Thursday, April 29, 2010

Quaron Lake protected Area in El-Fayoum Governorate


Date of Announcement : 1989
Area : 1385 km2
Type : Wetlands
Distance from Cairo : 90 km

It is one of the ancient natural lakes in the world . It is the remaining part of the ancient Morris lake. It is globally renowned for the abundance of sea, river, continent fossils which date back to 40 million years like El-Fayoum Giant animal which resembles rhinoceros. There was a huge river mouth that had sedimentary cycles upon which the ancient elephants ancestors, sea horse and dolphins, also sharks and birds ancestors which live in Africa. The fossils of Egyptobethks, the oldest monkey in the world appeared and it dates back to the Oligocene periad, and the existence of some Petrified trees. In this Area , there is a large variety of kinds of reptiles, amphibians and mammals that have a great importance in the environmental system of the protected area.

The existence of a lot of historical monuments "North Qaroon Lake represents cultural heritage that is utilized in Tourism. They date back to the Roman and Pharanoic Period, Qaret Al-Rusas Area in the North East of the Lake, the area of churches and Abu Lifa Monastery.

Wadi El Rayan protected Area in Fayoum Governorate

Date of Announcement: 1989
Area: 1759 km2
Type : Developing management resources protected area and a natural national heritage
Distance from Cairo: 150 km

Wadi El -Rayan area is characterized by its integrated desert environment, consisting of sand dunes, natural springs, large water bodies and a different botanical life, different wild animals and important and various sea fossils. The area of El-Rayan lake is a calm natural environment and free of pollution.
Wadi El- Rayan consists of the following important areas:
Waterfall Area: this area was formed due to the gathering of farming drainage waterfalls. It is a place for various sea sports.
The area of Oyoun El-Rayan consists of long dense movable sand dunes. It has four natural sulfuric springs. It is characterized by the existence of plant groups that contain 15 species of desert plants and about 15 types of wild mammals like the white deer, the Egyptian deer, sand fox, red fox and others, and 16 species of reptiles, and over 100 species of resident and migrating birds.
The Area of El -Rayan mountain El -Mashgaeega Mountain: It includes deep canyons known as split rock. It is one of the favorite places to see a panorama of Wadi El Rayan and picnics.
Wadi Al-Hitan: It is an Area of fossils in the western north of Wadi El Rayan protected Area, it dates back to 40 million years. These fossils of petrified primitive whales skeletons, shark teeth, shells and other sea animals that are considered as an open museum. The roots of Mangroves preserved in soft rocks.
The importance of Wadi El- Rayan is attributed to the fact that it is a natural environment for animals threatened with extinction like white deer, Egyptian deer, sand fox, wolf and rare migrating birds like shahin falcon, deer falcon, free falcon, and other types of migrating birds like some kinds of ducks, quail, some kinds of herons, goats and others. Wild plants like: Aqool , zygoghyllum, Athl Tomarex, Halfa, Ghatdaa, Ghaab, Sammaar , reed ,and others.

Wadi Al-Asioutty protected Area in Asiout Governorate

Date of Announcement : 1989
Area: 35 km2
Type : Captive and multipurpose protected area
Distance from Cairo : 400 Km

The protected Area is divided into two major sections:
1- Captive and Breeding wild animals
There are possibilities of captive and breeding Egyptian deer, mountain goats, bighorn, ostrich, zebra and some reptiles .
2. Captive and plant genes
Since there is a need to collect plant genes threatened with extinction, especially palm trees, some types of trees, bushes, plantations, cactus, juicy plants and medical and aromatic plants that are genes of important economic crops, several types of them have been planted in the protected area where the wild genes are collected from the vicinity for reproduction.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

The Petrified Forest Area in Maadi - Cairo

Date of Announcement : 1989
Area : 7 Km2
Type: Geological protected area and a national heritage
Distance from Cairo : 30 km


The Rocky wood Area is abundant of dense rocky stems of trees in the formation of the wood mountain that belongs to the Oligocene epoch. It consists of layers of sand, gravel, mud and rocky wood with a thickness of 70-100 meters. It is significantly rich with remains and stems of large rocky trees, taking the shape of rocks with cylindrical sections varying in dimension from a few centimeters up to several meters. They are grouped together in a rocky wood.
Thus, the formation of the rocky wood in Maadi is most probably attributed to one of the ancient branches of the River Nile from ancient geological era. It carried those trees along and threw them in that place where they were buried and changed into rocks.

Wadi Al- Alaqi in Aswan Governorate

Date of Announcement : 1989
Area : 30000 Km2
Type: Desert Protected Area and Biosphere Reserve
Distance from Cairo: 950 Km

This Wadi is a large dry river that used to rise from the Red Sea hills especially Elba mountain. After the construction of the High Dam and filling lake Naser with water, the water flowed into Wadi Al -Alaqi and it became part of the Lake. Since the water level became low in the lake, the water has gone down off a great part of the Wadi and accordingly it became uncovered with water. It has greenery, its soil is rich and it is a kind of pasture for animals. Wadi Al -Alaqi is a good example for dry lands, however it exhibits an astounding picture of botanical variety. 92 species of plants have been reported.

Saint Catherine protected Area in South Sinai






Date of Announcement: 1988
Area: 5750 Km2
Type : World cultural and Natural heritage protected area
Distance from Cairo: 550 Km

The Area is characterized by the highest mountain tops in Egypt. These tops were the result of that great tectonic movement called the Great African Rift that occurred 24 Million years ago and led to the creation of the Red Sea and the Aqaba Gulf, which became the attraction of tourists from all over the world.


Saint Catherine Protected Area has abundant natural riches and cultural heritage. It has a natural habitat for several plants and animals. For example:
Wild Life
Mammals like the Nubian Ibex, Drocas - Gazalla Egyptian deer, hyrax, Sinai tiger, wolf, hyena, fox, lizard, hedgehog, echinate rat, and jerboa etc. There are 27 species of reptiles like serpents, vipro dab lizards, monitor lizards, and snakes etc.
Plant Life
The Area also has 22-28 species that are exist only in Sinai like , samm, Habaq, sorrel wood, thyme, worm wood, buck thorn, tarfa, sakaraan , Ba'ataran and other medical and poisonous plants.
Ancient Heritage
There are a lot of churches and monasteries like St. Catherine Monastery, and relics from the Byzantine, Pharaonic and later eras.
Scenery
The Area is very high and has the highest mountains in Egypt like St.Catherine, Serbal, Um Shomer, Thabet, mountainous scenery, oases around water springs and wells that are unique attractions worldwide.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Ashtoom El-gamil and Tenis island protected Area in Port saidGovernorate

Date of Announcement : 1988
Area : 180 km2
Type : Wetlands and Natural restricted Area for birds
Distance from Cairo : 200 km The protected Area includes the bays of El Gamil and Ashtoon El Gamil and Al Manzala lagoon. Tenis island is located in El Manzala lagoon, The largest among Delta lagoons with various environmental systems. El Manzala lagoon Area was a rich agricultural land that fell down due to an earthquake that occurred in the late sixth century, the sea water overflowed the sand dunes which used to separate the sea from the agricultural land. The water gradually covered the land year after year except the renowned Tenis. It was a large city with great buildings and markets. It had palm trees, grapes and farms. It had high water channels pouring water in the sea currently known as Ashtoom. It was called Tenis after Tenis the son of Ham, the son of Noah.

Saloga, Ghazal and the small Islands in First cataract in AswanGovernorate

Date of Announcement : 1986
Area : 0.5 km2
Type : Wetlands and landscape
Distance from Cairo : 700 km

The Area is characterized by the sovereignty of some types of trees like acacia. The greenery in the Area includes about 94 different species of plants including those that solely grow in these islands, specially alongside the Nile Valley. The distinguished natural conditions provided for these islands life opportunity for resident and migrating birds. More than 60 species of birds were recorded, including rare and extinctionable birds on the international level, including species that have lived and reproduced on those islands since the Ancient Egyptian times, they are recorded in their scriptures and remnants , such as bittern, hoopoe and Egyptian geese.

Monday, April 26, 2010

Elomayed Natural protected Area in Matrouh Governorate

Date of Announcement : 1986
Area : 700 Km2
Type : Desert Area and vital peripheral
Distance from Cairo : 300 km
There are around 170 species of wild plants growing in different ecosystem, be they sand dunes or internal hills. Studies showed that this wild plants have economic and medical benefits since there are about 70 species that can used for medical and thera peutical purposes like squall, wormwood, plantain, wood, sorrel. There are also 60 species that can be used for different purposes including fuel like buckthorn and boxthorn, as source of oils and soap like Ghoul Henna, as a human food like onion, for landscaping like Dirsesh-shaayib for manufacturing ropes and roofs like Boos reed, and for pasturing like Dabaagh and Tafwa . There are about 40 species of plants that have important environmental roles such as detaining sand and building new layers. There are several wild animals in the Area like deer, foxes, rabbits, jerboa, chameleon and scorpion. There are also 14 species of wild birds.

Elba Natural protected Area in the Red Sea Governorate

Date of Announcement : 1986
Area : 35600 km2
Type : National Park Protected Area
Distance from Cairo: 1300 Km
Elba natural protected Area is located in the southern eastern part of the eastern desert. Its mountains are located on the joint borders of Egypt and the Sudan on the Red Sea. Elba Area has the following distinguished Ecosystem models:
1-Alshura and Qandeel Mangrove woods on the Coastal zones. 2-Limited areas of Coastal sand dunes covered with grass.
3-With grass sphere of coastal saline land " Coastal Marshes"
4-Desert Coastal plains.
5- Coastal mountains and their surrounding hills where there are mist oasis.
In such environments there are the most types of Egyptian extinctionable animals, birds, reptiles, medical and wild plants. Elba natural protected Area consists of the following :
1) Red Sea Islands and coastal mangrove woods.
2) Elabraq Area.
3) El Da'eeb area.
4) Elba Mountain.

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Coast marshes Area in Rafah North Sinai Governorate (AhrashProtectorate)

Date of Announcement : 1985
Area : 8 km2
Type : Developing resources protected area
Distance from Cairo : 370 km

The Marshes protected Area is characterized by the sand dunes, whose height is approximately is 60 m of the sea level. They are covered by a high density of acacia trees, some tomorx trees, camphor trees, bushes, grass, pastoral and fodder plants, which make the Area a good resource of pastures , timber, and a shelter for animals and wild birds, They help stabilize sand dunes and warbers located within the framework of protection in order to maintain an important form of the Mediterranean coastal environments.

Saturday, April 24, 2010

- Zaraniq protected Area and El Bardwaeel Marsh in the North SinaiGovernorate

Date of Announcement : 1985
Area : 230 km2
Type : Wetland protected area and a natural restricted area for birds
Distance from Cairo : 300 km
Zaraniq protected Area and El Bardaweel Marsh are key points for bird migration in the world since it is the first stop for the birds to have comfort and food after the trouble of the migration trip from Europe and Asia during the fall heading from African.


Some birds take this Area as a permanent habitat for living and reproduction. Over 270 species of birds have been recorded in the area.

They represent 14 classes. The most important birds recorded are: Pelicans, herons storks, crestet lark , quail, white stork, lark, avocet , Hem Harrier Rail and falcon .

Sanafir Island Protected Area at South Sinai Governorate

Sanafir Island
It is located west of Tyran Island at a distance of 2.5Km. There is an open bay that is suitable as a vessel yard in case of emergency.

Friday, April 23, 2010

Tyran Protected Area in South Sinai Governorate

Tyran Island
It is about 6 km far from the eastern coast of Sinai. It is a floating coral reef Island. It consists of ancient granite basis rocks under a cover of sedimentary rocks. The water sources of the Island are limited to winter rains and waterfalls that gather in the rocky holes formed by water rains and waterfalls(flood).

The Natural Protectorate of Ras mohamed in Egypt

Date of Announcement : 1983
Area : 850 km2
Type : World Heritage Protected Area
Distance from Cairo : 446 Km


This protected Area is located at the meeting point of the Gulf of Suez and Aqaba Gulf. The Eastern border of Ras Mohamed Protected Area is a rocky wall with the gulf water where there are coral reefs. There is also the Mangrove channel which separates Ras Mohamed Peninsula from Elbayra Island at a length of approximately 250m.

Ras Mohamed Area is characterized by the coral shores existing in the depth of the water peripheral of Ras Mohamed and the extinctionable colored fish and Sea turtles as well as rare Sea Animals. The Coral reefs surround Ras Mohamed from all its sea sides.

They have a unique formation which has a great impact on the natural life of the Area. The land Falls or "earthquakes" formed water caves under the island. The Area is also a habitat for many important birds and animals such as: The Nubian ibex in the mountainous areas, small mammals, reptiles and insects that appear only at night. The Area is also a habitat for many important birds such as herons and seagulls.