Zabargad Island
island
Zabargad Island (Egyptian Arabic: جزيرة الزبرجد Geziret El Zabargad, also known as St. John's Island in English, identified as Topazos during Antiquity, in Ancient Greek Topazos = Τόπαζος, in Latin Topazos), is the largest of a group of islands in Foul Bay, Egypt, in the Red Sea. It covers an area of 4.50 square kilometres (1.74 square miles). It is not a Quaternary volcanic island, but rather is believed to be an upthrust part of upper mantle material. The nearest island is known as "Rocky Island". The island is slightly north of the Tropic of Cancer, and its highest point is 235 metres (771 feet).
History
Before the mid 270s [BCE] Ptolemaic activity along the African coast of the Red Sea had been limited with few significant results other than the discovery of the 'topaz' deposits on the island of Gazirat Zabarjad southeast of Ras Banas. ... 2. Pliny, HN 37, 108 refers to a large topaz that was brought back to Egypt as a gift for Ptolemy I's queen Berenice I.
Geology
The island is considered geologically unique as it is uplifted mantle, a fragment of the sub-Red Sea lithosphere.
“Zabargad Island” enters the record as island. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Zabargad, Island and island can confirm, complicate or overturn.
Why this record matters
“Zabargad Island” is worth following because a concise public description often conceals a longer documentary argument. Here, Zabargad, Island and island provides the most credible route into that argument.
The strongest evidence will usually combine a dated visual record with documents produced by the authority responsible for the place. The source revision retrieved here is dated Feb 23, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q389131. Authority coordinates are 23.610, 36.196. 1 of 2 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank.
A single description cannot reconcile every naming convention, rebuilding phase or administrative transfer associated with a place. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Zabargad Island”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Zabargad Island primary sources, Zabargad Island archive and Zabargad research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Zabargad Island”?
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- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Zabargad Island” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.