Beyt Ababda, “Ababda House” is the cultural heritage center of the Ababda nomads nestled in the foothills at Wadi El Gemal National Park.

The Ababda are nomads living in the Red Sea Mountains in south-east Egypt. Originally descendents of Arab tribes, this group of nomads show strong connections with the overarching Beja culture in Egypt, Sudan, Somalia and Ethiopia. The local economy is largely based on herding camels, goats and sheep, although increasingly nomads find employment in fishing, as truck drivers, or cheap labor and, increasingly, in tourism.

The main goals of this project is to provide alternative livelihoods for the Ababda, help protect their desert lifestyle where possible, and illustrate the fragile and age-old balance between the desert environment and subsistence economy of the local nomads.

The collection in this museum has been compiled by a group of Ababda and archaeologists working from 1994-2001 at the ancient harbor of Berenike, 100 km South of Wadi Gemal.

The design is in keeping with the park infrastructure components which embody the region’s identity utilizing vernacular and historical architecture.