Neglected Egyptian nature reserve home to last pharaonic honey bees
Wadi Al-Assiut's 200 hives of bee breeds that stretch back millennia draw attention from researchers for the health benefits of the honey they produce.
Stretching over 8,000 acres, the Wadi Al-Assiut protectorate is home to a diversity of rare plants, animals and birds, making it a favorite destination for wildlife lovers and scientists.
The protectorate, about 50 km away from the city of Assiut, is the breeding ground of endangered species of wild animals and wild plants, most notably the last breed of Pharaonic bees whose honey has multiple therapeutic and nutritional benefits.
Wadi Al-Assiut is also home to different types of wild deer, hawks, and migratory birds. After the Jan. 25 revolution, the protectorate was subject to several trespassing incidents and violations, but “this natural reserve still reflects the beauty of the Egyptian Eastern Desert,” said Mahmoud Nafadi, director-general of the reserve.
The protectorate's rare breeds of Egyptian bees produce a special type of honey with great medicinal benefits that are being studied by students of pharmacy and science. Nafadi asserted that these breeds have existed since the days of the pharaohs.
