CAIRO - Wadi Feiran (the Valley of the Rats) is quite marvellous. It's a huge valley, one of the longest in Sinai, extending all the way from the Gulf of Suez to Saint Catherine's Monastery. People love trekking in this wadi and the surrounding mountains. However, not everyone's happy, as the inhabitants of Wadi Feiran feel they have been neglected by the Ministry of Tourism and South Sinai Governorate. The village of Wadi Feiran, with 8,000 inhabitants, is located 90km east of Abu Redis City. A number of monuments and antiquities from thereabouts have recently been stolen. Despite the thefts, the village is still home to many precious antiquities and the Ministry of Tourism should exploit this fact to promote the area for tourists. If this happened, Wadi Feiran could become as famous a tourist location as Saint Catherine's. The village includes the remains of several churches dating from the fourth century, when the wadi was a staging post for pilgrims on their way to Mountain Sinai and St Catherine's. The wadi also contains the largest oasis in Sinai, containing more than 12,000 date palms. Wadi Feiran is home to the remains of a convent, as well as the Church of Moussa and the Church of Bishop Demianos. Only 2km away is the Nabtiya archaeological area and also Mount Al-Tahouna, where the Church of Alia and the Church of Octavius are found. Other beautiful attractions are the Surrial Mountains and Al-Merhad Monastery.
