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Serabit el-Khadim Mountain

Serabit el-Khadim Mountain

Serabit el-Khadim Mountain
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Susan S
Jérusalem, Israël166 contributions
5,0 sur 5 bulles
mars 2023
Serabit is one of the most important sites in the world, because it is the place where the origins of the Alphabet took place. It was a pharaonic temple built ~ 19th C BCE and used by Canaanite miners to extract Turquoise. The temple is dedicated to Hathor, the calf goddess. The script of Proto-Sinaitic originated with the Canaanite miners, and is an intermediate between hieroglyphs and the invention of the alphabet. This writing dates to the 18th BCE and is also in some special places on bowls and ostraca in Israel, such as at Lachish. Also, it's very likely that the Prophet Moses, Hatshepsut and Thutmose were vastly aware of this site.

Serabit area is an alternate candidate for Mt. Sinai (instead of St. Catherine's Monastery). During the exodus of the children of Israel, the tabernacle could be forged (there is a foundry, well, and giant slag heap in the nearby Wadi Nasb). Was the tabernacle forged there? The Nasb well is the only one feeding about 10 districts of the area. Since the site is dedicated to the calf goddess, it also ranks as the reason why the children of Israel forged a golden calf?. Nearby, the local guides can help you climb to the Proto-Semitic inscription on the mountain, overlooking the foundry- it is dedicated to Hobab, the brother in law of Moses!

I recommend to stay at the bedouin base camp at Beit Barakat. Rabia Barakat and his family can show you all of these places, and you will need the help. We approached Serabit Temple from the backside and needed guides. It was moderate to difficult. Then we descended the carved tourist path on the other side, which also features many boat reliefs from the Pharaonic periods. There are mines on the way up/down from the Temple with the Proto-Sinaitic writing. Be sure to see them! Rabia and his boys will serve you delicious bedouin meals, and provide safety and care throughout. They have tents and washroom facilities there too, albeit, it is rustic and there is not always flowing water. But very comfortable, even in the rain! Nearby Mt. Ghorabi (Horeb?) was filled with waterfalls when it rained while we were there. I used Sheikh Ali Resort in Dahab as a jump off point, and they can arrange everything for you. It is bedouin owned. Think of staying at Beit Barakat at least a couple of nights. ~ Susan Schmidt PhD
Écrit le 20 mars 2023
Cet avis est l'opinion subjective d'un membre de Tripadvisor et non l'avis de Tripadvisor LLC. Les avis sont soumis à des vérifications de la part de Tripadvisor.

SvetlanaSinai
Dahab, Égypte23 contributions
5,0 sur 5 bulles
déc. 2018
Кажется, то здесь никогда не было никакой жизни, палящее солнце и камни. Но вот камни оживают, появляется первые иероглифы, рисунки, изображения лодок. Когда-то здесь поднимались многие египетские паломники, посетители, фараоны и их жены шли сюда, поклониться любимейшей Госпоже Хатор. Сам храм, вернее, его руины, расположен на возвышенном плато. Множество стелл с именами рабочих -начальников экспедиций выстроились к главному святилищу - пещере Хатор. Крылатые боги, печати фараонов, танцующие богини, жизнь и смерть на планете Земля..
Écrit le 19 octobre 2019
Cet avis est l'opinion subjective d'un membre de Tripadvisor et non l'avis de Tripadvisor LLC. Les avis sont soumis à des vérifications de la part de Tripadvisor.

4,0 sur 5 bulles
mars 2010
Serabit el Khadim is the most significant Pharaonic site in the Sinai, and the Temple of Hathor is the only Pharaonic temple. The ruins are far not as impressive as other sites on mainland Egypt, but the stunning natural environment makes it very special. It was a turquoise mining outpost, the Pharaohs did not have any other interest in this harsh region. (In the Sinai only the north coast had a strategic importance.)
Getting to Serabit el Khadim is half the fun - from the coastal town of Abu Zenima it is mostly off road, although at times there is suddenly a short stretch of asphalt road which soon disappears again in the sandy desert. There is a small settlement at the base of the site where mostly Bedouin of the Aligat tribe live, although there are also Muzeina and other groups. People visiting the archeological site have to take a guide from here, even if they have their own guide with them.
To reach the site you have to climb up a recently paved foot path - it is not a very strenuous walk, but the heat might add to the difficulty. Along the way you will pass several inscriptions on the walls, before reaching the top of the barren plateau. There are many shafts where turquoise was mined, with the hieroglyphic tablet of the reigning Pharaoh above. The ruined temple is further along, with columns scattered all around. The views to the wide sandy desert belt and the Tih Plateau in the distance are stunning. From here you can return the same way you came up, or, if you made arrangements, carry on and descend on the other side via a rocky path. This is the shorter and more beautiful way, but it involves some scrambling so is not for everyone.
From the settlement you can return to the coast the same way you came, or, time permitting, via Wadi Sieh and Wadi Mukattab (the valley of inscriptions). Other sights in the area include Wadi Magara (turquoise mines), Gebel Fuga (the forest of pillars) and Wadi Feiran (Convent, Jebel Tahoun, hermitages).
You might be able to get a car to Serabit el Khadim from Abu Zenima, but the best is to organize the program in advance. There are a few operators in Sharm el Sheikh who do this program, but it is probably easier to find someone in Dahab or St. Catherine.
Écrit le 10 janvier 2011
Cet avis est l'opinion subjective d'un membre de Tripadvisor et non l'avis de Tripadvisor LLC. Les avis sont soumis à des vérifications de la part de Tripadvisor.

Tim B
Tim B
Zeeuws Vlaanderen529 contributions
5,0 sur 5 bulles
sept. 2010
We visited Mount Serabit as part of a 5 day Sinai safari. To visit the temple you definitely need a bedouin guide and a 4 wheel drive. We spend the night at the camp at the base of the mountain, and we started the climb very early. The hike to the top is quite hard but doable. There are some pharaonic inscriptions along the way.
At the top are the remains of the temple. But the most important thing is how it is located in the most beautiful barren scenery. The way down was even more spectucar, through a barren deep wadi, where we were picked up by our driver.
You definitely need good shoes for this trip, also lots of water and something quick to snack.
Écrit le 8 janvier 2011
Cet avis est l'opinion subjective d'un membre de Tripadvisor et non l'avis de Tripadvisor LLC. Les avis sont soumis à des vérifications de la part de Tripadvisor.

Nephthys🐈
United Kingdom22 757 contributions
5,0 sur 5 bulles
déc. 2010
We were in Sharm from 6th -21st Dec ’10 & decided to ask local tour operators about a little-known place to visit in the region. It’s called Serabit El Khadem & is the site of the only known Pharaonic temple in Sinai (1964 – 1136 B.C.). & dedicated to the Cow Goddess, Hathor, who was the Goddess of Love, Fertility, Dance & Music. Her well-known temple is at Dendera, on the Nile, towards Luxor. One school of thought explains that Hathor was usually shown with horns, symbolizing an upturned, horizontal crescent moon, designed for “knowledge reception”, effectively a divine communication device. It was believed that through the milk of Hathor, the Pharaohs were able to gain their divinity, becoming Gods in their own right. When falcon-headed God Horus battled his uncle Set & lost an eye, Hathor bathed the eye in her milk & set it in the sky as the protective “all-seeing eye”. She is also depicted as a beautiful woman, rather like Venus or Aphrodite.

She was known as “The Lady of Turquoise” too & the area was rich in this stone during Pharaonic times. The Pharaohs had mines around & up the mountain at Serabit (each mine had the Pharaoh’s name in a cartouche at the entrance). They used the stone in jewellery & also to carve scarab amulets, which were placed in the layers of the mummy wrappings. Crushed turquoise was used to colour statues & other objects.

Controversially, Serabit Mountain is thought, by some, to be Mount Horeb, & the real place where Moses received the Ten Commandments. It’s very important with regards to the nature of the writing found there too; see the section below on “More About the History of the Site”.

Serabit El Khadem is not well-known & the temple is nowhere near as “splendid” as those situated along the Nile; there is very little left to see, in fact. However, the views along the 1100m high climb, over 3km & the deafening silence at the top, are worth the trip, in our opinion. The first half km is up countless steps & very vertical; it’s easier after that. I should say that the whole trip is not for the faint-hearted; it’s certainly not an easy day but we knew that before we embarked upon it. It was a 6a.m. pick-up.

The local Bedouin tribes are responsible for the safe-keeping of the site & we picked up a Bedouin guide en route as they are really the only ones who know where it is! Their historical knowledge is limited though.

We have asked local tour ops in previous years about arranging a private trip, just for the 2 of us, & have either been met with blank stares, a definite, “No,” the fact that a minimum number of people is required to go, or no response to emails. We went in to chat with “Fayed Travel” (in Diar shopping Mall entrance, His Majesty the King of Bahrain Street, Na’ama Bay ~ that’s the same street where the Camel Bar is situated.) One of the members of staff had been 13 years ago but nobody has asked them about it since! The guy made a few phone calls & within 15 minutes, we had the information. (Cost was 1500 L.E for the 2 of us).

Visas are required for this trip as we went up the west side of Sinai, leading to Cairo, through El Tor, where there is a check point & you’re counted as leaving Sinai. (No problems here on the way out; bit of a pain on the return journey). El Tor is 100km from Sharm. The map below will show you; look for Serabit El Khadem under the word “Gebel” of Gebel El IIgma.
http://s481.photobucket.com/albums/rr175/Nephthys_photos/Serabit%20El%20Khadem/?action=view¤t=IMG_6893.jpg
You can see from the map that you have to go across the desert. We were in a Toyota Landcruiser; Fayed guide, private, plain-clothed armed guard (who looked like a young Sly Stallone….so I called him Rambo, obviously) hubby & me, plus the Bedouin guide whom we picked up at the one & only “comfort stop”. I say “comfort stop” loosely……..it was to stretch our legs, for those who smoke to have a quick drag & to visit the loo in the village mosque to powder one’s nose……..for which one needed a clothes peg! There is no café or place to buy anything to eat so take your own snacks & drinks….which we knew beforehand. Fayed provided lots of bottled water. As you stand & natter, don’t be surprised if numerous goats wander round you to see if you have anything interesting to offer.

From there, we went about another 30km or so off road. Some of this is mysteriously paved, some isn’t & you will see from the photos, just how deep the sand is in places. The Bedouin guide took us down a very steep sand dune…….just for fun! :-)

It’s quite a rough ride in places…so much so that you will leave your seat…..& may even have the guide land on top of you! :-o …….as I did. Thankfully, the driver managed to keep hold of the steering wheel which kept him in the front. Did wonder if the 3 of us in the back would all join him at one point though! Has to be said that he was a brilliant driver; trusted him completely throughout the trip & he was chatty as well; so many drivers just keep themselves to themselves. He put his foot down on the roads but was definitely not crazy. It took about 2.5-3 hrs to reach Serabit, including the off-road part.

We parked at the foot of the mountain & left Rambo there. It took about 2 hours to reach the temple. The rock colours & formations are reminiscent of the Coloured Canyon & especially Petra. The views are stunning. The muted colours in the distance made the landscape look like there was a pale blue ocean with islands dotted about in it. Not a soul for miles; just the 2 of us, our Fayed guide, the driver & Bedouin guide. The driver was as excited as we were as he’d not been before, nor had the Fayed guide, so he was busy taking photos with me.

We stopped whenever we wanted to take in the views, drink & have a snack. Wouldn’t want to climb up there in the hotter months. I drank 2 litres (containing rehydration sachets) just going up & down the mountain, not counting all other litres I drank that day. The ladies’ restrooms are every 3rd rock on the left & the men’s are every 5th rock on the right as they don’t need as many as we do!

There are rock inscriptions (hieroglyphic style) & carvings of boats, en route, which were used to transport the turquoise across to the main part of Egypt, back in Pharaonic times. There are also carvings / inscriptions of Pharaohs & Deities. We saw one mine shaft & the stelae at the entrance intact. (Inadvertently swapped camera setting to sepia at that point, as you’ll see in the photos.)

The 1st glimpse of the temple is from quite a way off. Once you get there, there are boards with a temple plan & explanation of what was where. As I said, there is comparatively little to see, but it was still fascinating & the views from the temple are forever etched into my brain & mind’s eye. It’s still not well known so the information from the Bedouin guide is limited, as well, although he was able to point out certain carvings, the remains of the scribe statue & an amusing Pharaonic mobile phone (see photos). I’ve always said that the Ancient Egyptians invented text-speak as they had no vowels; seems I was right :-) From the notes on the history below, you will also note that the writings have been hard to decipher to date as well.

We stayed for about 30 minutes at the temple & then retraced our steps back down which took about 1.25 hrs.

Lunch was at a Bedouin house in the village at the foot of the mountain. Before going into the house, I put a kaftan- type top over my short-sleeved top (the sort you’d put on over swimwear on the beach). I was already wearing full length trousers.

It was noticeable that none of the villagers came to “look” at us….the only people we saw were the man & wife of the house, an older lady who must have been mum to one of them & a few of their children. The ladies & older daughter kept their faces covered. The Grandma was rug-making whilst the man & wife cooked our chicken lunch on the BBQ (see photos). Plates were not that clean to look at & were washed under the outside tap. Lunch was eaten whilst sitting on the rugs, on the floor, in the shade. It consisted of rice, flat bread, potatoes, tomatoes, chicken & some green leaves / salad….& flies! There were bananas (& flies) afterwards. We have lived to tell the tale but anyone considering this trip needs to be aware of the afore-mentioned.

Then came the “hard-sell” by the Bedouin family…….they produced Bedouin bracelets, trinkets, embroidered goods & rugs for sale. I’m afraid we didn’t want anything & could have done without that part but it’s par for the course & we accept that.

Time then to retrace our steps back to Sharm, 1st dropping off the Bedouin guide where we found him. No “comfort stops” on the way back, except a quick 5 minute leg-stretch once we’d dealt with the “jobsworth” guards at El Tor again! They wanted to see every bit of paperwork & identity badge belonging to the Fayed guide, driver, Rambo plus our passports, of course. Seemed to take forever. Everything was in order & they begrudgingly let us pass; obviously couldn’t find any tiny point with which to bribe any one of us. We were back in Sharm soon after 5p.m.

Link to our photos:
http://s481.photobucket.com/albums/rr175/Nephthys_photos/Serabit%20El%20Khadem/

YOU WILL NEED:~
Stamina!
No illusions that it’s a comfortable, easy day.
Visas
Passports
Snacks
Lots of water
Rehydration sachets.
Comfortable, closed shoes.
Conservative Dress
Camera!
Layers for the cool early morning start & when the sun has gone down.
Suncream; the cool, pleasant breeze up there can be deceptive.

MORE ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE SITE:~

Quarrying is thought to have begun in the Old Kingdom times around that area (i.e. in nearby Wadi Maragha & Wadi Mukattab (Valley of Inscriptions) mining dates back to the 3rd Dynasty ~ 2670-2570 BC). Unfortunately, the British tried to renovate the Wadi Maragha and Wadi Mukattab mines in 1901, thereby destroying much of those areas.

The temple at Serabit dates back to the Middle & New Kingdoms (between 1964 – 1136 B.C.). It was 1st established in the reign of Sesostris 1st & was then partly reconstructed during the New Kingdom. It had a double function from the outset; to honour Hathor, who acted as guide to the “Chancellors of the Gods” during the mining expeditions & to glorify the power of the Pharaonic Monarchy by extolling the actions of the kings who commanded the undertaking of these expeditions. The various chapels, built by successive Pharaohs & the rites performed therein, were equally divided between royal & divine cults.

Chapels expanded & increased in number so the processional way was lengthened, marked by commemorative stelae, set up by various expeditions which had been working there, & adjusted to correspond the latest developments of the temple precincts.

During the New Kingdom the original parts of the Temple (cut into the rock) & the entrance walkway with a roof supported by columns, as well as the most recently built chapel of the Kings, were preserved & kept in good repair, whilst the older buildings were gradually reconstructed. The sanctuary of Ptah (one of the Creator Gods & Lord of Memphis) was located on the south of the Hathor temple & replaced during the reigns of the Tutmoside Pharaohs by the new temple, dedicated to Hathor, Amun (Lord of Thebes / Luxor) & Soped (Lord of the Eastern Desert Lands). The temple still retained its double role, i.e. Divine & Monarchical, through its use in the commemoration of the royal jubilee festivals. Ramses IV erected his “Temple of Millions of Years” there. At the end of the Ramesside period, however, the site was abandoned.

The temple was then lost to the world until 1904 A.D., when a group of archeologists headed by Sir W. M. Flinders Petrie found the site. Fewer than thirty incised graffiti in a "Proto-Sinaitic script" found in the temple have made Serabit El Khadim famous among students researching the history of the alphabet. Experts have been unable to decipher it all to date. This script consists of at least 23 signs, most of which were mainly derived from the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic & hieratic script; they date back mainly to the late Middle Kingdom (1800-1650 B.C.)The Phoenicians, through the trade routes, transported this script to the Greeks, who then adapted it in a new form nearer to their native tongue. This was to be a crucial stage in the development of the European alphabet.

Petrie’s group was excited by the discovery of an ancient metallurgist’s crucible & a considerable amount of pure white powder on Mount Serabit. There was also a substance called mfkzt, which is referenced dozens of time on wall & stelae inscriptions; it’s thought to be an alchemical term for a transformed state of gold.
Écrit le 7 janvier 2011
Cet avis est l'opinion subjective d'un membre de Tripadvisor et non l'avis de Tripadvisor LLC. Les avis sont soumis à des vérifications de la part de Tripadvisor.
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