Nabq Protectorate
Nabq Protectorate lies to the north of Sharm and is reached by road. It is a 600sq km area of outstanding natural beauty, comprising mountains, dunes, wadi systems, alluvial plains and mangrove stands which support a diversity of flora and fauna.
Declared a protected area in 1992, the area of Nabq Protectorate follows the broad alluvial fan of Wadi Kid, whose source is high up in the mountains of South Sinai’s interior. At the top of Wadi Kid is the flourishing oasis of Ain Kid, with its many date palms; at its base, where it opens out onto the Gulf of Aqaba, lie many sand dunes, culminating at the water’s edge with the mangrove forests.
The Mangrove tree is a unique plant which thrives in marine environments. Its root system, visible above ground, filters salt from the sea water enabling the plant to survive. Any salt not removed by the roots is exuded through the leaves and can be seen as crystalline deposits on the underside of each leaf. Mangroves have important functions. They stabilize and extend shorelines through their sediment retention and create a unique habitat for the wildlife they support, which ranges from a variety of invertebrate and fish species to a number of different birds including herons, storks and ospreys on their migratory paths between northern Europe and Africa.
Inland in Nabq grows the rare Arak, a bush-like tree which grows sideways on the leeward face of dunes. The roots of the Arak are used to make natural toothbrushes, which are used by many people in the Muslim world.
Nabq Protectorate is also home to some Bedouin tribes, whose activities in the protected area include fishing and herding. More recently, the Bedouin have been engaged by the authorities to work with them to protect their natural heritage and several have been employed as park rangers. Today, many of the Bedouin assist tour companies by acting as guides in the park and arranging typical Bedouin meals for the tourist visitors to Nabq to enjoy.
