May 24, 2013
The week's top five must-sees,
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The week's top five must-sees,
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Description
The Sinai Peninsula or Sinai is a triangular peninsula in Egypt about 60,000 km² in area. It is situated between the Mediterranean Sea to the north, and the Red Sea to the south, and is the only part of Egyptian territory located in Asia as opposed to Africa, effectively serving as a land bridge between two continents. The bulk of the peninsula is divided administratively into two of Egypt's 27 governorates, and has a population of approximately 500,000 people. In addition to its formal name, Egyptians also refer to it affectionately as the "Land of Fayrouz", based on the Ancient Egyptian "Dumafkat", which has the same meaning.
The region has historically been the centre of conflict between various states, based largely on its strategic geopolitical location. In addition to periods of direct rule by Egyptian governments, it was like the rest of Egypt, also occupied and controlled by the Ottoman Empire, and the United Kingdom. Israel invaded and occupied Sinai during the Suez Crisis of 1956, and during the Six Day War of 1967. On 6 October 1973, Egypt launched the October War to recapture the peninsula, which was the site of fierce fighting between Egyptian and Israeli forces. In 1982, after the Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty of 1979, Israel withdrew from the entirety of Sinai. Today, Sinai has become a tourist destination due to its natural setting, rich coral reefs, and biblical history. Mount Sinai is one of the most religiously significant places in Abrahamic faiths.
(via Freebase)
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![Egyptian police come under attack in Sinai [BBC Arabic, UK]](/images/image_cache/base-13652000/13652432/thumbnail.width=304,height=171,grow=1,crop=center.jpg?sig=5e3dc29d78a07004ea802b9c31141eb6)
![Jihadist group claims responsibility for deadly Egypt-Israel border attack [BBC Arabic, UK]](/images/image_cache/base-10978000/10978511/thumbnail.width=304,height=171,grow=1,crop=center.jpg?sig=0e5316499cd32a28bd6baf2fea9b9c92 "Reuters/Baz Ratner")
![IDF soldier, three gunmen killed in Sinai shootout [IBA, Israel]](/images/image_cache/base-10962000/10962626/thumbnail.width=304,height=171,grow=1,crop=center.jpg?sig=96e6537a19bba7ff00ac084463e9b787)
![Israeli Counterterrorism Bureau issues travel advisory for High Holidays [IBA, Israel]](/images/image_cache/base-9965000/9965238/thumbnail.width=304,height=171,grow=1,crop=center.jpg?sig=3a8e29a29d23c1aea7153b45f62be1a5)
![Egyptian forces beef up Sinai presence; Israeli officials nervous [IBA, Israel]](/images/image_cache/base-9182000/9182883/thumbnail.width=304,height=171,grow=1,crop=center.jpg?sig=11479ce64eeb1cc35fd376fccf853c27)
![Egypt: Troop deployment in Sinai was coordinated with Israel, did not violate peace treaty [IBA, Israel]](/images/image_cache/base-9153000/9153064/thumbnail.width=304,height=171,grow=1,crop=center.jpg?sig=38583d92f6e574607668a505336e57ba)
![Israel asks Egypt to withdraw tanks from Sinai [Al Jazeera, Qatar]](/images/image_cache/base-9073000/9073737/thumbnail.width=304,height=171,grow=1,crop=center.jpg?sig=986039b32262a09eed6d143455f44215)
![Iron Dome system stationed near Eilat after rocket attacks [IBA, Israel]](/images/image_cache/base-9014000/9014816/thumbnail.width=304,height=171,grow=1,crop=center.jpg?sig=fec262e9f444a276b6781d4d999bbbec)
![Ansar al-Quds claims responsibility for Eilat attack [IBA, Israel]](/images/image_cache/base-8943000/8943884/thumbnail.width=304,height=171,grow=1,crop=center.jpg?sig=310dbef5cca07cf43d2eb6567531f908)
![Two powerful explosions rock Israeli Red Sea resort of Eilat [BBC Arabic, UK]](/images/image_cache/base-8787000/8787361/thumbnail.width=304,height=171,grow=1,crop=center.jpg?sig=7a5dcb7c1fc8645d2b76c4f7354a3de6)
