Description of the attraction
Mount Sinai, also called Mount Moses, Mount Horeb, Mount Tour, is located in the southern part of the Sinai Peninsula. According to the texts of the Old Testament, on Mount Sinai, the Lord gave Moses the law, which consists of ten commandments. The chapel of the Holy Trinity is located on the mountain, which was built in the 4th century and where there is a stone in the form of a slab with an inscribed Law given by the Lord himself. It is called the Tablet of the Covenant. Nearby there is a mosque, which was built in the 12th century. At the moment, both buildings are closed.
Climbing Mount Sinai
The summit of Mount Sinai is also home to numerous shrines and revered sites that attract thousands of pilgrims every year. To get there, you need to overcome 2285 meters in height, the ascent takes about three hours. There are two ways to climb the mountain. One road is considered shorter and more difficult due to its steepness and looks like steps carved into the rock called the Ladder of Repentance. The number of steps is about 3100, the passage along it is possible only during the day. The second road is longer, it is called the Camel Trail, as it is possible to travel part of the way on camels. The trail is dotted with tents where you can refresh yourself with hot drinks and sweets. It is believed that the last seven hundred steps must be taken on foot. On the way to the top, there are two springs - first the source of Moses, which flows from the mountain, then the spring of Elijah, which is mentioned in the Old Testament.
Pilgrims began to climb Mount Sinai in the first centuries after the birth of Christianity. One of the first royal persons who visited the mountain was the empress of Byzantium - Helen, who ordered the foundation of the temple of the Burning Bush here. Another equally famous pilgrim was the prophet Muhammad, who promised protection to the monastery of St. Catherine, located at the foot of the mountain. It is worth noting that for the entire period of its existence, this monastery has not been attacked or destroyed.
