The Sinai Peninsula is the portion of Egypt (a mostly African country) that lies on the Asian continent, with a land area of 60,000 km². It is a peninsula in the shape of an inverted triangle, located in the Asian region of the Near East.
Sinai means ‘land of the moon’, and comes from Sin (god of the moon).
It covers an area of more than 60,000 square kilometers and is home to some 70,000 people in the south and more than 300,000 in the north. Its population is mostly Bedouin and its most prominent centers are Taba, Arish, and Sharm el Sheikh, the latter a major tourist destination on the Red Sea.
There are two distinct parts of the peninsula: the sandy desert in the north, and the steep rugged mountains in the south, with peaks that exceed 2000 m above the Red Sea. Of particular note is Mount Catalina, the highest mountain in Sinai, at 2642 m above sea level. Also noteworthy is Mount Sinai itself (2285 meters above sea level) – the mountain where, according to the Old Testament, the prophet Moses received from the god Yahweh himself the Tablets of the Law with the Ten Commandments. At its foot is the Monastery of Santa Catalina.
This mountain is very important for Christian, Muslim, and Jewish religions because it is the sacred place where Moses received the tablets of the Ten Commandments, as narrated in the Bible. Moreover, Islam says that Muhammad walked the path of this mountain on his journey to heaven.
The well-known mountain has a height of 2285 meters and different routes to its summit. This is the great attraction of the visit, in addition to the religious value, because the sunrises and sunsets from that height are spectacular.
Also, The mountain is located in the southern part of the Sinai Peninsula and can be accessed as part of an excursion from Sharm el-Sheikh or Dahab. Once at the base of the mountain, we can begin a hike of about two hours before sunrise or sunset until we reach our destination.
At the top are 750 steps carved in stone leading to a mosque and a chapel in honor of Moses.
Furthermore, Mount Sinai is a tourist area that does not pose dangers for the visitor
This Monastery of St. Catherine is an obligatory stop during the ascent to Mount Sinai. It is open to the public, as long as it is not a holiday for the Orthodox Christian Church, from 9:00 am to 11:00 am.
It is located at the foot of Mount Sinai, where it is supposed, that Moses saw the bush that burned without being consumed. was built in the year 565, holding the record of being the oldest monastery in the world that has been in continuous operation. an area very frequented by tourists and with sufficient security.
The oasis of Wadi Feiran
It is located about 55 km from the oasis of St. Catherine, which takes about 50 minutes. It is one of the most important oases in the south of the Sinai Peninsula and, therefore, a good excursion from the oasis of St. Catherine if you plan to stay here for several days. In addition to its natural peculiarity, more in line with what any traveler has in mind when he thinks of an oasis, it is interesting for its religious significance: Moses, thirsty on the way of departure with his people, discovered how a stone cracked to offer water to the expedition. It also has archaeological remains from the Christian period, a modest monastery called ‘of the Seven Girls’, and a natural elevation, the Jabel Tehuna, from where it is believed that Moses watched the battle between the Amalekites and Israelites.
Although the Sinai Peninsula is not so rich in archaeological sites of Ancient Egypt because this is a ‘peripheral’ place, lovers of that civilization will also find a proposal of interest not far from the oasis of Santa Catalina. We are talking about Serabit el-Khadim, of great uniqueness, as it shows mining exploitation that was used since the Middle Empire times to obtain turquoise. For this reason, it had a religious temple in which, among other divinities, Baalat, the goddess of this mineral, was venerated. Pillars and stone ashlars with decorative reliefs are preserved.
Hiking lovers will be able to practice their favorite activity here since the mountains of this mountain range are favorable for it. However, it will be essential that you hire a professional guide or monitor since knowledge of the place is essential to avoid mishaps. To organize such a plan in the Santa Catalina Oasis.
Geographical Regions Of Sinai
The Sinai Peninsula can be divided into three geographical regions.
Northern part:
The first is the northern part, which is characterized by dunes, fossil beaches, and dry river beds known as wadis. The terrain is flat and uniform, although sand and limestone hills can be found in the Gebel Maghara (Mount Maghara) region.
Central part:
The central part of the Sinai Peninsula consists largely of the el-Tih plateau. This plateau is composed of limestone uplands, which extend southward into the third geographical region of Sinai, composed mainly of granite and volcanic rock.
Southern part:
In this region, there are granite and basalt escarpments that descend towards the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba. It should be noted that the eastern boundary of the Sinai Peninsula lies in a geological fault zone known as the Great Rift Valley, which extends from the upper Jordan River valley to the Red Sea and reaches the Red Sea.
Archaeological findings indicate that the Sinai Peninsula has been inhabited by humans for 200,000 years. Many ancient peoples made the peninsula their home, or at least passed through it.
These include the ancient Egyptians, as the Sinai was the domain of the Egyptian pharaohs in ancient times. The ancient Israelites, according to the Bible, passed through the deserts of Sinai on their way to the land of Canaan in present-day Israel.
The religious texts of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam mention the names of several different groups that inhabited the Sinai Peninsula. E
these include the Horites (mountain people), Rephaites (giants), Edomites (descendants of the biblical figure, Esau), Amalekites, and Midianites, who were said to be nomads of the Arabian Peninsula. A group of Hellenized Egyptians also lived in the Sinai Peninsula for many centuries.
Today, Sinai is inhabited mainly by Egyptian Arabs and Bedouins. The Bedouins are the oldest population in the peninsula, having lived there for a period of 2000 years. They are mostly descendants of Bedouins who migrated to Sinai from the Arabian Peninsula, although there is a group of them known as the Jabaleya, whose origins are in the Balkan Peninsula. Most of the Bedouins who inhabit Sinai are members of seven different tribes, which are collectively known as the Tawara federation. They are traditionally nomadic people, meaning that they move frequently from place to place, although most now have permanent homes. Some 600,000 people in total currently live in the Sinai Peninsula.
Travel to Egypt with Vacations in Egypt
discovery of the best of egypt with our vacations in Egypt tour packages
