09/08/2025
History of Hurghada: From Ancient Times to the Modern Era
Ancient and Classical Era
Hurghada’s Red Sea coast has seen human activity since antiquity, although the city itself is a modern creation. In the Roman era (4th century AD), a settlement named Abu Sha’ar was established about 20 km north of present-day Hurghada . This began as a Roman military fort guarding the eastern desert routes (likely the terminus of the Via Hadriana) and later transformed into a Coptic Christian community around the 5th century . Archaeologists have found inscriptions, a papyrus fragment, and even a textile tapestry with a cross at Abu Sha’ar, indicating an early Christian presence . The site declined and was abandoned after the 7th-century Arab conquest of Egypt, suggesting that no continuous urban centre persisted on the Hurghada coast into the medieval period . In pharaonic and Greco-Roman times, the wider Red Sea coast was plied by trade and naval expeditions (e.g. routes to the Land of Punt and ports like Myos Hormos near Quseir), but there is no evidence of a significant town at Hurghada itself in antiquity. Any local population would have been sparse, likely nomadic Eastern Desert tribes and fishing communities taking advantage of the Red Sea’s marine resources. The very name “Hurghada” is thought to derive from Ghardaq – Arabic for the Nitraria plant (a desert shrub) – hinting that the area was known primarily for its wild vegetation and as a waypost rather than a bustling ancient port . In summary, during antiquity the Hurghada area’s socio-political profile was minimal, serving mainly as a remote frontier outpost of the Roman-Byzantine realm and later falling under the loose domain of early Islamic caliphates after Abu Sha’ar’s abandonment. Economically, aside from subsistence fishing and pearl gathering by local Bedouins, there was little development on this arid coast in ancient times; the grand centers of Egyptian civilization lay far to the west along the Nile.
Islamic and Ottoman Period
Throughout the Islamic Middle Ages (7th–15th centuries) and the Ottoman era (16th–19th centuries), the location of modern Hurghada remained largely undeveloped and peripheral. Following the Arab-Islamic conquest, Egypt’s Red Sea trade and pilgrimages were channeled through established ports to the north and south of Hurghada rather than at the site itself. Notably, Al-Quseir (a port south of Hurghada) became a strategic hub: during Ottoman rule, it was fortified with a garrison and served as the primary embarkation point for Muslim pilgrims from Egypt and North Africa en route to Mecca . Quseir was also famed as the only Red Sea port importing coffee from Yemen in that era . By contrast, Hurghada (often spelled “Ghardaqa” in Arabic) was little more than a fishing hamlet or occasional anchorage, overshadowed by such larger ports. Historical records of the Hurghada area in the medieval period are scarce – an indication that it held no major socio-political significance under the successive Islamic dynasties (Umayyads, Abbasids, Fatimids, Mamluks) or the Ottomans. The region was administered as part of Upper Egypt’s domains, but effective control over the Red Sea coast was tenuous, with Bedouin tribes (such as the Ababda) exercising local influence. These nomadic communities, Islamised over time, sustained themselves through caravan trade, camel herding, and coastal fishing. The cultural landscape of the Hurghada area thus remained traditionally Bedouin/Arab, with perhaps small seasonal settlements and no known permanent infrastructure besides rudimentary mosques or shelters. By the 19th century, when the Ottoman influence waned and Egypt underwent modernization under Muhammad Ali’s dynasty, Hurghada still did not figure as a town on maps – travelers in the 1800s mentioned only scattered Bedouin camps and the rich fishing grounds offshore . In essence, through the Islamic and Ottoman ages, Hurghada’s coastline saw continuity in its isolation: politically quiet, economically limited to fishing and guarding coastal routes, and culturally characterized by the austere life of Red Sea tribal fishermen rather than urban development.
Colonial Era (19th – Mid-20th Century)
Hurghada’s evolution from obscurity began in the late 19th and early 20th centuries under the influence of colonial and modernizing forces. By the 1880s–1900s, Egypt (though technically under Ottoman suzerainty) was controlled by the British, whose interests in the Red Sea grew after the opening of the Suez Canal (1869). During this colonial period, Hurghada was first noted as a small coastal fishing village inhabited by a handful of families. In fact, historical accounts around 1906 describe Hurghada as a tiny settlement of just a half-dozen rudimentary dwellings, a reflection of its very modest size at the turn of the century . Socio-politically, the area fell under the Khedivate (and later Sultanate/Kingdom) of Egypt, but it was the arrival of foreign interests that spurred change. In 1909–1913 a momentous development occurred: oil was discovered near Hurghada, marking Egypt’s first significant petroleum find  . British and European geologists (notably from Anglo-Egyptian Oilfields Ltd., a Shell subsidiary) struck oil in 1913 at what became the Hurghada Oil Field, instantly putting this sleepy village on the economic map . This triggered an early oil industry boom in the region. Through the 1910s and 1920s, the Hurghada field was exploited and by 1931 its output peaked at 1.8 million barrels  – a sizeable contribution for the era. The oil operations, along with those at Gemsa (1908 discovery) and later Ras Gharib (1938 discovery) further north, transformed the Red Sea coast into the cradle of Egypt’s petroleum industry  .
Economically, therefore, the colonial period saw Hurghada shift from fishing to an oil extraction outpost. British engineers and Egyptian laborers established oil derricks, pumping wells, and a small port facility to ship crude oil, bringing the first modern infrastructure to the area . The village grew slightly with the influx of oil workers and company camps, although it remained relatively isolated (there were few roads – Hurghada was effectively cut off from the Nile Valley except by camel tracks or sea until later). British influence was strong in this enterprise; Anglo-Egyptian Oilfields was London-registered and British-managed , reflecting the broader colonial control over Egypt’s strategic resources. Politically, Hurghada’s local administration would have been minimal – perhaps a police outpost – under the Red Sea administrative district. However, the Egyptian monarchy began to take notice of the area’s potential as well. By the 1930s-1940s, King Farouk and the Egyptian elite occasionally visited the Red Sea coast for recreation. In 1952 (on the eve of the colonial era’s end), Egypt’s last king, Farouk, commissioned a summer rest house in Hurghada, effectively the town’s first resort facility . This royal retreat symbolized Hurghada’s rising domestic profile, even as it remained a small town.
The Second World War (1939–1945) and its aftermath also impacted Hurghada. Oil output from nearby fields was strategically important; production surged during the war years , though new exploration paused for a time . The Red Sea coast saw some military activity – the Italians and Germans were aware of British oil installations, but Hurghada itself escaped direct damage. It was after the war, under continued British influence and Egypt’s semi-colonial monarchy, that oil production resumed in full and expanded, fueling the economy. By 1951, Anglo-Egyptian Oilfields even moved its HQ to Cairo and was paying taxes to Egypt , an early step toward Egyptian control. Socially, the 1940s saw Hurghada’s population inch upward as Egyptians from the Nile Valley came seeking jobs in oil and related services. Yet it was still a village-scale community, with a simple lifestyle centered on the oilfields, fishing, and a small bazaar for workers. The built environment by the mid-20th century consisted of basic worker housing, a few administrative buildings, an oil storage facility, and the royal rest house.
Colonial rule effectively ended in 1952 with Egypt’s revolution, but by then Hurghada had firmly entered the modern era with the seeds of its future economy in place. In summary, during the colonial period Hurghada underwent a critical transformation: from an isolated fishing hamlet under Ottoman/British shadow to a nascent oil town. This era established the socio-economic duality that would characterise Hurghada for decades – a local community straddling traditional fishing and modern petroleum extraction, and the beginnings of interest in its touristic appeal (as evidenced by King Farouk’s resort) even before mass tourism arrived.
Modern Era (1950s – 2025)
Post-Revolution and Early Developments (1950s–1970s)
The Egyptian Revolution of 1952 and the rise of Gamal Abdel Nasser’s republic brought Hurghada fully under Egyptian national control, ending the era of British-dominated oil concessions. In the 1950s, the new government pursued nationalization policies that affected Hurghada’s key industries. Foreign-owned oil companies were gradually taken over: Anglo-Egyptian Oilfields, for example, had its assets in Egypt sequestered during the 1956 Suez Crisis and was later majority acquired by Nasser’s government in the early 1960s  . The Hurghada oilfields were eventually managed by a state entity (renamed Al Nasr Oil Co. in 1962) as Egypt asserted sovereignty over its petroleum resources . This shift meant that the economic benefits of oil were increasingly retained by the Egyptian state, though output from the old Hurghada field was diminishing by the 1960s (it produced a modest 300,000 barrels in 1951 and continued to decline thereafter) . Meanwhile, King Farouk’s planned resort in Hurghada did not remain a royal villa for long – after the monarchy was abolished, Nasser’s administration repurposed Farouk’s Hurghada resort into a club for the Egyptian Armed Forces . This reflects the socio-political shift of the time: Hurghada was still seen less as a commercial tourist town and more as a strategic or state-controlled locale (oil base and military rest spot) during the high era of Arab socialism.
Infrastructure development in these decades was gradual. The Egyptian government invested in basic amenities for the small population: paving of main streets, a modest expansion of the port, and eventually the construction of an airstrip. By 1968, Hurghada’s first real airport was established (initially a military airport, later to become civilian) to improve connectivity with Cairo  . Roads remained few; a proper highway linking Hurghada to the Nile valley would come later, but tracks to Safaga and Suez existed. The population in the 1960s remained in the low thousands, concentrated in the old downtown area known as El Dahar. El Dahar housed the early administrative offices, a post office, a small mosque and church, and a traditional market – the core of Hurghada’s town life at the time .
The geopolitical conflicts of the mid-20th century did touch Hurghada, given its coastal strategic position across from the Sinai/Israel. During the War of Attrition (1967–1970) following the Six-Day War, Egypt fortified Shadwan Island just offshore from Hurghada as a radar and observation post. In January 1970 Israel launched Operation Rhodes, a heli-borne raid seizing Shadwan Island for 36 hours  – a dramatic episode that saw Egyptian troops resisting until the Israelis withdrew. The bravery shown in the Battle of Shadwan is locally celebrated; to this day, Red Sea Governorate marks January 22 as “Red Sea National Day” in honor of that resistance . Later, during the October War of 1973, Hurghada’s harbor was targeted by Israeli forces in a series of commando raids . While these attacks did not result in long-term occupation, they caused damage to port facilities and underscored Hurghada’s strategic vulnerability at the time. Civilians in Hurghada experienced wartime blackouts and some evacuation, and parts of the town were reportedly hit by airstrikes in these conflicts . The wars left the local economy battered – oil operations had to pause and the fledgling tourist infrastructure was put on hold.
After the 1973 war, Egypt entered a period of peace and economic reorientation (especially after the 1979 Egypt-Israel peace treaty). Under President Anwar Sadat’s infitah (open-door) policy in the late 1970s, the climate for investment in places like Hurghada improved. International aid and government funds were directed to rebuild and jump-start development in the Suez/Red Sea regions. Indeed, foreign aid agencies like USAID and the UNDP assisted in rebuilding Hurghada in the late 1970s – repairing war damage, upgrading utilities, and constructing a handful of new hotels and infrastructure to lay the groundwork for a tourism economy . By 1980, Hurghada was still small (population well under 20,000) but it was poised at a turning point: its oil days were waning and a new economic engine – tourism – was about to ignite.
Tourism Boom and Urban Transformation (1980s–2000s)
The 1980s marked the true birth of Hurghada as a tourist destination. Recognizing the area’s natural assets – year-round sunshine, beautiful beaches, and vibrant coral reefs – the Egyptian government and private investors moved aggressively to develop Hurghada for international tourism. Around 1982, Hurghada’s airport was opened to civilian flights and upgraded, enabling direct charter flights from Europe  . Egyptian entrepreneurs, along with European and Gulf investors, began building the first generation of beachfront hotels and diving centers. It is noted that tourism experts and the government in the early 1980s finally realised Hurghada’s immense potential, given its proximity to stunning offshore islands, coral gardens and a 30 km stretch of coastline suitable for resorts . The state facilitated this by encouraging foreign investment and declaring the Red Sea coast a priority area for tourist development. As a result, dozens of hotels and resorts sprung up in the 1980s and 1990s, transforming Hurghada’s economy and skyline  .
Hurghada’s urban landscape changed rapidly. The town, which had been confined to the small El Dahar (downtown) quarter and the old fishing Sakala (port) area, expanded southward along the coast. A new tourist strip known as El Mamsha (Village Road or “Touristic Promenade”) was developed – a long boulevard fronted by hotels, restaurants and shops catering to visitors . The Hurghada Marina, a modern yacht marina with a promenade of cafes and nightlife venues, opened in 2008 as a centerpiece of leisure infrastructure . By the 1990s, the city had roughly tripled its 1980 population. In fact, satellite imagery and demographic data illustrate this explosive growth: as recently as 1985 Hurghada had only about 12,000 inhabitants, but by 2014 it exceeded 250,000 residents . This surge was driven by migrant workers from all over Egypt (drawn by tourism jobs) and the overall boom in resorts. Holidaymakers from Europe began arriving in droves – initially many Italians and Germans, later Russians, British, and others, especially as package tours to Hurghada became popular in the 1990s. By the 2000s, over one million tourists per year were visiting Hurghada , making tourism the dominant industry by far.
Such growth brought significant economic diversification and prosperity. Hurghada turned into a hub for diving, snorkelling, windsurfing, and yachting, leveraging its marine treasures  . Large tour operators and hotel chains set up operations, and the city’s employment shifted to services – hotels, restaurants, tour guides, boat operators, and retail. The oil industry, while still present in the region (particularly north at Ras Gharib), became a relatively minor employer in the city itself. Many locals who once fished for a living now found work in tourism, and the government supported training programs (like diving instruction schools) to build a skilled hospitality workforce. The infrastructure had to evolve rapidly to support this. New roads and utilities were built – for instance, a proper highway connecting Hurghada to Cairo via the Eastern Desert was completed, and another southward to Safaga and beyond. Water desalination and power plants were established to meet the needs of the swelling city. Educational and healthcare facilities also improved (schools, a hospital), often with contributions from tourism revenues.
Culturally, Hurghada in the 1990s-2000s became a cosmopolitan melting pot. It wasn’t just Egyptians moving in; a sizeable expat community formed. Notably, Russians and other Eastern Europeans settled in Hurghada in large numbers; by 2015 an estimated 20,000 Russians lived there either seasonally or year-round . The city even earned a Russian nickname “Krasnomorsk” (a play on Red Sea) and now boasts Russian-language schools and a Russian Orthodox church alongside Coptic churches  . European influences mixed with Egyptian culture, resulting in a relatively liberal social atmosphere compared to other Egyptian cities – dress codes were relaxed in resort areas, nightlife thrived, and international cuisine and entertainment became the norm. That said, the old quarters like El Dahar still retain a traditional Egyptian feel, with local souks, coffee houses, and an authentic fishing port. This dual character – traditional town vs. modern resort strips – is one of Hurghada’s distinctive cultural features today.
Physically, the landscape was altered not only by buildings but also by land reclamation and environmental stress. Dozens of beachfront structures were erected, sometimes directly atop coastal reefs or salt flats. Unfortunately, Hurghada’s rapid development took an environmental toll: fringing coral reefs were damaged in places by dredging and construction, and increased boat traffic as well as diver activities led to reef degradation offshore  . Studies indicate coral cover near Hurghada declined significantly (perhaps by 50%) over three decades  . This prompted belated conservation efforts, such as declaring marine protected areas (e.g. around the Giftun Islands) and stricter regulations on coastal building in the 2000s. Still, tourism remained king – and indeed it propelled urban expansion beyond the city proper, with new satellite resort communities like El Gouna (developed in the 1990s about 25 km north) and Sahl Hasheesh/Makadi Bay (to the south) offering additional beaches and luxury enclaves . These are essentially extensions of greater Hurghada’s resort landscape, though administratively separate.
Figure 1: A 1985 satellite view of the Hurghada coast (center) when it was still a small settlement by the Red Sea. The pale area in the middle is the old Hurghada village and its airstrip (the Y-shaped runway) surrounded by empty desert. The bright turquoise patches fringing the dark sea are coral reefs in the shallow waters. At this time, Hurghada’s urban footprint was minimal – only a few clustered buildings and no development along most of the shoreline .
Figure 2: By 2014, satellite imagery reveals dramatic urban expansion in and around Hurghada. The once-isolated outpost has grown into a continuous band of development (grey-beige areas) lining the coast for tens of kilometers. The Hurghada International Airport (runway visible lower center) has been significantly expanded to accommodate heavy air traffic. Numerous resorts, housing complexes, and roads now sprawl along the shoreline and inland, especially around the city centre and the Sekala and Mamsha districts  . This stark contrast over 30 years illustrates Hurghada’s transformation into a major city and tourist haven.
Contemporary Hurghada (2010s–2025)
In the past decade and a half, Hurghada has consolidated its status as one of Egypt’s premier resort cities, while also facing new challenges. By 2010, it rivalled Sharm El Sheikh (on Sinai) as the country’s top Red Sea destination. The 2011 Egyptian Revolution and subsequent unrest did cause a downturn in tourism nationwide, and Hurghada was not spared – tourist arrivals fell sharply in 2011–2013. However, the city proved resilient; its diversified tourist base (including a large domestic tourism component and Eastern European package tours) helped it recover. The mid-2010s saw renewed setbacks with security concerns: Hurghada unfortunately experienced rare instances of terrorist attacks targeting tourism. In 2016, attackers inspired by ISIS managed a stabbing at a hotel beach, injuring foreign tourists . In 2017, another attacker stabbed several female tourists, killing three, in a horrific attack that made international news . These incidents shook the city’s image as a carefree holiday spot. The government responded with tightened security, increased police presence in tourist areas, and better surveillance – measures that succeeded in preventing further major incidents and reassuring travelers. By 2018–2019, tourism numbers had rebounded strongly.
Culturally, Hurghada in the 2020s remains a blend of local Egyptian life and global resort culture. The city is divided into distinct quarters: El Dahar (Downtown) with its traditional bazaar, fish market, large mosque (the modern Al Mina Mosque with twin 40m minarets, opened 2012)   and Coptic Cathedral; Sakala (Sheraton Road area) which is the bustling city center with shops, restaurants and the old port; and El Kawther and Village Road (Mamsha), the newer stretches filled with malls, hotels, and nightlife . The presence of expatriate communities – not only Russians, but also Germans, British, Italians, and others – has led to a variety of international schools, clubs, and churches, making Hurghada quite cosmopolitan. Russian-language signs and menus are common, and one can hear multiple languages in the streets and beaches. Yet, traditional Red Sea culture persists in pockets: one can still see Bedouin fishermen setting out at dawn, hear Egyptian shaabi music in local cafés, and experience the weekly souk where desert tribespeople trade goods – providing a contrast to the glossy resort enclaves.
Economically, tourism is indisputably the lifeblood of modern Hurghada. The city hosts around 350 hotels and resorts of all classes by the 2020s , and tourism employs the vast majority of the workforce (directly or indirectly). The oil industry still operates offshore and in desert fields (for instance, Ras Gharib’s fields remain productive), but these activities are largely out of sight and their workforce lives in separate company towns. Hurghada’s fishing industry, once central, is now a smaller sector – though the fish market is still active, much of the catch goes to local hospitality or to Luxor/Cairo markets. In recent years, the government has pushed to diversify Red Sea tourism beyond just Hurghada’s all-inclusive resorts. There’s an emphasis on cultural and historical tourism as well: in 2020, Hurghada opened its first antiquities museum, the Hurghada Museum, which showcases 2,000 artifacts spanning Pharaonic, Greco-Roman, Coptic, and Islamic eras . This museum – the first of its kind in the Red Sea Governorate – aims to enrich the cultural experience of visitors who might not travel to Cairo or Luxor, bringing a bit of Egypt’s history to the beach . The city also improved its tourist amenities with projects like the new Hurghada Grand Aquarium (opened 2015, the largest in Egypt) , and the Marina Boulevard for upscale dining and shopping.
Urban infrastructure has continued to modernize. In 2014, a brand new airport terminal was inaugurated, making Hurghada International Airport Egypt’s second busiest after Cairo . This expansion allows the city to receive millions of passengers annually and has been crucial for accommodating growing tourism from new markets (including increasing visitors from Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East). Roads have been upgraded; a modern dual carriageway now connects Hurghada to Egypt’s highway network, cutting travel time to Cairo to about 4-5 hours. Within the city, new residential developments have sprung up, some aimed at foreign buyers (vacation condos) and others as housing for the local population which now exceeds 200,000. Utilities and services have seen large investment: the government’s recent budgets earmarked substantial funds for the Red Sea Governorate – about $16 billion in development projects, including expanding sewage treatment, improving drinking water networks, building affordable housing, and enhancing healthcare facilities  . In 2022, Hurghada’s first large public recreational park opened, and the final phase of a landscaped tourist promenade was completed along the seafront . These projects, part of Egypt’s Tourism Enhancement Strategy, aim to improve quality of life for residents and the experience for visitors, ensuring Hurghada remains attractive and sustainable.
As of 2025, Hurghada stands as a city transformed within a century: from a desolate fishing spot to a thriving international resort metropolis. Its socio-political journey has been relatively tranquil – apart from the brush of mid-20th century conflicts – and it is firmly under the governance of the Egyptian state as the capital of the Red Sea Governorate . Politically, the city tends to mirror the national mood; local government and the Governorate focus on balancing economic growth with environmental conservation and community needs. Efforts are ongoing to ensure development is sustainable: for instance, authorities now enforce rules against coral damage and have created marine parks, while also promoting new niches like eco-tourism and cultural tourism to complement the sun-and-sea model. The cultural landscape continues to evolve, blending the heritage of the Red Sea’s peoples with the global influences of its visitors. Notably, Hurghada has become a symbol of Egypt’s openness and economic ambition in the 21st century – a place where one can witness Bedouin folk dances in the desert at sunset and dine at a cosmopolitan marina by night. The city’s history is thus a microcosm of modern Egyptian development: rooted in antiquity yet largely built in modern times, shaped by colonial interests (oil) and later by national policies and global tourism, and constantly adapting through infrastructural and cultural transformations.
In conclusion, Hurghada’s historical trajectory from ancient through Islamic, colonial, and modern periods reveals remarkable changes. In antiquity and the Islamic era it was a footnote – a sparsely populated coast under distant empires. The colonial 20th century brought the first economic boom with oil and the notion that this Red Sea outpost could be valuable. The modern era, especially post-1980, then unleashed Hurghada’s full potential, turning it into an economic powerhouse fueled by tourism and a bustling urban center. Today’s Hurghada is almost unrecognisable from its humble beginnings: a city where modern resorts and infrastructure sit alongside the Red Sea’s natural treasures, providing livelihoods for thousands and enjoyment for visitors from around the world  . Yet, echoes of each historical layer remain – from the Roman ruins north of the city, to the enduring fishing traditions, to the aging oil wells, and the new museums celebrating Egypt’s legacy – making Hurghada’s story a fascinating chapter in the broader history of Egypt’s Red Sea coast.
Sources: Historical and tourism data have been synthesized from Egyptian government publications, academic research, and reputable travel/history sources     , ensuring an up-to-date (2025) and comprehensive overview. The narrative highlights each era’s socio-political context, economic drivers, and the urban/cultural evolution of Hurghada, with a focus on the city itself rather than the wider governorate, per the requested scope.
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