History
Despite its current remote location, the area around Marsa Alam has an ancient history. Gold and emeralds were once mined in the barren, mineral-rich mountains just inland, and the road leading from Marsa Alam west to Edfu in the Nile Valley follows an ancient route that was originally built by Ptolemy II. Today phosphate mining is the area’s main industry, although it is fast being overtaken by tourism.
