Nekhel
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Nekhel
نِخِل | |
---|---|
City | |
UTC+2 (EET ) |
Nikhel (
History
- Pharaonic Era
Nekhel was always part of the
. The region provided the Egyptian Empire with minerals, turquoise, gold and copper, and well-preserved ruins of mines and temples are excavated there.- Islamic Era
Being located on the new
- Ayubi and Memluki Era
During
Geography and climate
The area is very dry and averages less than 50 mm a year. Making one of the driest regions on earth. Although there are still many permanent water sources in the mountains, the area is continuously drying.
The city also puts a great pressure on the water resources, as ground water in the valley is from the mountains. There is work under way to connect the city to the Nile via a pipe line.
Climate data for Nekhel | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 15.8 (60.4) |
17.3 (63.1) |
20.1 (68.2) |
23.7 (74.7) |
27.8 (82.0) |
30.4 (86.7) |
31.5 (88.7) |
31.9 (89.4) |
29.6 (85.3) |
27.1 (80.8) |
22.0 (71.6) |
17.6 (63.7) |
24.6 (76.2) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 10.9 (51.6) |
12.1 (53.8) |
14.6 (58.3) |
17.8 (64.0) |
21.2 (70.2) |
24.0 (75.2) |
25.5 (77.9) |
25.8 (78.4) |
24.0 (75.2) |
21.4 (70.5) |
16.7 (62.1) |
12.6 (54.7) |
18.9 (66.0) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 6.0 (42.8) |
6.9 (44.4) |
9.1 (48.4) |
12.0 (53.6) |
14.7 (58.5) |
17.7 (63.9) |
19.5 (67.1) |
19.8 (67.6) |
18.4 (65.1) |
15.8 (60.4) |
11.4 (52.5) |
7.6 (45.7) |
13.2 (55.8) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 5 (0.2) |
8 (0.3) |
7 (0.3) |
3 (0.1) |
2 (0.1) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
2 (0.1) |
7 (0.3) |
6 (0.2) |
40 (1.6) |
Source: Climate-Data.org, altitude: 405m[2] |
Practical Information
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Religion
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Nekhel was an important destination on the Hajj Route for Muslims from Africa to the cities of Mecca and Medina.[3]
Culture and Population
The traditional people of the area are Bedouins whose culture is very similar to other Bedouin groups. Nekhel Bedouin tribes practice cattle breeding and agriculture which depends on rain and partially common snow. There are also Egyptians who live there and work in governmental sectors and public services.
The techniques used are very similar to the
Agriculture
Agriculture in Nekhel depends mainly on water wells which are found basically in
Nature
The city of Nekhel and the entire Central Sinai Region fall within the region of El Tih Plateau. It is a unique high altitude eco-system with many endemic and rare species. Some of the species are endangered, but there are many wild animals, birds, flowers to see. There are many Sinai Agamas, foxes, rock Hyraxes. Rock Hyraxes are frequenting gardens, and there is a wide range of migrating and resident birds from Europe. Also, there is a large number of feral donkeys in the mountains who migrate to the region and lower lying areas (reportedly as far as El Tur) in the winter and go back to graze for the more plentiful summer. Many of them belong to families and are stamped with marks. However, they put a big pressure on the eco-system.
One of the principal goals of the Protectorate is to preserve the bio-diversity of the fragile eco-system, with an emphasis on the Nubian Ibex and the wild medicinal and aromatic plants.
Rain and Snow are the best source of water, thus releasing water at a steady pace, replenishing the underwater catchment areas better. Water from rains flows down fast in the barren mountains, which may cause flash-floods and less water remains.
The views from El Tih foothills are spectacular, and there are many other natural sights in the wadi system. There are springs, creeks, water pools, narrow canyons, steep wadis with huge boulders, amazing rock formations, barren plains with islands of lush vegetation. On the top of the mountains there are many interconnected basins with a unique high altitude ecosystem.
Places of interest
- Al-Ashraf Qansuh al-Ghawri.
- Fountainheads of Arish Valley which runs from the tops El Tih mountains and foothills.
- Old Hajj Route
- Al-Ashraf Qansuh al-Ghawri Carved Rock
- Metla Corridor
- Tih Mountains
See also
References
- ^ a b c "الصفحة الرئيسية - مدن شمال سيناء". www.northsinai.gov.eg. Retrieved 2023-01-21.
- ^ "Climate: Nekhel - Climate graph, Temperature graph, Climate table". Climate-Data.org. Retrieved 22 August 2013.
- ^ a b Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 2 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 257, 260.