Saint Catherine, Egypt
Mount Sinai
The 2,285-metre granite peak that Jewish, Christian and Muslim tradition identifies as the mountain of the Law.
Biblical significance
Jebel Musa rises above the Sinai wilderness at the traditional site of the giving of the Ten Commandments. Pilgrims climb overnight, either by the camel path or the 3,750 Steps of Repentance cut by a penitent monk, to reach the summit chapel before dawn. The route passes Elijah's Basin, where a cypress marks the cave tradition assigns to the prophet.
Scripture
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Best time to go
October to April. Summer heat and winter ice both make the climb dangerous.
Visitor notes
Guides are compulsory. Start around 2am for sunrise. Bring layers — the summit is bitterly cold before dawn.
Coordinates
28.5392, 33.9750
On the map
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Getting to Mount Sinai
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