Hurghada is the administrative capital of the Red Sea Governorate, and occupies an area of 40 km of the coastal strip on the western shore of the Red Sea. It is bordered to the north by the city of Ras Gharib, to the south by the city of Safaga, to the east by the Red Sea coast, and to the west by the Red Sea mountains. It is located on the islands of Giftun, Umm Qamar, Magawish, Abu Ramada, Abu Minqar, Al-Fanadir and Shadwan. Among its most famous resorts are El Gouna, Sahl Hasheesh, Soma Bay and Makadi Bay. Its main neighborhoods are the Dahar neighborhood, the Sakkala neighborhood, and the neighborhoods.
Naming
The original name of the city is “Hargada” in reference to a desert area known as “Disha Hargada”. There is another opinion that says that the name goes back to a plant called “Ghurdak”, which is known as “Dieb grape” or “Fayrouz”. “Shattan” is a plant that has been growing naturally since ancient times. The fishermen from the Juhayna, Rashaida, and Al-Maaza tribes were fishing in the area between the Hijaz and the Red Sea coast, and they would meet at a large tree of the “Hurghada” plant, and its current location is the Hurghada seaport, and then the name evolved to Hurghada.
History
The city of Hurghada was established in 1905. In the past, the city only included a group of primitive houses inhabited by Bedouins, who were mainly stationed in the Sakkala area to work in fishing and pearl fishing, which gave the city a Bedouin character that continues to this day. During the reign of King Farouk, a recreational rest house was built, which was transformed after nationalization during the reign of President Gamal Abdel Nasser into the building of the Armed Forces Water Sports Club, which is considered a tourist attraction until now. Oil was discovered in that region in 1913, and its actual production and export began in 1921. The Anglo-Egyptian Oil Wells Company Limited was one of the first companies to begin producing oil in this region. In 1972, Israeli forces attempted to occupy Shedwan Island, but the Egyptian Armed Forces confronted them and were able to defeat and expel them from the island within hours in what is known as the Battle of Shedwan, a date on which the Red Sea Governorate celebrates its National Day.
Geography and population
The city of Hurghada is located on the western shore of the Red Sea, at longitude 48′ 33° east and latitude 15′ 27° north. It is administratively affiliated with the Red Sea Governorate, and it is the capital of the governorate. It is bordered to the north by the city of Ras Gharib, at a distance of 143 km, and to the south by the city of Safaga, at a distance of 61 km. It overlooks the Red Sea coast to the east, and to the west by the Red Sea mountains. Its beaches cover an area of 40 km of the coastal strip of the Red Sea, and its total area is 460.5 km. It is considered the fourth city. In terms of area, it ranks among the cities of the Red Sea Governorate after the cities of Ras Gharib, Safaga, and Al-Qusayr. The urban mass of the city extends along the coastal road parallel to the Red Sea coast over an estimated distance of 23 km, while its extension inland does not exceed 3.6 km. The old city of Hurghada (Al-Dahar) extends in a longitudinal strip, confined between two limestone plateaus, one in the east between the old city and the coast, and the other in the west. Therefore, the city of Hurghada is located on a coastal plain whose width varies from one region to another, and its width ranges from 8 to 35 km. This shows the multiplicity of patterns of the urban fabric of the city. The spontaneous and network fabric is concentrated in the nucleus of the city, where the urban structure is random, and which is characterized by poor and medium-sized buildings, most of which are close together, in addition to the narrow and winding roads and streets whose width ranges from approximately 3 to 6 meters. As for the organized grid and strip fabric, it prevails in the new urban extensions.
Administrative division
• Al-Dahar neighborhood: It is considered the popular area of the city and its old center, as it highlights the traditional Egyptian life mixed with the Bedouin character. It also contains popular markets, shops, the fish market, and tourist roads such as Al-Mamsha Road, Al-Hadaba Road, Airport Road, and Sheraton Road.
• Al-Sakkala neighborhood: This neighborhood adorns the place of the old port, and represents the city’s tourist area, as it contains many hotels, shops, shopping centers, clubs, and restaurants, which remain open to the public and tourists until after midnight.
• Al Ahyaa District: It is a new neighborhood that is expected to be one of the most important tourist neighborhoods in the future, because it contains more than one tourist resort under construction.
• Islands: The city includes many islands populated with tourist resorts or used as diving sites, such as El Gouna, Sahl Hasheesh, Magawish, Abu Minqara, Abu Ramada, Al Giftun, and Shedwan.
• Slums: About 30% of the city’s population lives in slum areas that the state is trying to develop, which are: Zerzara, Jabal Al-Afash, Al-Malaha, Al-Anbar, Nag Al-Boura, Al-Mahjar, Sheikh Mahmoud, Al-Sayyad, Al-Arab, behind the bus, and Al-Kahf.