Can a new project keep Sinai orchards in bloom?
The history of the orchards in the High Mountains of South Sinai runs deep, but new generations appear increasingly reluctant to continue the tradition. A new initiative to preserve the heritage and tradition of the groves and gardens might help change their minds.
Ramadan Abu Sayed's life has revolved around orchards since birth. The Bedouin from the Jabaleya tribe was born sixty some years ago in Wadi al-Arbain, a valley close to Saint Catherine, in South Sinai. His grandfather had moved there from a nearby valley, and it was in his new home that the family tradition of gardening took root.
The Monastery of the Forty Martyrs, or in Arabic Deir al-Arbain, has stood in the valley for centuries, and in modern times the Abu Sayed family has worked in the olive tree groves surrounding it. Abu Sayed's father, after spending most of his life in the orchards, decided to try his luck and cultivate his own garden, not far from the monastery.
“My father started [his orchard] around 1973, after he found a way to collect water,” Abu Sayed told Al-Monitor. “Back then it was a very small garden, with three grape vines, one almond [tree] and a few figs trees.”
Ramadan Abu Sayed inherited the orchard in 1980, and since that time, has focused on its expansion. He fears, however, that none of his sons will carry on the family tradition because they will be forced to move in search of better-paying jobs.
