Sights in the Sinai High Mountain Region

Sights in the Sinai High Mountain Region
www.sheikhsina.com
Sights in the Sinai High Mountain Region
St. Katherine, South Sinai Egypt © 2009 Sheikh Sina Bedouin Treks
www.sheikhsina.com
Written by Zoltan Matrahazi and Andy Killey
Cover photos by Mike Nelson (FPA Egypt) and Zoltan Matrahazi.
Images of sights are courtesy of www.st-katherine.net.
This publication can be downloaded as pdf file from the following location:
www.sheikhsina.com/downloads/sights.pdf
Financed by the EU and the South Sinai Regional Development Programme (SSRDP).
Images courtesy of www.st-katherine.net
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YOUR GUIDLENES FOR
RESPONSIBLE TREKKING
1. Look after water
• Do not pollute water sources with soap, food scraps
or anything else
• Do not camp within a 100 m of water sources – wildlife
needs to drink too and will be disturbed by your presence
• Do not go to the toilet within a 100 m of water sources
2. Manage your waste
• Crush tin cans and plastic bottles and any other waste; you
brought it in so CARRY IT OUT with you
• If there is no toilet, BURN YOUR USED TOILET PAPER
and then burry your bodily waste
• You may burn paper items and you may feed vegetable
waste to the camels with the owners’ permission
3. Respect Bedouin culture and traditions
• Ask permission before using wells, as these are usually private
property
• Only enter private gardens if invited to do so by the owner
• Ask permission before taking photographs of local people
• Do not burn local firewood, use only gas stoves or fire
wood bought in the village for cooking
4. REMEMBER – It’s the LAW!
St. Katherine Protectorate was declared by the Prime Ministerial Decree under
Law 102 of 1983; illegal activities can result in prosecution
•
•
•
It is prohibited to remove any object from the Protected Area
including rocks, plants and animals
It is prohibited to disturb or harm animal or birds
It is prohibited to paint or carve graffiti, cut trees or uproot plants
YOUR HELP
CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE
The information above is based on the publication by the St. Katherine Protectorate.
Images courtesy of www.st-katherine.net
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Spelling of names of places and sights is based on the spelling of the only locally
available map to South Sinai, pictured below, for easier location. Where we feel it is
necessary other spellings are added in brackets. The map is available from better
bookshops.
Common words used in geographic names:
Arabic
Gebel (Jebel)
Wadi
Naqb
Sharafa
Farsh
Ein
Bier
Kharaza/Kharazet
Galt
Sid/Sida
Seil
Sheikh
English meaning
Mountain
Valley (dry riverbed)
Gully
Saddle
Basin
Spring
Well
Natural granite water pool/s
Natural water pool
Waterfall, water cascade, dam (m/f)
Flash flood, narrow mouth of valley where flashfloods often occur
Location named after local holy man, usually with a shrine
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Gebel Musa (Mt. Sinai)
The Visitors Centre, Nabi Harun, Wadi El Dier, Golden Calf, The Monastery of St. Katherine, The Camel
Path, The Stairs of Repentance, Farsh Eliyas, Gebel Musa (Mt. Sinai), Farsh Loza, Farsh Safsafa, Kinesa
Homar, Wadi Ferrah, Wadi Sharig
Although Mt. Sinai is one of the main attractions
in St. Katherine, most visitors do not realize how
much more even this single mountain has to offer.
It has a complex system of connected mountain
top basins – small secluded ecosystems – in
which there are many ancient churches and ruins
of monastic life. From the top of the gullies,
leading steeply down to all directions, there are
breath taking views to surrounding wadis, the
Monastery and parts of the town. Mass tourism is
focused on two single objects, and luckily in one sense at least, the negative impact of the
bus loads of tourists arriving for a single night is only felt there.
The Visitors Centre, at the roundabout before town, has excellent displays on the
Protectorate, natural history, archeology, Bedouins and the Monastery. The beautiful
buildings of the Centre are located next to the hill housing a chapel and Muslim shrine,
both dedicated to Aaron – Prophet Harun (Nabi Harun) according to Islam. Further up in
Wadi el Dier, the short valley leading to the Monastery, you can see a rock formation
what locals believe is the mould which was used to make the Golden Calf. The two
common ways to the summit of Mt. Sinai start after the fortified building of the
Monastery of St. Katherine, either via the camel path or the Stairs of Repentance. They
meet after Elija’s Basin (Farsh Eliyas), where there are ancient cypress trees and an olive
in a small Monastery garden. On the peak, visited up to a thousand people every night,
there is the Church of the Holy Trinity and a small mosque.
From Elija’s Basin you can reach Farsh Loza, harbouring a peculiar almond tree and two
chapels, Farsh Zaharur which occasionally fills up with water and has views on the
Monastery from right above, Farsh Safsafa which has a small orchard and a permanent
well, or the chapel known as Kinessa Homar, where donkeys delivered supplies in the
past. From here you could even descend to Wadi Ferrah, and then either make your way
back via Wadi el Arbain or Wadi Sharig (Wadi Shraij).
Wadi el Arbain (Wadi Leja)
Wishing Rock, Hajar Musa, The Monastery of Forty Martyrs, Ramadan’s Garden and Rock Hyraxes
Wadi el Arbain provides an alternative to head for
Gebel Musa (Mt. Sinai) from the town of St.
Katherine, and is also on the route to Gebel
Katharina. At the beginning of the walk there is a
Bedouin Wishing Rock, where locals throw a
pebble on the flat top of a big boulder to make a
wish. If it stays on top the wish will be granted
they say.
Halfway in the valley is The Rock of Moses
(Hajar Mousa), with the Chapel of the Birth of the Holy Virgin built right next to it. The
rock with 12 clefts is believed to be the rock from which Moses fetched water. Locals
believe the twelve clefts on it represent the twelve springs mentioned in the Quran (Sura
2:60). It is also mentioned in the Exodus as the rock which sustained the children of
Israel (1 Cor. 10:4). According to Swiss orientalist Johann Ludwig Burkhardt the Jebeliya
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Bedouin believe that by making female camels crouch down before the rock the camels
will become fertile and yield more milk.
At the upper end of the valley is the Monastery of the Forty Martyrs with a big garden,
olive groves and cypress trees. The Monastery was constructed in the sixth century in
honor of the forty Christian martyrs who died in Sebaste (central Turkey). Monks relate
that forty Christian soldiers from the Roman Army in the third century were commanded
to worship pagan gods. They refused and were put to death by being exposed at night to
the bitterly cold winds off a frozen lake. Those who survived until morning were killed
by the sword. In the grounds of the monastery is a chapel dedicated to the hermit Saint
Onuphrius. Coming from Upper Egypt, he was said to have lived for seventy years in the
rock shelter at the northern end of the garden, until he died in AD 390.
Ramadan’s garden, located above the Monastery garden, offers a pleasant tea or
overnight stop, with views to Mt. Sinai. Ramadan grows rock hyraxes, a fury guinea pig
like creature, which is, strangely, related to the elephant. He also plays the stringed
Bedouin instrument, the simsimiya. Please do not take pictures of the women.
Gebel Katharina
Wadi Shagg Musa, Ein Shanir, Farsh Umm Sila, Gebel Katharina, Wadi Ahmar, Wadi Umm Sila
Gebel Katharina (Jebel Katherine) is the highest
mountain in Egypt at 2642 meters, with a small
Orthodox church, dedicated to the saint, on the
summit. According to tradition this is the place
where monks, after a dream, found the missing
body of the martyred St. Katherina. Gebel Musa
(Mt. Sinai) is right below, and the views onto it
and the whole high mountain area are stunning,
especially at sunset and sunrise. Just below the
church there is a small room with wooden floor
built by the Monastery for visitors, as temperatures here, even is summer, can get quite
low. In winter there is often snow. There is another peak right next to the peak of Gebel
Katherine, but it is off limits to visitors.
The most common routes to the peak are from either Wadi el Arbain or Wadi Shagg.
From Wadi el Arbain, after the garden of Ramadan, the zigzagging path leads in Wadi
Shagg Musa. At the beginning there is a spring called Ein Shanir, and the steep but good
path will continue on to a ridge and a flat area, called Farsh Umm Sila, from where the
peak of Gebel Katharina becomes visible. Coming from Wadi Shagg you can either go
via Wadi Ahmar or Wadi Umm Sila, both leading to Farsh Umm Sila and then towards
the peak.
Abu Giffa – Wadi Tubug
Leopard Trap, Islibet, Ein Shkaya, Mulberry Tree
Abu Giffa (Abu Jeefa) is one of the main
gateways to the high mountains, starting in the
town of St. Katherine at Ein Tufaha to the SouthWest. Reaching the top after a relatively short, but
steep, zigzagging path, you will find a leopard
trap. On the other side of the pass a massive stone
path will descend to Wadi Tubug, at a location
called Islibet. A narrow canyon, on one side,
would take you to Sid Daud and then descend deeply to the lower Wadi Tilah (Wadi
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Tala). On the other side Wadi Tubug continues on passing many stone walled Bedouin
gardens, a natural spring called Ein Shkaya and an ancient mulberry tree.
Leopard trap (Nosret al-Nimr)
Leopard traps were built in many parts of the high
mountains, usually at high passes where there is
always wind, so the smell of the bait went far. It
is easy to pass a trap without noticing it, as it
looks like a pile of rocks. If you look at it more
carefully, there is a tunnel inside it which was
closed by a sliding stone door when the leopard
entered. Today leopards are probably extinct in
the Sinai. The Bedouin often call leopards tiger,
as the Arabic word nimr means both. It is
confusing for foreign visitors, as they think about the big Asian tiger.
“The Sinai leopard is very much smaller than the African leopard and has a preferred
diet of birds, mice, and rock hyrax (a rabbit-like creature). It will eat goats and other
small livestock if available, and it was this and a fear for human safety which led to its
persecution and demise; however it should not be considered as dangerous to people.”
(SKP)
Ein Shkaya (Ayn Shkaiya)
“Ayn Shkaiya is a shallow water trough
constructed on a rock shelf. Ayn means eye and is
often used to refer to springs, as they have a
likeness to an eye. Here water trickles down from
a crevice above, marked by an overhanging
clump of rushes. This has long been a water
collection point for both people and animals; you
should treat the water before drinking.” (SKP)
Mulberry tree
There are only a few mulberry trees in the whole high mountains (Wadi Tubug, Wadi
Mathar, Abu Gasaba, Abu Tuweita, Wadi Itlah, Bustan el Birka) and they are always
planted outside of garden walls. They are the dark variety. Mulberry trees do not belong
to one single person or family, although fruit trees usually are, but to everyone, and the
fruit is for all people passing by. It is ripe around June.
“The giant mulberry tree with its multiple trunks” in Wadi Tubug “possibly dates back to
Byzantine times (7th century AD) and is protected by Bedouin tribal law.” (SKP)
Wadi Quweiz – El Freish – Wadi Tala
Another common way to the mountains is via
Wadi Quweiz, a very short wadi just after the
town of St. Katherine to the North-West. From
the pass of Quweiz you can see down to Wadi
Tilah (Wadi Itlah) running towards the lowlands
in the distance. Above Wadi Quweiz, hidden in a
secluded granite basin, is located the ancient
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garden of El Freish, which has been developed to serve as an eco retreat and base camp to
the mountains. Opposite a smooth boulder stained by floods, the only drainage of the
basin, is Wadi Tala, and to the right is Wadi Tilah (Wadi Itlah). At the beginning there is
a steep cliff and a dripping spring, then a number of Monastery gardens. In the wide part
of the valley lies the Monastery of Cosmas and Damianos, and then the only Bedouin
garden at the end, below the steep and tricky gully of Sid Daud, leading to higher wadis.
Wadi Tala can also be reached from the town via a pass known as Naqb el Rahab, which
offers nice views to the town on one side and the wadi on the other.
Dier Rahab (the Monastery of Cosmas and Damianos)
The Monastery of Cosmas and Damianos is
named after the martyred brothers who were
doctors and treated locals for free in the 3d
century AD. The Bedouin call it Dier el Rahab,
meaning the Monastery of the Priest. Giant
boulders dot the huge garden and the gracious
stone monastery building is set in the middle. The
garden, looked after by a Bedouin family, has a
long olive grove, tall cypress trees, other fruit
trees and vegetables. Monastery properties are
traditionally looked after by Bedouin families, who live or used to live in the area. They
are unfortunately not open to the public.
Sid Daud
Sid Daud, meaning David’s Dam, is a steep and tricky
gully blocked by huge boulders along the way. They were
brought down by the enormous force of occasional flash
floods sweeping through the valleys after heavy rains.
Several of the wadis in the higher mountains, collecting run
off water from a large area, drain through Wadi Tubug to
Sid Daud and then into the lower lying Wadi Tala. It is dry
most of the year, but following good rains a small creek
might be running along the wadi floor. At the bottom there
is a small spring dripping to a rock tank. The path
disappears time to time, leading through a little hole under
the boulders at once place. Some climbing is involved, but
with little help any reasonably fit person can do it. The trek
through Sid Daud looks adventurous, but it is perfectly
safe.
Even younger Bedouin remember how much more water was in the wadis only a few
decades ago. “The water was running in the wadis, you could here it.” Older people
would say there was rain every 40 days – the number forty is often used meaning
“many”, so this would roughly translate to every month or so. Global climate change has
a serious impact on Sinai, with prolonged droughts since the late 1990s. “Allah does not
give rain, because people’s hearts are not clean today, they became greedy” – believe the
Bedouin. Looking at the roots of climate change, this is possibly true both ways.
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Wadi Shagg
Wadi Shagg, Wadi Mathar, Kharaza, Mulberry Tree, Hermit Cell, El Hrezi, Wadi Ghazana
Wadi Shagg is a short, narrow wadi branching off Wadi Tubug, but the name is often
used for a larger area. At the end of the wadi, Oda’s beautiful garden offers a nice stop
over. After the garden there is a low pass, and beyond starts the wide and sandy Wadi
Mathar. Parallel to the main path there is a hidden canyon with interconnected granite
pools, known as Kharaza, where usually there is water in the pools. Further up in Wadi
Mathar there is a mulberry tree, once again, outside a garden on communal land. A little
up from the mulberry, on the slopes of a small ridge, there is a Byzantine hermit cell.
Hidden beyond the ridge is an area called El Hrezi, with the garden of Farhan Abu Karsh.
In the widest part of Wadi Mathar, where it joins Wadi Ghazana (Wadi Rhazana), there is
the garden of Sbail Taya, a real striking green island in a dry riverbed of stones.
Kharaza
A small canyon carved by water in the granite
massif, with water pools keeping water usually
throughout the year. It is parallel to the main path
in Wadi Mathar, but is hidden, and guides often
walk pass without drawing the attention of
visitors to the sight. It is definitely worth the short
detour. It is technically in Wadi Mathar, but
people often refer to the area as Wadi Shaq.
Byzantine hermit cell and monastic settlement
Close to the mulberry tree of Wadi Mathar, on the
slopes of a smaller granite ridge is located a very
characteristic hermit cell, under a protruding
boulder. Further up there is a cluster of stone
buildings, one of them is a circular room. In
Byzantine times thousands of monks and settlers
lived all around the high mountains in small
settlements. Some of the monks were so devoted
they lived very ascetic lives, often for decades, in
total isolation in caves and hermit cells.
Wadi Zuweitin
El Ehded, Wadi Zuweitin, Farsh Zag, El Ziri
The name Wadi Zuweitin (Wadi Zawatin) is used
for a number of adjoining wadis, and it is a major
junction with many beautiful gardens. At the
lower end is El Ehded, with two well looked after
gardens, belonging to Saad Mahmoud and
Mohammed Hashash. Further up, after a narrow
pass, is Wadi Zuweitin where most of the gardens
are located, with a number of well developed
gardens. It has got its name after the many ancient
olive trees found here. Umm Saad is one of the
last few people who still live in the mountains most of the year, and she is the only
woman looking after her garden and goats alone. From Wadi Zuweitin, opposite Umm
Saad’s shaded resting place, a steep but short pass will take you to the higher lying Wadi
Gibal. Carrying on straight would take you to the pass of Sharafat el Iskikriya, passing a
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group of gardens called El Ziri, and then either to Gebel Abbas Basha or Wadi Tinya.
Above Wadi Zuweitin, on both sides, there are hidden basins with old Bedouin houses –
both are called Farsh Zag. There are a number of less traveled paths from the Wadi
Zuweitin area to Farsh Abu Mahshur, Gebel Abbas Basha and Wadi Gibal via Farsh
Gdemiyet. From either part of the area there are magnificent views to the dark massif of
Gebel Katharina towering in the distance, with the white chapel on top standing out
against the blue of the sky.
Sharafat el Iskikriya
After Wadi Zawatin “you come to a massive stone construction, some of which was
washed away by the floods which once surged down here. This was to be a road to take
Abbas Pasha in his horse-drawn carriage to his palace, but was never completed as the
ruler died a year after building commenced.”
From the pass of Iskikriya “you can enjoy superb views northwards into Wadi Tiinya and
south to Jebel Katrin. To your left, on the west, rises Jebel Sumera, from the top of which
were cut some of the red granite building blocks for the palace. To your right, the stone
walls you see winding up the mountainside are in fact a reinforced road to the summit
which was used by donkeys to transport materials. There are also remains of some of the
workers’ houses.” (SKP)
Gebel Abbas Basha
Gebel Abbas Basha, Gebel Abu Mahshur, Farsh Abu Mahshur
Located in the centre of the high mountains,
offering stunning views all around, to the high
mountains and the lowlands, to the village of St.
Katherine with Gebel Musa (Mt. Sinai) towering
above it, to Gebel Katharina and the gardens in
the wadis. The unfinished palace of Abbas Pasha
is on top.
“Abbas Pasha suffered from tuberculosis and
planned to build a palace where he could
recuperate in the healthy mountain air. He finally settled on this 2383m mountain then
called Jebel Tiinya, apparently after placing meat on several summits and observing that
it decayed slower on this mountain than on others. Another version of this story is that
the monks told him that meat spoiled least here, in order to keep him away from Mount
Sinai where he had originally intended to build his palace. Construction began in 1853,
but in 1854 Abbas Pasha died. Work stopped, and the incomplete palace now stands
abandoned on the summit, it is about 45 metres square and was to have been two stories
high.
Unused granite blocks and fired bricks lie around and the unfinished doorways are
framed by beautifully squared lintels. The red granite blocks were cut from Wadi
Zawatiin and Jebel Sumera; the bricks were made on site from granite sand. The walls
are 1-2m thick and contain the remains of wooden joists, many of which have been
removed for firewood in the intervening years. Inside the palace you can see the layout of
the cellars, and an area covered by white chalky material where mortar was prepared.
Abbas Pasha had a lasting distrust of foreigners. He strongly opposed many of the
western inspired change introduced by his grandfather Mohammed Ali Pasha (18051848) and he is remembered as a traditionalist and reactionary who undid many of his
grandfather’s modernizing reforms. His secretive and suspicious nature has led to much
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speculation over his death; it is uncertain whether he was murdered or died of a stroke.”
(SKP)
Farsh Abu Mahshur
A secluded basin high above Wadi Zuweitin, in
the side of the smooth granite massif of Gebel
Abu Mahshur. It is surrounded by massive granite
walls which harbor a cradle of lush vegetation.
There were a Byzantine monastery here, its ruins
are still visible, and a well. An opening in the
granite wall leads out to the smooth boulders from
where there are beautiful views of the gardens
below and onto Wadi Jibal in the distance. There
is a kharaza, a natural granite water pool, under
the basin. It can be reached from Wadi Zuweitin, El Ziri or from the top of Gebel Abbas
Basha, via Jebel Abu Mahashur. It can be an alternative route to climbing Gebel Abbas
Basha, although the terrain is more difficult and there are deep depths.
Wadi Gibal
Rehebit Nada, Abu Jidda, Wadi Buleia, Gebel Umm Loz, Farsh Gdemiyet, Aswad ‘Eish, Abu Gasaba,
Shilela, Farsh Rummana
The name Wadi Gibal (Wadi Jibal) is often used for the whole High Mountain Region,
but it is actually one long wadi, starting at Rehebit Nada, then taking a turn at Abu
Gasaba and ending at Farsh Rummana.
Rehebit Nada
Rehebit Nada, the sandy, flat plain above Wadi
Zawatin, has nice views of the valley running
towards distant mountains. There is an old
Bedouin cemetery here. Bedouin graves are
usually very simple, the head and foot only
marked with two rocks or two small piles of
rocks. A little down from the cemetery there is a
big white stone, which is called Marazza. The
rock is often found at a different place, as
carrying it is a traditional way of showing off
someone’s strength. In the past men before marriage had to carry the rock for a distance.
Rehebit Nada was also a meeting place, where people from the lower wadis and the upper
wadis met and held traditional Bedouin parties, called dahiya, singing and clapping
hands.
Abu Jidda
There is a beautiful garden hidden in a small
basin above Wadi Gibal, a little down from
Rehebit Nada. It has been developed by owner
Farhan Abu Zidan to offer a secluded retreat for
visitors. A porous volcanic intrusion, also called
dyke, is cutting through the basin, and this is
where run off water from the impenetrable granite
collects and the wells are built. Abu Jidda,
meaning the Father of Dykes, has a unique, rich, very red soil.
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Wadi Buleia
Further down from Abu Jidda down in the wadi
floor a long stretch of gardens begins. At the
mouth of adjoining Wadi Buleia there is the Abu
Hebs’ garden, and a small plateau above the wadi
floor with a cluster of beautiful Bedouin houses.
Gardens were usually built in the wadi floor
where there is water, and although there might be
houses and rooms attached to them, additional
buildings were built at higher elevations because
of the regular flash floods. As there is not much
vegetation to slow down the flow of rainwater in the barren mountains and water gathers
over a large area leading to narrow valleys, short outbursts of rain can result in
devastating flash foods, destroying rock walls and buildings, carrying away livestock,
burying wells, uprooting trees.
Wadi Buleia itself is off the main Wadi Gibal
path, approachable either through the plateau or
from the Abu Hebs’s garden. There are a couple
of well looked after gardens and some stone
buildings. From here you can climb Gebel Umm
Loz, either from the steep South face or the more
accessible ridge, separating Wadi Bulia from the
rolling plains of Er Raiyan Spring, further up in
the wadi to the North. The smooth granite
mountain is also called Ras el Jibal or the Head of
the Mountains. From the gardens of Wadi Buleia there is also an alternative route to
Sharafat el Iskikriya and Gebel Abbas Basha, via a long, oval granite basin, called Farsh
Gdemiyet.
Aswad ‘Eish
The garden of Salem Faraj, after several other gardens and buildings in the wadi floor and
on the banks, is a well looked after place in the lower part of Wadi Gibal below the
Aswad Eeish pass. It is a shortcut to Farsh Rummana starting above the garden, a steep
climb at first, but on the other side it is a gentle slope descending towards the plains.
Abu Gasaba
There are more gardens along the way till an area
called Abu Gasaba, where Wadi Gibal turns
North towards Farsh Rummana. Most of the
gardens are abandoned due to drought, but the
name, gasab meaning bamboo, suggests there
were wetter times in the past. One of the few
mulberry trees of the high mountains is found
here, but it dried out in 2007 after a very dry
winter. There is a ruined Byzantine church where
Wadi Maza joins in, and a little spring below a
boulder in the adjoining garden. Straight ahead there is a steep rocky gully with Bedouin
rock shelters; it is Naqb Umm Siha, one of the main routes to Bab el Dunya.
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Shilela and Farsh Rummana
After the turn there are more abandoned gardens
and at one point Wadi Gibal splits into two. The
area is called Shilela, but often mentioned as
Farsh Rummana, which is a little further down.
Farsh Rummana is a large flat basin with many
gardens, Bedouin stone buildings on hills, huge
boulders and curious looking rock shelters in
small caves and under rocks. It is a favorite
overnight stop, either to or from Bab el Dunya via
Naqb Bahriya, or Galt el Azraq via Wadi Talla
(Wadi Tala Kibira). Once well looked after and developed, due to lack of water most of
the gardens are now abandoned or semi-abandoned, with the exception of Hussein Abu
Ghalaba’s garden. Long Wadi Gibal ends here.
Bab el Dunya – Gebel Bab
Wadi Umm Siha, Masb Abu Gharun, Ras Abu ‘Alda, Farsh Zatar, Ein Nagila, Bab el Dunya, Gebel Bab,
Naqb Baharia, Wadi Zuweitar
Bab el Dunya and Gebel Bab are two peaks of a
longer mountain range, which stands on the
perimeter of the high mountains and the Jabaleya
territory. On one side the range runs above Wadi
Gibal, between Abu Gasaba and Farsh Rummana.
On the other side there are steep and very long
valleys descending to lower mountain ranges and
the territory of the Ulad Said tribe. There is a
complex system of interconnected wadis and
basins at the top, and several other peaks
including Gebel Umm Gasba and Ras Abu ‘Alda. Close to the later is Masb Abu Gharun,
a dramatic look-out point. The name refers to the mountain goat’s horns, as there is a
boulder split into two resembling it. It is a balcony with a huge rock stuck above a cliff
and steep gullies. The range is usually climbed from Naqb Umm Siha or Naqb Bahariya,
but there is another way from Galt el Azraq via Berry Canyon and then Wadi Zuweitar.
Bab el Dunya means Door to the World, and refers to the views you get from the top. To
the East there are spectacular views of the Gulf of Suez and in clear weather you can see
to the other side of the gulf. The dark triangular shape of Gebel Tarbush dominates the
view to the North. To the West you can see Gebel Katharina and to the South distant
Gebel Umm Shaumar. They are a short climb from Ein Nagila, a spring located just
below the peaks, in Wadi Za’tar.
Ein Nagila (Ain Najila)
It is a spring dripping from the mountain to a
stone fountain, then overflowing from it, forming
a little creek running through a series of shallow
granite pools and disappearing in the sandy wadi
floor. There is a ruin of a Byzantine church a little
down from the spring in the wadi. Its elongated
shape is different from most other Byzantine
buildings.
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Wadi Talla (Wadi Tala Kibira)
Tbeg, Wadi Tala Kibira, Berry Canyon, Galt el Azraq, Farsh Umm Sila
Wadi Talla is a long, steep and lush valley
leading from Tbeg, right after Farsh Rummana, to
Sheikh Ahmed and eventually to the settlement of
Sheikh Awad. As one of the main outlets of water
from the high mountains, there are many ponds
and creeks along the way with water disappearing
under rocks and resurfacing at other locations.
Wadi Zuweitar joins in through the narrow Berry
canyon, where a huge boulder is stuck between
the two rock walls. The water pool of Galt el
Azraq is around two thirds up in the wadi. Further down, after Naqb Abu Tuweita joins
in, the wadi becomes wider and sandy and there are many Bedouin gardens with date
palms. The valley finally joins Wadi Ginab at the tomb of a local holy man, Sheikh
Ahmed, and then continuing in Wadi Madman (Wadi Madaman) to the settlement of
Sheikh Awad and the beginning of the lower plains.
Galt el Azraq
Galt el Azraq is the biggest granite pool in the
High Mountain Region. Its name, despite azraq is
blue in Arabic, actually means Black Pool in the
Bedouin dialect, as black, aswad, has negative
connotation and is not used as a color. It is
located under massive boulders and surrounded
by lush vegetation. A narrow and very steep path
starting right above the pool will lead to the basin
of Farsh Umm Sila and then descend to Wadi
Abu Tuweita on the other side. In the basin
visitors and local Bedouin left a forest of piled up rocks behind, called rojom. Rojoms are
used to mark the trails, but in this place people just built them as a mark of their visit.
Wadi Abu Tuweita
Located above Wadi Tinya, it consists of a flat,
sandy upper part with Bedouin gardens, and a
long, steep and narrow gully. The later part of the
wadi, often called Naqb Abu Tuweita, is rarely
visited, although there are a seasonal water fall
and granite pools at the top and beautiful views
towards the lowlands. Further down there are
some date palms holding on the steep and rocky
terrain. The gully eventually leads to Wadi Tala
Kibira, below the pool of Galt el Azraq. The
upper part of Wadi Abu Tuweita, where the gardens are located, is on the usual trekking
circuit, connecting Galt el Azraq to Wadi Sagr and Wadi Tinya. Saad Salah’s place is the
only garden which is looked after. There is a mulberry tree outside of a garden on
communal land, below the path coming from Farsh Umm Sila.
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Wadi Sagar
It is a spectacular little canyon, a crack in the
granite range, between Wadi Abu Tuweita and
Wadi Tinya. The sighting is more dramatic
approached from above, from the direction of
Wadi Abu Tuweita, when the wadi suddenly
drops deeply into the narrow gorge. Some
climbing is involved but with little help virtually
anybody can do it. There are some trees and
bushes in the canyon, including a grafted fig tree
and rose bushes, and a water fountain, similar to
Ein Shkaya, where water drips from a small crack in the rock to a fountain. Donkeys
cannot reach the place and the water is safe to drink.
Wadi Tinya
Wadi Tinya, Gebel Na’ga, Kharazet el Shagg, Wadi Shagg Tinya
Wadi Tinya is a long wadi, wide at the beginning
then getting narrower, which leads down from the
pass of Sharafat el Iskikriya and ends at the pools
of Kharazet el Shaq. Wadi Abu Tuweita can be
reached via a pass from the upper part of the wadi
after Sharaha’s garden, or through Wadi Sagr
further down, next to Shob’s gardens. Gebel
Na’ga, towering over Sheikh Ahmad and offering
magnificent views to the plains in the North, is a
relatively short detour starting from the lower part
of the wadi, just before the water pools.
Kharazet el Shaq
At the end of Wadi Tinya the wide and sandy
high mountain wadi comes to the edge of the
massif, and disappearing through a narrow gorge,
it drops into the long, narrow and steep gully of
Wadi Shagg Tinya. At the very top, below a date
palm and a pleasant resting place, there are a
number of connected water pools. They were
carved and are sustained by water gathered over a
large area, which flows through here, one of the
main drainages of the high mountains. The
biggest pool is large enough to have a refreshing swim in it in the hot summer months.
None of the pools is as big as Galt el Azraq, but the setting is perhaps more dramatic and
the water is clearer. After the pools Wadi Shagg Tinya will take you down to the junction
of Wadi Tilah (Wadi Itlah), Wadi Ginab and Naqb Abu Sila.
Wadi Tilah (Wadi Itlah)
Wadi Tilah (Wadi Itlah) starts at the junction of Wadi Quweiz, Wadi Tala and the water
cascade of El Freish, and finishes at the junction of Wadi Shagg Tinya, Wadi Ginab and
Naqg Abu Sila. A huge boulder marks the start of the wadi. There is a stone road in the
upper part of the valley leading to the Chapel of Saint John Klimakos, passing a plateau
with the ruins of a Byzantine monastic settlement.
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After the chapel there is a short and steep descent into the wide and sandy lower part of
the valley. There are many stone walled gardens from here on, one of them is the El
Halwa Garden run by traditional herbalist, known as hakim, Haj Ahmed. In the wadi
there are many date palms indicating there is a fair amount of water underground.
Galeli Max
The Chapel of Saint John Klimakos, or St. John
of the Ladder, was built in 1979 in Wadi Itlah to
commemorate his devotional work in the 6th
century AD. Also spelled Climacus or Climax,
and the Bedouin name, Galeli Max, comes from
here. The saint is said to have spent forty years in
solitude in a cave above the existing chapel. Like
all chapels, churches and religious sights, it is
closed for the general public.
"During this time, Klimakos was elected Abbot of Sinai and asked to write a spiritual
guide. He composed The Ladder of Divine Ascent which likens spiritual life to the ladder
seen by the Patriach Jacob extending from earth to heaven (Genesis 28:12-17)."
According to the book the ladder "consists of 30 rungs, each step corresponding to a
spiritual virtue. Through silence and solitude hermits and monks sought to climb the
divine ladder. The first rung instructs the renunciation of all earthly ties and the next 14
relate to human vices such as talkativeness, anger, despondency and dishonesty. The
final 15 rungs relate to virtues including meekness, simplicity, prayer, holy stillness and
humility. The crowning virtue is love." (SKP)
Naqb Abu Sila
A narrow gully connecting the settlement of Abu
Seila to Wadi Itlah. There are granite water pools
and a seasonal water cascade about halfway, from
where the valley becomes sandy and continues
between the walls of a narrow canyon before
reaching Wadi Itlah. The walk in the gully floor
involves some climbing and balancing at one
point, but there is an easier path above the canyon
for camels.
Wadi Ginab
Starting where Wadi Itlah and Wadi Shaq Tinya meet, the dried out sandy riverbed of the
valley is full of date palms and Bedouin gardens all along the way. There are seasonal
water falls and pools at some places. The wadi ends at Sheikh Ahmed and continues on in
Wadi Madaman.
Sheikh Ahmed
There is the simple tomb of Sheikh Ahmed where
Wadi Talaa Kibira and Wadi Ginab meet. You
can see similar tombs in Sheikh Awad, at Nabi
Salah and Nabi Harun. They are built to
commemorate people Bedouin regarded as holy
men. The conical shape of Gebel Naja towers
over the junction.
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Wadi Madaman
A wide, dry and sandy-stony riverbed leading from Sheikh Ahmed to the lowland
settlement of Sheikh Awad. Shortly after Sheikh Ahmed there is a valley leading to
Gebel Tarbush. There is a medicinal plant garden run by a local Bedouin, Oda Abu
Huder, at the end of the valley before reaching the plains.
Wadi Raha – Abu Sila – Naqb el Hawa
Wadi Raha is a wide, open sandy plain starting at the Shamiya area of St. Katherine
opposite Wadi el Dier and the hotels, which leads to the settlement of Abu Sila. The
Israelites are believed to have camped here while Moses climbed Mt. Sinai. There is now
a tarmac road until Abu Sila.
From Abu Sila settlement you can descend to Wai Tilah (Wadi Itlah) via Naqb Abu Sila,
climb to Farsh Faria (Wadi Freah) or descend to the settlement of Sheikh Awad via Naqb
el Hawa. This later was part of the traditional caravan route connecting el Tur city to the
Monastery of St. Katherine.
Sheikh Awad – Wadi Gharba
Sheikh Awad is a small settlement of 20-30
households at the foot of the high mountain
region. Because of its lower elevation it has more
pleasant weather in the winter months, but is
hotter in summer. The settlement is named after a
local holy man who is buried in the local
cemetery and a small, simple shrine is erected
above his tomb. Bedouins gather here at certain
occasions.
Wadi Gharba, starting after the water fall of Sida Nogra in the mountains, ends close to
the settlement. There are some smaller granite pools along the way. In the last, flat and
sandy part of the valley is El Karm Eco Lodge. There are the ruins of a Nabatean
settlement close-by.
Wadi Nugra – Sida Nugra
Wadi Nugra (Wadi Nogra) is a narrow valley starting at the
confluence of wadis, Milam el Widya, after the Bustan el
Birka area, and ending at the granite pools of Sida Nogra
waterfall. There is a curious looking, huge flat boulder
reclining against the wadi wall, providing a natural shelter,
close to the waterfall.
Sidda Nogra is a small round basin surrounded by massive
vertical granite walls after Wadi Gharba, with a seasonal
waterfall of about 40 meters. Even when dry, the way the
water cut out of the granite wall is impressive. There is
usually water in the granite pools on the top of the
waterfall. From the basin below you have to go back a
little, and a steep climb would take you to the upper part.
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Gebel Banat
Gebel Banat is a smooth, round granite peak, the
highest of several other peaks surrounding a
basin. It stands on the outer perimeter of the high
mountains, above Wadi Nugra. There are
magnificent views the North, to the hills of the
lowlandsw with Gebel Serbal and the Tih plateau
in the distance, to Wadi Gharba below, as well as
the central high mountain region to the South.
Farsh Faria (Wadi Freah) – Bustan el Birka – Wadi Abu Zaituna
Wadi Freah is a wide, open plateau after a pass
from the settlement of Abu Seila, with sparsely
located granite peaks along both sides. It connects
to Wadi Abu Zeituna at Milan el Widya, passing
the garden of Bustan el Birka. There are many
Byzantine buildings in the area. It is also popular
with meditation groups and a camel school
operates from a small garden-camp.
A big stone walled Bedouin garden, called
bustan, with a water tank, called birka, under a massive granite cone, close to where
Farsh Faria and Wadi Abu Zeituna meet. There is a mulberry tree next to the garden and
a rock shelter under a rock. Above the garden there is an old Bedouin cemetery. There are
many Byzantine ruins, many of them in excellent condition, in the area.
Wadi Abu Zeituna starts from the pass above the settlement of Abu Zeituna, at a wide
open sandy plateau dotted with massive boulders. There is a huge stone walled garden
before the plateau drops into a long, narrow valley running between granite walls. There
are many gardens and beautiful stone buildings down in the valley floor and up on the
rocky banks. The lower end of the wadi is wider with more Bedouin gardens, and
eventually it leads to the big, open plain around Bustan el Birka.
Wadi Anshil el ‘Ala starts at the mountain top basin of Farsh Sana (Gebel San’a) and
runs down to Wadi Abu Zeituna. There are well preserved Byzantine churches along the
way, one close to the top and another two about halfway of the steep, narrow valley.
Farsh Sanaa is a large basin at the top of Jebel Sanaa, with an abandoned Bedouin garden.
The basin is clearly visible from Mt. Sinai.
Jebel Sanaa standing over the plains of Wadi Raha and Nabi Harun, there are excellent
views from the top to the village of St. Katherine, the Raha Plain, Wadi el Dier with the
Monastery of St. Katherine and Mt. Sinai (Jebel Musa). There is a wide open plateau on
the top, Farsh Sanaa, from which there are narrow valleys running down to Wadi Abu
Zeituna.
Gebel ed Dier – Gebel Muneiga – Wadi Isbaiya – Wadi Sdud
On the other side of the Monastery of St. Katherine and Wadi el Dier, opposite the Mt.
Sinai massif, is the smooth granite mount of Jebel el Dier. Above the Monastery of St.
Katherine, accessible via a path, are the Monastery of St. Galaktion and St. Episteme and
the Chapel of Theodore of Tyre and St. Theodore the Recruit. It is possible to climb to
the peak of Jebel el Dier from this side. You can ascend on the other side to Wadi Isbaiya
or to Wadi el Sheikh at Nabi Harun.
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Wadi Isbaiya is a long valley starting at the town of St. Katherine at Abu Zeituna and
leading to Wadi Sdud and the Ulad Said Bedouin territory of the Blue Desert and the
Umm Shomar area. It was the first settlement in the area as the soldiers brought by
Emperor Justinian were settled here. You can reach the Monastery of St. Katherine
through a low pass at Jethro's Hill (Gebel Muneiga), or climb Jebel el Dier. There is a
new Eco Lodge here, built by Sheikh Sina.
Blue Desert
The Blue Desert (Blue Valley or Blue Mountain)
is an open desert plain, encircled by rugged
mountain ranges, made famous by having several
outcrops and rock formations painted blue by
Belgian artist Jean Verame to commemorate the
peace agreement between Egypt and Israel.
The Blue Desert is usually approached from the main road, on a day trip or as part of a
Bedouin sunset dinner, but it can also easily be visited on foot or camel in a long day via
a more scenic route. It is a large, open sandy plain at the start of several long wadis
leading to lower ground. It is already far below the High Mountain range, and the views
from the passes of Farsh Umm Qasyum or Wadi Abu Khseib are stunning. Boulders
painted blue are scattered around a large area and you could spend hours to walk around
the basin. It is also a nice starting point for longer treks: towards the South-West to Wadi
Rahaba, Gebel Umm Shaumar, Ein Kid and eventually to El Tur City or Sharm el
Sheikh; or towards the East to Dahab or Nuweiba via a sandstone desert passing oases
and canyons.
Nature, culture, history
One of the best local resources actually is the Visitors Centre at Nabi Harun. It gives you
a very good general idea of all relevant aspects of the region. The four walking trail
guides produced by the Protectorate are available here as well as from the Protectorate
HQ, and they contain, in addition to the excellent walking guide, notes on nature, culture
and history. They are as follow:
•
•
•
•
Mt. Sinai, A Walking Trail Guide
Wadi Talla and Wadi Itlah, A Walking Trail Guide
Wadi Arbaein & Wadi Shrayj, A Walking Trail Guide
Jebel Abbas Pasha, A Walking Trail Guide
Joseph Hobb’s “Mt. Sinai” is arguably the best, and easily available, book about the area
– it deals with all relevant aspects, from an academic point of view but in a very
digastable way for the general public. It is usually on amazon.com.
The book by Semi Zalat and Francis Gilbert, “A walk in Sinai: St Katherine to Al Galt Al
Azraq”, is only available locally and out of print. If you can get it it has good info about
flore and fauna. It is, along with other relevant books, available as a pdf file on:
http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/~plzfg/.
A good resource about the orchard gardening tradition of the Jabaleya and more flora and
fauna by the same author pair is “Gardens in a sacred landscape: Bedouin heritage and
natural history in the high mountains of Sinai”, and it is available from the American
University in Cairo (AUC) bookshop and other better bookshops in Egypt.
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Environmental Issues
There are many stressing issues and there have been several comprehensive studies
conducted by the UNDP Global Environment Facility, including the followings:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Agriculture, Animal Husbandry & Fisheries
Bedouin Consultation
Challenges Facing Tourism
Community Consultation Findings
Cost-Benefit Analysis Infrastructural Projects
Cosultation
Cultural Heritage Sites
Demographics & Population
Development Profile
Dumpsite Case Study
Ecotourism Priciples, practices and policies
Environmental & Development Profile
Environmental Action Plan
Environmental Management Workshop
Geology & Mineral Resources
Institutional Framework
Istitutional Issues
Manufacturing Industry Profile
Marine Pollution
Poverty Impacts
Public Consultation
Solid Waste Management Baseline
Tourist Survey Findings
These files can be downloaded from
www.st-katherine.net/en/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=36&Itemid=70
References
National Parks of Egypt Protectorates Development Programmes, Mt. Sinai, A Walking Trail Guide
National Parks of Egypt Protectorates Development Programmes, Wadi Talla and Wadi Itlah, A Walking
Trail Guide
National Parks of Egypt Protectorates Development Programmes, Wadi Arbaein & Wadi Shrayj, A
Walking Trail Guide
National Parks of Egypt Protectorates Development Programmes, Jebel Abbas Pasha, A Walking Trail
Guide
Joseph Hobbs, Mount Sinai
UNDP Global Environment Facility
Perelovsky
Semi Zalat – Francis Gilbert, A walk in Sinai: St Katherine to Al Galt Al Azraq
Semi Zalat – Francis Gilbert, Gardens in a sacred landscape: Bedouin heritage and natural history in the
high mountains of Sinai.
R. A. Nicholson, A Literary History of the Arabs, Cambridge 1930
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