouin tribes had long gathered: the ‘Ababda, who controlled desert trade routes to the Nile Valley; the Rashaida, who arrived from the Arabian Peninsula; and the Ma’aza, whose territory extended across the Eastern Desert. The town took its name from a local ghardaqa plant species that grows along the coast. For decades, life centered on fishing and the simple rhythms of coastal existence, interrupted in 1913 when Anglo-Egyptian Oilfields Ltd. discovered petroleum reserves nearby, bringing the first outside workers and infrastructure to the settlement.

The transformation into a diving destination began in the 1980s when Egyptian and international investors recognized the potential of the Red Sea’s marine environment, and the Chamber of Diving and Watersports began regulating the growing industry. Today Hurghada stretches 40 kilometers along the coastline, divided into three distinct areas: El Dahar, the original village center with its traditional bazaars, the El Mina Mosque, and the Coptic Cathedral of St. Shenouda; Sekalla, the modern city center along Sheraton Road where most dive operators maintain their offices; and the newer resort developments extending south toward Sahl Hasheesh and Makadi Bay. The waterfront fish market in El Dahar still operates as it has for over a century.