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Mount
Sinai |
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Mount
Sinai, also called Moses Mountain,
Mountain of God or Gebel Musa is one
of the most dramatic places of history for all Sinai and
beyond. This is where Moses is believed to
have received the Ten Commandments. In the Coran, Moses
is mentioned to have been here once, according to the Bible,
he has been here twice (the first time meeting his wife
Zippora and receiving his mission, the second
time leading the Israelitis to the promised land and receiving
the Ten Commandments). This is also the place
of the Burning Bush, the Monks' Garden
and the Ossuary (ref. Monastery
of St. Catherine). But walking up this mountain
is an unforgettable experience.
Visitors have a few option of when to climb the mountain,
depenting on what they would tike to see. It is possible
to walk up in the early morning, arround midday, or late
at night. We recommend the late night option. |
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To
see the sun rising over Sinai is such a fantastic view that
will never be forgotten. There are several tour operators
that offer tours from most of the hotels in Sharm and other
places. A few tour operators are quite big and professional,
such like Sun&Fun. They know their business
for many years and have well trained guides for this area.
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There
are two trails that guide the way up to the top of Mount
Sinai, both starting right at the St.
Catherine Monastery. There is the easier and
smoth way, which goes along the Wadi El Deir,
the valley of the Monastery. This way, called Siket
El Basha, is a bit longer, but much easier to go.
Walking here you'll find Beduines on the way all over to
offer camel rides. Ever wondering where the camels are in
Sinai, you'll find them all right here.
The second trail up the mountain is the path of Lord Moses,
called Siket Sayidna Musa. It was the ancient
path for the monks and is supposed to count over 3.700 steps
that were carved out of the existing rocks. This path takes
much time and effort to climb, we recommend to rather take
it once going down again, while choosing the other path
for the way up. |
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Walking
up the Siket El Basha takes about 2,5 hours,
if fast about 2 hours. Less trained people will rather need
3 hours. It is recommended to have warm clothes with you,
especially a jacket is of much use. Do use the toilet facilities
provided at the bottom of the mountain, even if they are used
by many. Uphill it is more difficult to find a toilet and
they are not any more comfortable.
If on the way you feel that you are running out of power,
you can accept the offers from the Beduines to use a camel.
They don't cost much money and it is recommended to bargain
the price before accepting. Mostly they go down by 50% and
more. |
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Once
you arrive on the top it will still be dark and visitors
will try to get the best place for watching the sun rise.
This is a reason why it is of value to be early, but even
late arrival will still give you the most impressive pictures.
On top, Beduines
are offering blankets, and we recommend to
take them since it will be quite cold waiting. The temperatures
might go down to +5°C, sometimes less, depending on
the season.
Then, in the early morning, the first light can be seen
on the horizon, getting more and more each few minutes.
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on top of Mount Sinai |
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About
an hour later, the first sun rays hit some mountains and
the colours that this light brings up is those that all
visitors have been waiting for. The charme and beauty of
the nature is overwealming everyone, some remaining breathless.
This spectacle will last only a few minutes, perhaps half
an hour until the sun is having enough power to light up
all mountains around and to bring light to the valleys.
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On
the way down, you should take the Siket Sayidna Musa
path. It is steeper, but more scenic. Also, the view down
to the Monastry St. Catherine
is very charming. Beduines
on the way will ask you to buy their gifts and most are
nice enough to pose for a photo. These Beduines
are mostly from the tribe Muszeina, while
the Beduines from the tribe
Gebeleya are difficult to find. They are about
1.500 in number and descendants of Macedonian people. |
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Once
the sun has been rising, most of the visitors will start
to go down. Take your time and have a look around before
you start going down. The view is amazing and it is always
recommendable to avoid crowds. |
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Contacts:
Sun
& Fun
Naama Bay, Sharm El Sheikh
Tel: +20.69.601 623, Fax: +20.69.600 602, email |
| Hints
for the trip:
- bring warm clothes
- bring passport
- bring breakfast
- bring water
- use toilet before climbing |
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