Saint Catherine Natural Park

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The Saint Catherine (Katherine) Protected Area is a heavenly reserve in South Sinai stretching over an area of 5 . 745 km2 . It was declared a national park in 1996 and has since been managed by the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA) . The conservation of the site and the unique natural and cultural values was a primary goal in the declaration of the park . The park comprises of the highest series of peaks in Egypt including: Saint Catherine , Musa , Serbal , Umm Shomer (Chomir) and Tarbush Mounts) . Daily , the reserve receives a growing number of visitors which expands the tourist industry in South Sinai .
The area is blessed with some of the oldest rock formations in the world , some are 545 million years old . Conserving the biological diversity , the reserve houses a great diversity of unique wild species such as the Asian rose finch , European ibex and wolfs , African striped hyena as well as different species of snakes (such as the Sinai Banded Snake and the Innes Cobra) . The park is home to a great variety of endangered insects and wild animals , such as the Nubian ibex , Dorcas gazelle , Panther pardus jarvisi , Red fox , and Sinai Leopard , as well as different unique reptiles and birds . It also conserves many scattered orchards , medical herbs and over 900 species of various rare plants .
Visitors can choose between different activities to practice in this protected area . One can trek through the mountains' peaks; camp in any of the camping areas and sit around fire by night; site in a quiet place under the shadow of a palm tree by day; watch rare animals and birds in their unspoiled natural environment; or even get some herbal treatment in a clean quiet environment .
Under Law 102 of 1983 declared by Prime Ministerial decree , it is prohibited to remove anything from its original place , whether a rock , plant or animal since everything plays an indispensable role in this complex ecosystem .