Northern Red Sea

Northern Red Sea

Northern Red Sea Coral Image courtsey: dahab-info.com

Two continents and a sea

Red Sea is a large natural channel with a length of 1900 km, breadth between 100 to 300 km and a depth about 500 meters! Literally speaking when one continent got split in to two a large crater was formed; sea water gushed in to fill it thereby forming a water-body; that we call the Red Sea. It looks red during the blooming of a particular type of organisms known as Cyno-bacteria (Trichodesmium Erythreum) or simply the red algae.

The Northern Red Sea Region has on its Northern shores Egypt, Israel Jordan and Saudi Arabia and Sudan and Eritrea in its western side; it is more famous for some of the most beautiful coral formations in the world and its exclusive fish varieties.

Wait a minute!

Dust storm over the Northern Red Sea

Behind the formation of the sea there are significant geological events initiated in the Eocene Era -in which the continental plate that bears Asia drifting away from that bearing Africa- this process acquired momentum in the Oligocene Era and is continuing. If the geologists are right; this narrow band of sea stretching from Suez to Djibouti may become a full-fledged ocean, but wait a minute; it may take some time; even our grand, grand children may not be fortunate enough to see the Red Sea as big ocean!

The gate of tears!

Northern Red Sea Map courtsey: utexas.edu

As we can see it in a map the Red Sea is a comparatively narrow band of sea stretching from Ban el Mandeb (the narrow strait that separates Yemen of Arabian Peninsula with Djibouti of Africa) in the south to Suez in the north. It is notorious for its unpredictable and sudden desert storms. There are submerged islands and corals to trap a pilot who is either ignorant of the geography or just negligent, its bottom is scattered with many ships that have sunk as a reminder to the dangers that lurk.

Separations are painful this separation between two large continents must by gigantically painful! Hence aptly named Bab el Mandeb meaning gate of tears! As per the Arab legends the separation of the two continents (due to disruptions in the position of tectonic plates beneath) has caused earth-quakes of unheard magnitude and many villages with its total population vanished and thus the name ‘the bridge of tears’.

An exquisite corridor

E M Forster the renowned writer in English and a lover of the Asian culture has described the Red Sea and its surrounding sand banks as “the exquisite corridor of tinted mount and radiant water”.

On thirsty sands

The Red Sea as we know; is lying in the world’s most arid parts of the land; the hot sun heats up the desert sand, air and its waters; the dry desert storms take away most of its water thereby leaving the sea heavily saline.

People living in the arid lands on both sides of it depend upon this water for their day today needs; large desalinating plants located on its banks do the trick. Not only potable water their need for food also is met by the fish caught from Red Sea.

These all do not make the sea poorer in anyway as it is blessed with some of the most wonderful corals and most beautiful fish varieties in the world.

Dahlak Archipelago

The Dahlak Archipelago is a collection of 2 big and more than a hundred small islets, these islands; most of them uninhabited offer good sanctuary for all sorts of birds. Port Kabir is the largest island where pearl harvesting still exists as a trade; this practice was there from the Roman times. There are regular ferry services from Massawa (the capital of Eritrea) to Dahlak.

Wealth of two oceans!

Geological events that have given birth to this sea has at times closed and at times opened it to the Mediterranean Ocean and at times to the Indian Ocean. These ‘vagaries of the geology’ has given marine organisms of both oceans to come and settle in the Red Sea there by adding to the variety of animal world in this sea.

The beauty of the north – an under water Eden

Northern Red Sea image courtsey: mavericksdiving.co.uk

It has been estimated that there are about 1000 types of fish, 200 types of corals (so far recorded) and more than 1000 species of invertebrates found in this region. It has been rightly called as an Underwater Eden due to the beautiful corals that appears in different colors depending upon the intensity and angle of the sunlight that falls on it may look red, yellow or orange. The water here is crystal clear offering good visibility, it is tranquil and seldom cause any turbulence to spoil your photo graph, the water is warm that can keep your heart also warm, hence beware; keep an eye on watch.

Come with some food!

Red Sea coral and marine fish - Anthia goldfish

There are multicolored schools of tiny fish, sharks, rays and eels etc all to delight scuba divers, those with inadequate swimming talent can try snorkeling. The fish here are not afraid of man and can be fed with tit bits like bread-crumbs etc they come so close to peck food from human hands. In fact the tourists have spoiled them by feeding and they seek easy food from visitors!

Beware of the ‘Lions’,

The Lion Fish that lurks at the crevices close to the bottom of this region is bright red in color has poisonous dorsal fins. The Red Sea attracts divers, pleasure hunters and marine scientists all over the world. All of them get the visual feast of beautiful corals and diverse types of fish. In some places these coral forms reefs deep in to the sea to form exotic structures like caves, plateaus, lagoons and all sorts of strange structures that can intrigue the visitors.

Other trouble makers

The Lion Fish is not the only villain that are abound here there are some other animals which have to be cared the ‘Fire Corals’ Stinging Hydoids are dangerous as the touch is enough to cause extreme pain, There are certain fish that can be troublesome if eaten and there are some creatures to which confrontation is better avoided.

Tourism

There are many sites here for the entertainment of the visiting tourists ‘dive sites’ are prominent among them, Ras Mohammed (famous for its exclusive varieties of fish and corals, S S Thistlegorm (a ship wreck site), Elphinstone, Brothers and Rocky Island in Egypt, Dolphin Reef of Eilat and Israel etc. Hans Hass and later Jacques Yves Costeau have made these locations famous by their exploratory works. Sham El Sheikh, Marsa Alam and Dahab of Egypt and Eilat of Israel are popular tourist resorts for stay and tour.

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• Dead Sea
  

Petra

Petra

petra image courtsey: bibleplaces.com

Petra - Jordan, ‘a rose red city half as old as time’.

A ghost city all carved in solid rocks,

Petra in Jordan is a World Heritage Site on the slopes of Mount Hor at the south west of part of Jordan. It lies in a basin between two mountains and bordered by the Dead Sea and the Gulf of Aquaba. There is no clear idea when all these constructions were made; it is generally believed that it has been there for more than two thousand years. This city is at present uninhabited but has the remnants of all amenities its dwellers enjoyed; all made of carved and finished granites and sandstones. The Petra city was located in the ancient trade routes between Gaza, Bosra and Damascus; the whole complex remained unknown to the modern world until a Swiss explorer John Ludwig Burckhardt discovered it in 1812.

The Nabataeans!

Petra monastery

It remains a mystery that only in 1812 AD the modern world came to know about the existence of this rock city which housed a great historically important culture. Petra City was capital of the Nabataeans; a tribe engaged in trading and lived in Jordan and southern part of Arabia. These Nabataeans were pre Islamic tribes and were experts in trade as well as water supply-techniques. They were smart enough to create a perennial stream of water for the use of this city located in the arid desert. For this purpose they built a dam and connected its water to the city through sand-pipes. The Petra site has been described by the UNESCO as the ‘most precious cultural properties of man’s cultural heritage’.

A place in the Dead Sea Scrolls,

petra image courtsey: bibleplaces.com

The Dead Sea Scrolls discovered from the eleven caves of Wadi in Qumran from the north shore of the Dead Sea have references of this city; which was known as Rakem at that time. These Scrolls comprising 900 very rare documents contained a Bible written in Hebrew belonged to the 1^st century AD was the only one of its kind. These scrolls were discovered between 1947 and 1956; are being scrutinized. It is believed that they are potent enough to make dramatic changes in the whole recorded history of the world.

Architecture and styles,

Petra Amphitheatre

Historians and archeologists rake their heads to determine the exact time the city was built, there are no written records to prove any and hence they depend upon the style of architecture adopted to calculate the age of the city. The architecture involved in the numerous structures exhibit Greek, Roman and Syrian styles; the local style is considered as good as lost. In an attempt to estimate the period of origin of this culture; historians take pre Hellenic tombs (of Greek origin) as the base as they are the earliest structures found intact; it is estimated that they are not older than 6^th century BC.

El Khazneh (the treasury),

The present entrance in to the site is through east through the Musa Wadi (Musa’s Valley); from there a narrow and dark gorge with high standing rocks on both sides called ‘Siq’ leads to the Petra Site. The Siq is of varying width from three to four meters and end before the courtyard of an enchanting structure- the El Khzneh or the treasury. Though it was only a royal tomb the title of treasury it acquired following a local legend. For years robbers found it as a secure hide. People spread rumors as a big urn kept there contained the loot deposited by the robbers. Hearing all these rumors; the Bedouin Arabs went there to secure the loot; they tried to break it by firing bullets; without knowing that it was made of solid rock! The urn still bears the mark of bullet hits.

Early morning or afternoon,

There are altogether 800 individual monuments in this large complex like temples, funerary halls, arched gateways, an elaborate theater, and waterway made of natural split in the granite structures to carry water to the Haji Musa River all carved out of shining sand-stone! The row of invaluable monuments stretch several kilometers, it is advisable to the tourists to select early morning or afternoon to pay visits as they can evade the hot desert time as well as see the cut sand-stones of the structures reflecting the sunrays in multicolor spectrum. The most magnificent structure is the El Khzaneh (the treasury building); with its carved rose sandstone facade standing tall; a sight which has no parallel.

The life that once existed,

Nabataeans the original occupants of the city were followers of Pagan faith who spoke Aramaic (a Semitic language used for divine worship; with 3000 old history in which many original portions of the Bible was written) worshipped Dushara –a male god who was flanked by three female goddesses namely Uzza, Allat and Manah. Along with these gods they worshipped some deified emperors who ruled the land; the whole site is dotted with the statues of these gods. What were their mythologies, how these emperors ruled the land; all are left to the imagination of the viewers as no written versions are available.

Mosses aka Musa Nabi,

Written records are available after the entry of Christianity in to the arena in AD 500; and there are references of an ‘Antioch-10 Bishop of Petra’, in the records of Pope Antonosius 1 of Alexandria. AD 629 -632 was the turn of the Islam to conquer the Petra. As per the Islamic versions Petra is the place where Musa Nabi (Mosses for Christians) happened to beat a stone with his stick and spot turned out to be an eternal source of water. The nearby valley is also known as Musa Wadi meaning the Valley of Musa.

The decline,

It is believed that an earthquake shattered the path of water and the town became arid devoid of the life giving water source. People had to migrate to places for a living leaving Petra as a ghost city. The development of sea-route also diminished the trade importance of this place. As the place got devoid of population thieves found it a treasure trove and random looting took away valuable historical monuments; completing its total decline. The carved granite mansions remain defying thieves and robbers and as sentinels who tell long stories of a bygone age to the numerous visitors who flock to Petra in search of some monuments that has no parallel anywhere in the world.

Petra at present,

Petra image courtsey: civilization.ca

The Petra Monuments of Jordan is a UNESCO approved World Heritage Site; in a recently held pole (in 7^th July 2007) Petra has been selected as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It is just 4 hour drive from Amman the capital of Jordan, though robbed off much of its splendor; it still has much to thrill a visitor. This ‘rose red city’ with its more than 900 monuments is a major tourist attraction and visited by thousands of tourists every year.

Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa

Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa

Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa image courtsey: touregypt.net

An underground city for the dead

As deep as the netherworld

Egypt is famous not only for its Pyramids which are tombs for the dead and rise to tremendous heights so as to kiss the heaven, but these tombs of Kom el Shoqafa or Mound of Shards (Lofus Kiramaikos in Greek) do just the opposite; they go deep in to the grounds to embrace the netherworld. The Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa may not be as famous or visible as the pyramids but they are equally astonishing and perhaps more intriguing than the Pyramids –the mother of all wonders. No wonder they are listed as one among the Seven Medieval Wonders of the World.

What are these catacombs?

Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa image courtsey: touregypt.net

These Catacombs are subterranean funeral halls; cut in rock; with galleries for the dead one’s coffins, places for conducting last rites; staircases and dining halls for the ritual feasts to be held associated with the funeral etc all carved in rock. In olden days Christians of the Roman empires also were resorted to bury their dead in subterranean catacombs to evade desecration by the oppressive regimes. Kom el Shoqafa structures were of Pagan sects. The Pharaoh-Cult members believed in rebirths of the dead; hence placed the bodies of the dead intact in sub terrene caves cut in rocks.

A fusion of three great civilizations,

Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa image courtsey: touregypt.net

The Catacombs are located in a fishing village of Rhakolis; the old part of City of Alexandria in Egypt (Alexandria is known as the Paris of antiquity) where Influence of Greek culture is still very much visible in architecture and artworks scattered throughout the city. The historical turmoil taken place during the past centuries have either eliminated or shattered much of the rich monuments those were standing on the ground (Pyramids though battered to great extents withstood all adversities). The ‘necropolis’ (meaning the city of the dead) by which such sites are called are underground cemeteries could escape damage because of their advantageous location. The Kom el Shoqafa Cemetery is the most beautiful as well as one among all the catacombs.

Tunnels of the 20^th century bow your heads in shame!

Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa image courtsey: touregypt.net

The Kom el Shoqafa; though not a big ‘city’ is big enough to house as much dead as they required and enough space was provided to conduct the last rites of the dead as per their existing customs, staircases and tunnels to connect all these together. As dead ones need no recreational facilities; so many facilities can be supposed to be more than enough for them. The construction can easily equal the modern-day subways and tunnel in the technology adopted for its construction but as far as aesthetics are concerned it was far superior to our 20^th century subways and monotonous tunnels!

A virtual museum!

Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa image courtsey: touregypt.net

This underground cemetery is believed to have built in the 1^st century at the time of the Antonine Emperors are also known as Mound of Shards meaning a mound of broken materials like glass stones etc. Members of the ‘Pharaonic cult’ were following Pagan rites as the organized religions were not in vogue two statues one of a man and the other a woman, the Sun God with wings flanked by two falcons, gods of the Roman and ancient Egyptian order like Sobek (the crocodile tailed god), Anubis (the god with head of dog) and the likes. The fusion of the arts and architecture of Imperial Roman Empire, Hellenistic (Greek origin) as well as the Egyptian styles is the main importance this site is that it is a typical case-study for the students of archeology, in that aspect itself it surpasses the Pyramids and remains one of the most memorable monuments of Egypt.

The discovery,

The strange thing is that the whole site was lying unknown till until one Friday 28the September, 1900 though there were excavations going on here for ancient monuments for several decades. It is said that a donkey that happened to fall in to a pit! Yes; no joke; a donkey accidentally fell in to a deep pit in the ground and the donkey’s trail led to discovery of this site! This story is contradicted by more reliable sources as while excavating land for stones; one Alexandrian by name Monsieur Es Sayed Aly Gibarah happened find the extraordinary things and he informed the Alexandria Museum authorities and it was thus the secret of an ancient cemetery was discovered by the world. The credit is shared by one Betti on the museum.

The complex,

Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa image courtsey: touregypt.net

It was a virtual treasure that was unfolded before the authorities who came hearing the news; something the authorities could not find for decades straightly came before them to be ‘discovered’; all filled with mud and water. When the dirt was pumped out and washed there gradually appeared a funeral complex with all paraphernalia. In the beginning a deep stairway with 99 steps that led them to a vestibule in the ground level which had two opposed niches (recess in the walls) well paved with alabaster (a type of marble used in classical works) believed to be resting place for the visitors.

In the first stage include a platform for funeral rituals, a vestibule with double exedra (arcade for assembly), a rotunda (hall with a dome), a Roman style triclinium (a big dining-table with chairs at three sides) and what else?

In the second stage there were the main accessible from the rotunda through staircase tombs Hundreds of chambers and numerous sarcophagus tombs (‘sarcophagi’ literally means body eater as these types of rocks absorb body matter they are called so), and what else? Magnificent statues, decorations on all proper places, images, ornate carvings and practically everything needed for a funeral hall.

A perfect creation!

The whole complex is nothing short of a complete funeral complex; all cut in a rock with a depth equal to the height of a five storied building a shaft of six meter in diameter provided to let light and fresh-air in. This shaft had holes with the stairways to light up the stairs. The real delight for the archeologists is the names provided on the tombs of the dead. The scripts written, the motif, the engravings, statues and even the coffins are all treasures not only to the archeologists but all who love their heritage and history.

Millenniums never end!

In a sense catacombs were escape roots to the oppressed and the hunted to preserve their rituals and heritage, and at the same time it has become a medium for them to communicate with people who happened to see it after twenty long centuries. A tale of oppression suffered by some people and their brave survival strategies; along with expression of creative talents in the middle of sufferings. When the people of the 21^st century see and appreciate their culture the souls of these people even heave a sigh of relief, let us hope these people rest in their tombs in eternal peace for far more millenniums to come!.