The Location
Hurghada stretches for about 40 kilometers along the shoreline of the Red Sea, Al-Bahr Al-Ahmar governorate. Hurghada is located 225 kilometers far from the nearest governorate (Qena) in the Nile valley, and 446 kilometers to the south of Cairo. It is bordered by Ras Garib city in the north, by Safaga tourist city in south, by the Red Sea coast in east and by the Assiut governorate in west.
The History of Hurghada
Hurghada is one of the cities located in Al-Bahr Al-Ahmar governorate on the Red Sea coast. The city was founded in the early 20th century, and until recently it was a small fishing village with small population. Since the 19th century, it has been continually enlarged by Egyptian and foreign investors to become the leading coastal resort on the Red Sea. Oil was discovered in the area in 1913, but actual production and export only began in 1921 under British oil magnates.
During the reign of King Farouk, who ruled before the 1952 revolution, a recreational center was built in the city. After President Nasser’s nationalization of Egypt’s industries, the place was turned over to the armed forces.
The Administrative Division of Hurghada
Today, Hurghada is divided into three main areas:
- El Dahar is the old Downtown
- Sekalla is the city center and the old part of the city
- El Qura is the modern part
Beside these three main divisions, Hurghada has a number of suburbs; but, it has no villages as it is known in the cities located in the Nile Valley.
