
QESM SHARM ASH SHEIKHLandmark
End of the World Cinema
27.9628, 34.2535
Deep in the Sinai desert outside Sharm El Sheikh sits one of Egypt's most surreal ruins: an abandoned open-air cinema, rows of empty seats facing a blank screen against a backdrop of bare mountains and endless sand. Reportedly built decades ago as an ambitious desert movie theatre, it was, by most accounts, never finished or used, and has stood silent and eerie ever since.
The result is a hauntingly cinematic scene in its own right, a favourite of photographers and urban-explorer types drawn to its post-apocalyptic mood and the strange poetry of a picture house that never screened a film. Note that access has been restricted and the site is considered permanently closed, so it now lives mostly as legend and photograph rather than a place you can freely wander.
Know before you go
The site is reported as permanently closed and lies in remote desert, so confirm access before making any attempt and never head into the Sinai backcountry without a local guide.
