Library - Sinai Information

These are snippets from our Wind Sand & Stars Guide to the South Sinai, where we have collated information that is very hard to obtain.

The Nawamis

Nineteenth century European travellers were the first to record these impressive circular stone structures, known by the Bedouin as Nawamis. The largest group, near Ayun Khudra, was discovered by E H Palmer during a British Expedition in the 19th century. In recent years, archaeological excavations have been carried out at the site of Ayun Khudra. The excavations have shown that these structures served as tombs, probably for secondary burials…

This ancient Egyptian temple used for worship by the turquoise miners in Sinai was dedicated to the goddess Hathor, or, as she is called in the inscriptions, the lady of turquoise. The original cave of Hathor was cut into the natural rock and is thought to have been made during the 12th dynasty (approx 19th century BC). It was in the mining area of Serabit that a transformation from hieroglyphic style representations of words to phonetic symbols began to take place. The temple as a whole was the result of gradual growth and development over about 800 years…

The Sinai desert is famous as the wilderness where the Israelites wandered for forty years after their escape from slavery under the Egyptians. The route which was taken by the Israelites as they fled, the site of the Red Sea which parted for them, the names of the wells and springs, places of tribal festivals, battles and the location of Mount Sinai itself have all been debated endlessly, and many theories put forward. There are countless extracts from the Old Testament which tell the story of the journey of the Israelites through Sinai...

St Catherine’s Monastery lies in the shadow of Mt Sinai (Jebel Musa) in the Wadi ed-Deir. The spot where the Monastery now stands is traditionally revered as the site of the Burning Bush (Exodus 3:1). St Catherine’s is the only monastery still active in the Sinai, and consist of a group of 10 – 15 Greek Orthodox monks who still welcome pilgrims today. The Monastery houses one of the most famous collections of Christian art and ancient manuscripts dating from as early as the forth century AD through to the present day. Today the mountain is open to all, but with the hermitages and small walled gardens dotted around the mountain, some of which remain in use, there is still something of the ancient reverence…

In the early centures of the Christian era, thousands of men and women went to live in the deserts of Egypt, Palestine, Syria, and other parts of the Middle East, both as hermits and in communities. The monks in Sinai today represent a Christian way of life that has survived for centuries in the wilderness. The desert traditions followed by the Desert Fathers is summarised in the three following ways: 1 Simplicity of life 2 Waiting for God and 3 A struggle against darkness…

The word Bedu, plural Bedouin, is derived from an old classical Arabic word meaning original. Broadly speaking, the Sinai Arabs are of Arabian stock (although the Gebelya tribe around the Monastery are descendants of the monastery builders) and came to Sinai in the tides of emigration which pushed form the east westwards.
Very little is known of the pre-Islamic history of these Arabian Semites who converted to follow Mohammed in the early Arab invasion of Egypt in the 7th century AD…

The camel is the most important beast of burden. It lives for 25-30 years, calves every third year the female yields up to 10 litres of milk a day. The camel also produces about 3kg of high quality hair per annum. A Bedouin’s life in the desert would be impossible without his camels. They are his livelihood and although domesticated they are especially adapted to desert conditions. The camel is unique in many ways….

At least 80% of the Sinai peninsula receives less than 100mm of rain per year, and over 50% less than 50mm. As is characteristic of deserts there tends to be an uneven distribution of rainfall over the years as well as over the geographical area of the peninsula. Some plant and animal life is specifically adapted to desert conditions. The micro-habitat can vary enormously in temperature and water availability. The physical and behavioural adaptation amongst different species allows for full use of the micro-environments. Flora and fauna exist in Sinai to a far greater degree than most people imagine…

The Red Sea is the continuation of the huge fault that first split the continent of Africa, and in so doing created the African Rift Valley before extending northwards to produce the Red Sea and the Gulfs of Aqaba and Suez. The Red Sea reefs are among the most beautifully developed in the world and contain a wide range of coral species. Corals have been amazingly successful in transforming sterile environments below the water into a thriving ecosystem. Coral reefs are probably the oldest ecosystems on the planet. The reefs are also some of the largest structures made by life on earth….

The total area of the Sinai is 61,200 sq km. Sinai is the crossroads between Asia and Africa on the one hand, and the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean on the other. The peninsula can conveniently be divided into a northern and southern region. The North consists of flat lying Palaeozoic and more recent sediments, while the South consists essentially of metamorphic and magmatic rocks which are of pre-Cambrian age. The southern portion is a continuation of the Arabio-Nubian desert…