Author Description

The Sinai peninsula--a fabled triangle of land squeezed between Africa and Asia--harbors a rich deposit of cultural history. For many centuries, Sinai has served as a pivotal transit station, a lively route of caravans, armies, missionaries, and pilgrimages, and a military shield for Egypt. Sinai is also known as the crossroads of the world's three major religions: the site of Moses' exodus, it has subsequently been the entry point for Christianity's and Islam's spread into Africa and Asia. Formerly isolated from the Egyptian mainland, Sinai is today poised on the threshold of new era. After regaining Sinai from Israel, Egypt encouraged Sinai's integration with the motherland, emphasizing its potential for tourism. Sinai: The Site and the History accordingly provides a point of reference from which this land can be discovered and rediscovered. The work of a distinguished group of journalists and scholars, with over 60 stunning color photographs, Sinai provides a comprehensive picture of the region: its breathtaking geography, its remarkable secular and religious history, and the culture and customs of its Bedouin peoples.