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If you travel to Egypt, you think of the Nile, pyramids, temples and pharaohs. If you're in the Sinai of Egypt, you think of the unparalleled beauty of the underwater world and the land of Moses. For many people it is a 'must do' when you're in Sinai:
Climbing the Mountain of Moses, Mount Sinai...
Prophet Moses was, as a baby, found in a basket by the daughter of the pharaoh. He was adopted and raised by the royal family. Moses was exiled and fled into the Sinai Mountains. At age 40 he returned because God had commanded him to safe the children of Israel from Egypt. He kept his staff in the Red Sea which opened. They crossed the Red Sea and came to Sinai, where Moses received the Ten Commandments from God on Mount Sinai and he led his people into the Promised Land.
According to Bedouin tradition and legends it is Gebel Moussa (also known as Mount Horeb, Moses Mountain or Mount Sinai) where Moses (Moussa) received The Ten Commandments and the instructions from God through the Archangel Gabriel by the burning bush, to lead the people into the land of Canaan.
The earliest Christian traditions place these events on the nearby located mountain Gebel Sirbel in Wadi Feiran to the west of Saint Katherine. At the foot of the mountain Sirbel a monastery was founded in the 4th century. In the 6th century, the monastery moved to the foot of Mount St. Katherine, following the claim that the summit of Mount St. Katherine was higher than that of the Gebel Sirbel. The Moses Mountain, which lies next to Mount St. Katherine, was only after the 15th century by the Christians assimilated with the Mount Sinai. (In the Qur'an Mount Sinai is mentioned in the chapter Surat at-teen: 95.)
In the 3rd century Orthodox Christians settled on Mount Sinai and in the 5th century a group Gregorian’s followed who founded a colony in the 9th century. These Gregorian monks had a profound connection to their motherland. They built their own temple(s) on Mount Sinai for which they had religious and political as well as cultural motives. Some Gregorian manuscripts of the Sinai are still here, while others are kept in Tbilisi, St. Petersburg, Prague, New York and Paris and in private collections.
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS became the foundation of the Jewish and Christian beliefs and social organization. Through the centuries, this sacred place and the Saint Katherine monastery were visited by pilgrims and nowadays also by lots and lots of tourists.
There are 2 paths leading to the summit of Mount Sinai
Path 1: The steps of repentance
This path ('Sikat Sayidna Moussa') has been created over a period of 50 years in the 6th century. Monks used this path to test the piety of pilgrims and to decide whether they should go further. It consists of 3750 steps of unequal height, the last 750 steps lead to the top of the basin of Elijah. Halfway is a Byzantine chapel, the chapel of the Lady of the pantry.
On two thirds of the path are two stone arches. Elijah built the upper arch and Moses built the lower arch, the gate of the confession. Saint Stefanus took here, in the 6th century, confessions of pilgrims and he tested their knowledge of the Bible. Only those who were pure of mind and had knowledge of the Bible should continue.
Most pilgrims still choose to take this path.
Path 2: The camel path
Most (touristic) visitors choose this path ('Sikat Al Bashayt') because it less demanding and they descend on the steps of repentance.
You walk up in about 2 hours, however it is also possible to go by camel.
The path was made in the period from 1849 to 1853 by Ibrahim Abbas Pasha, who wanted to build a palace on the summit. He later changed his mind and began to build on the mountain that now bears his name.
The camel path joins the steps of repentance at the basin of Elijah.
The 70 wise men of Israel who accompanied Moses during his climb, stopped here because only Moses could show himself to God. The basin is a flat bowl at 2000 meter altitude containing an olive tree, six small and one giant cypress of more than 5000 years old. At the foot of the trees is a source, which the Bedouin call Bir Sayyidna Moussa (The well of the Prophet Moses), of rain and melted snow. Below the well a dam was built during the Byzantine period to protect the monastery against water damage and to fill the monastery wells slowly.
From the pool of Elijah you can only proceed on foot to the summit, along the last 700 rock steps.
Many do have a spiritual, mystic experience on the summit of Mount Sinai.
At the summit of Mount Sinai you will find a many times rebuilt (7th and 11th century) chapel and a mosque (12th century). Both are closed to the public. The chapel would be built around the rock where The Ten Commandments are carved. Below the mosque is a small cave where Moses is said to have spent 40 days as he waited for instructions from God.
Check out our special TRAIL GUIDE FOR MOUNT SINAI for all information.
BEDAWI arranges visits to the MONASTERY OF SAINT KATHERINE with a climb of Mount Sinai. Depending on your needs and your physical condition, you can choose from several trips.
The regular day trips from Dahab and Sharm el Sheikh drag tourists up Mount Sinai in the late evening and take them to visit the Monastery of Saint Katherine in the morning. You stumble over people and (noisy) guides and you're deadly tired at the end.
If this is not what you had in mind, you can check out our ALTERNATIVE TRIPS TO CLIMB MOUNT SINAI where you avoid mass tourism and will be able to enjoy this beautiful area with its perceptible, rich history at your own pace in a quiet atmosphere.
Mount Sinai Weather - Provides weather reports for Mount Sinai and times for sunset and sunrise.
We hope that the information on our website has stimulated your appetite to travel in our Sinai and we hope to see you soon...
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