Mount Sinai is located in an isolated position within the southern central region of the Sinai Peninsula which lies in eastern Egypt between the Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba. The area surrounding Mt Sinai is sparsely populated by the Jebeliya Bedouin, the people of the Mountains, and offers spectacular scenery of dry and rocky mountain ranges which can be fully enjoyed from the summit that reaches to 2,285 metres. The Sinai Peninsula includes the highest mountain ranges in Egypt, with Mount St Catherine (Jebel Kathrina), which stands adjacent to Mt Sinai, being the highest at 2,637 metres. Mt Sinai is more of a ridge than a mountain and extends along the valley in which the historic Monastery of St Catherine can be found.
Mount Sinai is an important location for three world religions and is known as Mt Sinai by those of the Christian faith, Mt Horeb by those of the Jewish faith, and Mt Musa or Jebel Musa, meaning Mt of Moses, by those of the Muslim faith. Mt Sinai is identified by Christians as the place where Moses received the stone tablets from God which contained the Ten Commandments, and Jebel Musa is identified by Muslims from where Mohammed’s horse, Boraq, ascended to heaven. Mount Sinai and its sacred sites which include religious pathways, wells, caves, churches and chapels, and the Monastery of St Catherine’s, are today listed as a U.N.E.S.C.O. World Heritage Site for their importance to three world religions.
The area attracts many pilgrims and tourists as it is known as a major sacred site and offers visitors several important religious attractions. At the base of Mt Sinai can be found the fortified Monastery of St Catherine’s which was built by the Roman Emperor Justinian between 527 and 565 A.D. to protect the sacred site where the miracle of the ‘burning bush’ took place. The monastery stands at approximately 1,550 metres and from here it is possible to walk to the summit by way of the 6th century Sikket Sayidna Musa, or the ‘Path of Moses’, which is also known as the ‘Steps of Repentance’. This pathway, which passes through Elijah’s Gate, was carved by a monk from the solid rock of the mountain and consists of 3,750 steps which, on their ascent, pass the ‘Spring of Moses’ and a small Chapel of the Virgin Mary. Further along the pathway and close to the summit, walkers enter a natural amphitheatre known as ‘Elijah’s Hollow’, or the ‘Amphitheatre of the Seven Elders of Israel’, which is where the Prophet Elijah is said to have heard the voice of God after fleeing from Jezebel. Here three Chapels can be found, one to Elijah, one to his acolyte Elisha, and the other to Saint Stephen, it is also possible to see the ancient well used by the Prophet. At the top, which can also be reached via a longer route by camel, visitors can see the Chapel of the Holy Trinity which was re-built by the Greek Orthodox Church in 1934 on top of the ruins of a chapel built in 363 A.D., and a small 12th Mosque.
Note – depending on fitness levels the journey to the summit of Mt Sinai can take between 2 and 3 hours. Ensure that you have good footwear and water. If you intend to see the sunrise, ensure that adequate clothing is available as nights at the summit can be quite cold depending on the time of year. If you intend staying overnight, remember there are no real toilets at the summit and please take all of your rubbish away.
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