Marsa Alam مرسى علم |
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Location in Egypt | |
Coordinates: 25°04′N 34°54′E / 25.067°N 34.900°ECoordinates: 25°04′N 34°54′E / 25.067°N 34.900°E | |
Country | Egypt |
Governorate | Red Sea Governorate |
Population | |
• Total | 10,000 |
Time zone | EST (UTC+2) |
Marsa Alam (Arabic: مرسى علم Marsā ʿAlam IPA: [ˈmæɾsæ ˈʕælæm]) is a town in south-eastern Egypt, located on the western shore of the Red Sea. It is currently seeing fast increasing popularity as a tourist destination and development following the opening of Marsa Alam International Airport in 2003.
Among the most famous beaches around Marsa Alam is the Abu Dabab beach. In Abu Dabab, turtles are a common sight and it is nearly guaranteed that when diving, one will see at least one turtle. For tourists who seek to see something less typical, there is marine wildlife like, crocodilefish and octopuses.
Marsa Alam also has some inland attractions, such as the Emerald Mines and the Temple of Seti I at Khanais.
Despite being over 135 miles (217 km) north of the tropical zone, the city experiences a hot desert climate (Köppen: BWh), with steadier temperatures than places to the north such as Hurghada and Sharm el Sheikh, yet Kosseir is steadier and has cooler summers. Marsa Alam, Kosseir and Sharm el-Sheikh have the warmest night temperatures of all other Egyptian cities and resorts. Average maximum temperatures during January typically range from 22 to 25 °C (72 to 77 °F) and in August 33 to 40 °C (91 to 104 °F). The temperature of the Red Sea at this location during the year ranges from 22 to 29 °C (72 to 84 °F).