Hurghada
Hurghada is a coastal city that serves as the largest city and capital of the Red Sea Governorate of Egypt. Hurghada has grown from a small fishing village to one of the most visited cities and largest resort destinations along the Red Sea coast, stretching close to 40 km.
The city is bordered to the north by Ras Gharib, to the south by Safaga, to the east by the Red Sea coast, and to the west by the Red Sea Mountains. Hurghada contains the islands of Giftun, Umm Qamar, Magawish, Abu Ramada, Abu Minqar, Fanadir, and Shadwan. The Hurghada metropolitan area is home to popular resort cities and towns that include El Gouna, Sahl Hasheesh, Soma Bay, and Makadi Bay. The city's main districts are Dahar, Sekalla, and El Ahyaa.
Hurghada is an important transportation hub in the Red Sea region. It is a growing logistics center for eastern Egypt and a tourist destination, with Hurghada International Airport connecting it to the world and its bustling port facilitating the movement of ferries and tourist yachts, making it a major gateway for travel and cruises in the Red Sea. The city by itself is famous for its large and luxurious hotels and resorts, and hosts a large number of tourist facilities. As of 2024, Hurghada attracts over 9 million visitors annually, making it one of the most visited cities in Egypt and consistently ranking among the world's top tourist destinations and the third best nature destination in the world.
Etymology
The city's name is derived from the Arabic name of the Nitraria plant it was shifted into due to an influence from the Beja language in the native Ababda tribe's dialect, and from that came. The English Hurghada comes from ''gharqad, a variant of the same name. The tree is mentioned in a hadith, where it is called the "tree of the Jews".Overview
Hurghada was founded in the early 20th century. For many decades it was a small fishing village, but it has grown into a major city and Red Sea tourism destination as a result of Egyptian and foreign investment that began in the 1980s. Holiday resorts and hotels in the city provide facilities for windsurfing, kitesurfing, yachting, scuba diving and snorkeling. The city is known for its watersports, nightlife and warm weather. Mean daytime temperatures range from the high 20s °C in summer to the high teens in winter, with daytime summer maximums reaching over.The city of Hurghada is a popular holiday destination for Egyptian tourists from Cairo, the Delta and Upper Egypt, as well as package holiday tourists from Europe. Some spend Christmas and New Year in the city and its metropolitan area. In recent years, Hurghada has also become a gateway for day trips and excursions to destinations such as Luxor and Cairo offered by various local tour operators. Hurghada extends for about along the coast, but does not reach far into the surrounding desert.
Many of Hurghada's modern hotels, restaurants, and shops line the Corniche. Most of the major resort hotels are concentrated in the area between the Corniche and Sahl Hasheesh. Besides Sahl Hasheesh, there are also hotels in Makadi Bay. The oldest part of the city is Al-Saqqala, settled by Beja fishermen and Bedouins along its natural harbor. The traditional bazaars, post office, and two bus stations are located in the Al-Dahr area. Al-Saqqala is also the most vibrant area, the city center on Sheraton Road, lined with hotels, shops, and restaurants.
History
The Egyptian Red Sea coast has been inhabited since antiquity, with the area of Hurghada being occupied since the 4th century, when the ancient settlement of Abu Sha’ar, located 20 km north of the modern city, was established. Originally founded as a Roman military fort for Ala Nova Maximiana unit between 309 and 311, it was transformed into a Christian community around 400. The Christians repurposed the fort into a church, leaving behind inscriptions, graffiti, and artifacts such as a 5th-century papyrus and a tapestry with a cross. The settlement declined after either the Sasanian or Arab conquest of Egypt.The modern city Hurghada was established in 1905 along a natural harbor. Previously there were settlements in the Sekalla region by tribes such as the 'Ababda, Rashaida and Ma'aza. Oil was discovered in the area in 1913 by Anglo-Egyptian Oilfields Ltd. During the reign of King Farouk a recreational center was built in the city, but after President Nasser's nationalization of Egypt's industries it was reallocated to the Egyptian Armed Forces.
During the War of Attrition between Israel and Egypt, Shadwan Island in the Red Sea to the east of the city was fortified by Egyptian troops and used as a radar post. On 22 January 1970 the island was the site of Operation Rhodes, a helicopter assault by Israeli troops who occupied it for 36 hours.
During the October War of 1973, Hurghada harbor was the target of.
In September 1994, drive-by shooters killed two Egyptians and a German tourist; another German man was wounded in the attack and died of his injuries after returning to Germany.
In 2016, a terrorist attack in Hurghada, inspired by the jihadist group Islamic State, wounded three tourists. In another terrorist attack in Hurghada in 2017, a man declared that he wanted to kill only non-Egyptians, and stabbed seven female tourists. Two German women and one Czech woman were killed in the attack, which took place at two separate resort hotels.
Demographics
The bulk of Hurghada's demographics are made up of immigrants. Besides the native Egyptians, Hurghada's native peoples are the Beja and Arabs. Hurghada's population is a blend of Arab Bedouin and East African Beja.Egyptian and European cultures in Hurghada offers tourists a glimpse into traditional desert life, focusing on warm hospitality, camel riding, desert exploration, and cultural traditions like tea and Jabana ceremonies, crafts, and storytelling, with experiences often centered in desert villages where native families share their unique heritage of nomadic roots, deep connection to the land, and ancient customs with visitors through organized tours.
Religious landmarks
El Mina Mosque is the main Islamic landmark in the city of Hurghada, a modern mosque by the marina known for its tall minarets, white domes, marble details, and peaceful prayer hall, offering a glimpse into local Islamic culture and architecture. It is a significant site for both worship and cultural exploration in the city. Other mosques in the city include El Dahar Mosque and Hurghada Mosque. Churches in the city include Saint Shenouda Coptic Orthodox Church. The city also has other churches and a local evangelical community that holds English worship services. St. Takla Church is a Coptic Orthodox church, and Church of the Saint Mary and the Black Moses is a newer church located in the El Kawthar area.Climate
Hurghada has a subtropical-desert climate, with mild-warm winters and hot to very hot summers. Temperatures in the period December–January–February are warm, but in the evenings temperature may drop from an average 20 Celsius degrees to 10. November, March and April are comfortably warm. May and October are hot and the period from June to September is very hot. The average annual temperature of the sea is, ranging from in February and March to in August.Along the Red Sea coast, Hurghada has cooler temperatures in summer.
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Culture
Music
Hurghada’s music scene offers diverse experiences, such as international house and techno music to more intimate venues offering live music and traditional Egyptian performances. Popular music venues and clubs in the city include Little Buddha Hurghada, and The Tavern Hurghada.Organized parties on boats, completed with electronic DJs, dancing while cruising the Red Sea. Clubs often host themed nights showcasing specific musical genres, such as Latin nights featuring salsa and bachata, or steakhouse and music nights. Throughout the city, shaabi music is present, which form the core of the local street culture.
Cinema
Hurghada has served as a filming location for several international and Egyptian productions, often showcasing its luxury resorts and coastal scenery. Notable films set in Hurghada include Khaled Youssef's Enta Omry, a romantic drama starring Hany Salama and Nelly Karim, much of which is set in Hurghada. Other films include Tom Tykwer's A Hologram for the King, starring Tom Hanks, including coastal scenes filmed in and around the city of Hurghada.The 2006 Egyptian thriller Ouija, which follows a group of friends on vacation, was also filmed in the city of Hurghada. The 2007 film Real Dreams, a mystery thriller, features scenes set in Hurghada. Filmed in Hurghada in 1956, the Swedish documentary Expedition Röda Havet chronicles a diving expedition to the Red Sea, capturing early footage of the area's marine life and underwater beauty.
The city contains several cinema screens such as Grand Cinema Hurghada.