Aydhab

Aydhab was a port on the western shore of the Red Sea, where the desert routes from the Nile met ships sailing towards Arabia. Gold from the Eastern Desert passed through its markets, and Muslim pilgrims used the harbour on their journeys to Mecca. The port's prosperity depended on its position between the sea and the desert routes leading inland.

For centuries Aydhab served merchants and pilgrims crossing the Red Sea, though its water and provisions had to be brought across a barren coast. In 1426 the Mamluk sultan Barsbay sent forces against the town in reprisal for the plundering of goods bound for Mecca. Its destruction marked the end of a major chapter in the history of this desert harbour.