The signing of a collaboration and friendship agreement between Heraklion and the Egyptian city of Sharm El Sheikh, which took place on Friday 1st September, constitutes the first step in the twinning of the two cities. It will be followed by a visit of municipal representatives to Sharm El Sheikh, where the collaboration will be confirmed at a second ceremony. The agreement was signed for the city of Heraklion by the Mayor Vasilis Lambrinos, and for the city of Sharm El Sheik by the Governor of South Sinai Major General Khalid Fouda, in the conference room of the Vikelaia Municipal Library in the Cretan capital.
Sharm El Sheikh is an Egyptian city and port on the Red Sea, at the tip of the Sinai peninsula, which is a fast-developing tourist resort. It is particularly popular among northern European tourists as a destination for winter breaks.
Relations between Crete and Egypt have a long history, dating from prehistoric times, as evidenced by the wealth of archaeological finds in the two areas. Also in the later historic period, Sinai and Heraklion were linked by common cultural and religious ties, such as the church of St Catherine of the Sinaites in the city, which was the place of worship of a monastery of the same name. In operation during the 2nd Byzantine Period up to 1669 it constituted the religious and spiritual centre of Crete under Venetian rule. Today it houses the city’s Christian Art Museum.
From the beginning of the Ottoman period in 1669, in exchange for the Monastery of St Catherine which had been converted into a mosque, the Sinaite monks and Christians of the city found refuge in the church of St Matthew, which was ceded by the Ottoman authorities and became a dependency of St Catherine’s Monastery on Mount Sinai.
The signing ceremony
Also present at the signing were the Egyptian Ambassador to Greece Omar Amer Youssef and representatives of the Egyptian city, Methodios Bishop of Knossos, the deputy mayors for Tourism Giorgos Sisamakis, Education Stella Archontaki-Kalogeraki, Finance Manolis Vasilakis, Culture Aristea Plevri, and others.
In a short speech of welcome the Mayor of Heraklion said: “Crete and Egypt have been indissolubly linked for thousands of years. In excavations of Minoan tombs Egyptian objects were found, introduced by Minoan sailors. Correspondingly, Kamares Ware vessels have been found in excavations in Egypt.
“Contact between Greece and Egypt, cultural relations, the exchange of goods, have continued uninterruptedly during successive millennia up to today. From the Hellenistic years, with the foundation of the Monastery at Mount Sinai, up to the great flowering of Hellenism, especially in Cairo and Alexandria, and the recent admirable cooperation between our two countries amid major geopolitical upheavals in our region … Heraklion, a city and port on the Mediterranean and Sharm El Sheikh, a city and port on the Red Sea, contemplate the present with optimism and mutual prospects….” Mr Lambrinos foresaw the development of relationships between the two cities in the fields of culture, science, education health, tourism, sport and the environment.
For his part the governor of South Sinai said that the current twinning was a great honour for his region as it would bring the two peoples even closer together. He noted that Heraklion would shortly be linked by air with Sharm El Sheikh with the aim of facilitating tourism from and to Crete.
Current air links
While there is currently no direct air link between Heraklion and Sharm El Sheikh, Aegean Air are operating flights from Athens to the Red Sea city between 13th October and 14th January. The direct flights take 21/2 hours and return tickets cost around €240.00.