Sinai has a desert environment full of history, where Moses received the Ten Commandments en route to the Promised Land, the Pharaohs found gold and searched for their gods, and where the Bedouins camp beside ruins of Crusader Forts. Christianity, Judaism and Islam understand Sinai as a holy land and throughout the years prophets, saints, pilgrims and warriors have crossed this nothingness that is vast. Mount Sinai and St Catherine's Monastery at its base are frequently visited. The product of currency is the Pound that is egyptian(, which is divided in to 100 piastres. Many credit cards are accepted in major hotels and restaurants. Visitors are encouraged to take travellers cheques in US Dollars or Pounds to avoid change that is extra fees. Banks are closed on Friday and Saturday, but exchange that is private, called 'Forex', are open daily and banks in major resorts are open twenty four hours. Cairo branches of the Egyptian British Bank and Banque Misr now have ATMs available that accept Visa, MasterCard and Cirrus and are quite common into the tourist that is main. The desert comes to a conclusion that is abrupt the Red Sea, where exquisite coral reefs provide a fine underwater play ground for divers and snorkellers from across the world. The coral reefs along the Sinai coastline are the best on the planet and 'diving tourism' is the most catchphrase that is recent the peninsula. The Red Sea has one of the greatest amounts of marine life variety in most the tropical seas. Arabic is the language that is official English and French are commonly spoken, especially in the tourist areas. Visitors come to experience the convenience of sun, sea and sand, surrounded by rugged mountains, history and Bedouin that is modern culture.
