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Mount Sinai Egypt

Mount Sinai (or Jebel Musa or Mount Moses) in Egypt is the traditional site where Moses received the Ten Commandments from God. At the summit are small chapels and spectacular sunrise views.

Mount Sinai
Image credit: Richard Beck

Overview
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Mount Sinai (also called Jebel Musa or Mount Moses) on the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt is the traditional site where Moses received the Ten Commandments from God. There are some small chapels at the summit, from which there are spectacular sunrise views. The starting point for the climb, and an unmissable sight in itself, is St. Catherine's Monastery at the base of the mountain.

Description
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From St. Catherine's Monastery, it is an uphill hike or camel ride to the summit of Mount Sinai (2285m). This is identified as the mountain where Moses received the Tablets of the Law from God. The main route to the summit is known as the Path of Moses (Arabic: Sikket Sayidna Musa) and is lined with remains of various chapels. This is a very popular place from which to watch the sunrise, which is spectacular.

There is both a mosque and a chapel at the summit of Mount Moses. The Chapel of the Holy Trinity was built in 1934 using the remains of the chapel built by Justinian in the 6th century. Justinian's chapel itself replaced an earlier chapel, built in 363.

Clearly visible from the mountain is the village of St. Catherine, located some distance from the Monastery on the El Raha plain. It is an old settlement that has received considerable development in recent years.