There is a very unique gardening tradition in the Sinai High Mountains which goes back to Byzantine times. Most Bedouin groups are pastoralist people not involved in agriculture, but the Jabaleya Bedouin tribe has been practicing orchard gardening for around 1400 years. The Jabaleya have been in contact with Byzantine monks since settling in the 6th century A.D. and received seeds and adopted techniques from them. They relied on both agriculture and animal husbandry and were migrating between higher and lower grounds according to season.
The high mountain region, cultivated between 1400 and 2400 meters, has somewhat more precipitation then the rest of the Sinai desert and the red granite mountain base holds the water. In the wadis – valleys of dry riverbeds – and the farshes – granite basins usually found right below several peaks – there is enough soil and water to support small orchards and gardens. The gardens – called either bustan or karm – were built in the water course and had to be protected from regular flash floods by massive stone walls, and were designed to let water pass through holes in the wall and retain the soil.
Most of the Sinai high mountain region is red granite, one of the oldest rock formation in the World at 600 million years, and it is criss-crossed with lines of different colour: dykes – called jidda – were formed where the granite cracked and porous lava rock poured in. Water from rain and snow running off the granite surfaces penetrates the lava rock and gathers at low points of dykes. Basins with dykes cutting through them collect water from a large area and are an excellent place to build wells and a garden. The water table was often raised further with small dams closing off water drainage ways. Wells further away were connected to the garden by channels made of stones.
Buildings were always built away from the water course and often located at elevated points. There are usually a number of buildings spread around: some were built inside the gardens or next to the garden wall, others a bit further away. They are constructed of rocks and stones, often incorporating natural features such as caves or big boulders, and were used as rooms, store rooms and wind shelters. Buildings for winter were made with earth and a roof from canes or palm leaves was constructed, supported by logs and covered with sand. There are often many small windows to make rooms well ventilated and cool in summer, and many shelves were built in the stone walls adding a beautiful character.
El Fresh – meaning little basin – is also called Farsh Abu Aluan, the basin of the Aluan family. It is a beautiful example of the Jabaleya Bedouin gardening and building traditions. The sole garden is located in a secluded basin, totally cut off from the outside world, yet close to the village and very easy to reach. It is an oasis in a granite arena, surrounded by high peaks and a lunar landscape. In the garden, located exactly in the way of the floods and protected from it by a massive wall, there are two wells, a stone water tank for irrigation, shady fruit trees and date palms and an ancient stone house with three rooms. There are two more stone huts outside the garden on ridges, with spectacular views down to a long valley with a river of green gardens on one side and the distant peak of Mt. Sinai on the other. Next to both buildings there are a number of sandy sitting places sheltered from the wind by low stone walls.
It is a perfect eco lodge as is, built using locally available materials and based on age old traditions and extensive knowledge of the environment. It was planned to be very water efficient to sustain an orchard. Organic produce is grown locally and in other nearby gardens. There is no electricity only candles, campfire and the stars.
It only needs little improvements in line with these traditions. Simple fire places to keep rooms warm in winter, adequate cooking facilities, shower and composting toilet. Fire wood is organized through the National Park and is not coming from protected areas. Water from kitchen and showers will be cleaned with simple natural methods and reused to irrigate trees. There are already many dry composting toilets in the mountains so the concept is not alien. A traditional Bedouin tent and a number of sitting places covered with cane and palm leaves, called arisha, will be erected. Local handcrafts will be used to furnish the interiors.
El Freish is a beautiful example of the ancient gardening traditions and located in spectacular settings. It can be reached in 20 minutes from the town over easy terrain, yet, you are deep in the mountains. The place can accommodate 10-12 people all year round in four rooms – there are two guest rooms in the ancient building in the garden and two separate stone huts located nearby on ridges with magnificent views. The Bedouin tent, to be rected in the garden but little away from the stone house, can take an additional 10 people in summer and can be the visitors’ maqad, the communal sitting area arranged around a hearth.
El Freish reveals a different world and people are encouraged to venture even further. It is a very convenient starting point to visit and discover the rest of the mountains. There are many other gardens in the high mountains, each with its own individual character, which are essentially small eco lodges and offer beautiful nature retreats. They belong to different families and the initiative, on a higher level, is aimed at promoting the whole region and bringing benefit to the larger community. Furthermore work is allocated according to a tribal rotating system, called el dor, to make sure everybody can have a job. Operations are arranged through the Mountain Tours Office (Maktab Rahalat Gabaleya), a tourist company registered with Egyptian authorities since 1987 and run by Sheikh Mousa.
The aim of the initiative is to bring work to garden owners and encourage people to further the upkeep of their gardens, while at the same time providing quiet retreats for those who want to experience the slow pace of life of the Bedouin and the silence and magic of the mountains and the desert.
Contact: info@baraka-gardens.com