Wadi Gimal Protectorate

The starkly beautiful desert of the Wadi Gimal Protectorate extends inland for about 85km from its coastal opening south of Marsa Alam, and is home to a rich variety of bird life, gazelles and stands of mangrove. Throughout the interior are scattered the tumbled remains of emerald and gold mines dating from the Pharaonic and Roman eras. This area provided emeralds that were used throughout the ancient world and was the exclusive source of the gem for the Roman Empire.