Egypt to Unveil ‘Sinai’ Astronomical Observatory

Under the auspices of Dr. Ayman Ashour, the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, the National Institute for Astronomical and Geophysical Research has started constructing a groundbreaking astronomical observatory named “Sinai.” 

This project is set to become the largest observatory in the Middle East and the estimated cost of the project is USD 100 million (EGP 3 billion), and it is expected to take four to five years to complete. 

The new observatory will be larger and more advanced than the current Kattamiya Astronomical Observatory (KAO), featuring a 6.5-meter main mirror compared to KAO’s 1.88-meter mirror. 

The chosen location for the observatory is Mount Al-Rajom in southern Sinai, boasting an elevation exceeding 1600 meters, making it among the twenty highest peaks in Egyptian territories.