All Topics  
Serabit el-Khadim

 

 
   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link
 

 

Serabit el-Khadim
 
 
  Topics Serabit el-Khadim Topic Home

Serabit el-Khadim (Arabic, also transliterated Serabit al-Khadim, Serabit el-Khadem) is a locality in the south-west Sinai Peninsula
Sinai Peninsula

The Sinai Peninsula or Sinai is a triangular peninsula in Egypt. It lies between the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Red Sea to the south, forming a land bridge between Africa and Southwest Asia....
 where turquoise
Turquoise

Turquoise is an opaque, blue-to-green mineral that is a hydrate phosphate of copper and aluminium, with the chemical formula copperaluminium648?4water....
 was mined extensively in antiquity, mainly by the ancient Egyptians. Archaeological excavation, initially by Sir Flinders Petrie, revealed the ancient mining camps and a long-lived Temple of Hathor
Hathor

In Egyptian mythology, Hathor was originally a personification of the Milky Way, which was seen as the milk that flowed from the udders of a heavenly cow....
, the Egyptian goddess who was favoured as a protector in desert regions.

Serabit el-Khadim is not particular easy to get to unless you know where to look.






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Serabit el-Khadim'
Start a new discussion about 'Serabit el-Khadim'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


Serabit el-Khadim (Arabic, also transliterated Serabit al-Khadim, Serabit el-Khadem) is a locality in the south-west Sinai Peninsula
Sinai Peninsula

The Sinai Peninsula or Sinai is a triangular peninsula in Egypt. It lies between the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Red Sea to the south, forming a land bridge between Africa and Southwest Asia....
 where turquoise
Turquoise

Turquoise is an opaque, blue-to-green mineral that is a hydrate phosphate of copper and aluminium, with the chemical formula copperaluminium648?4water....
 was mined extensively in antiquity, mainly by the ancient Egyptians. Archaeological excavation, initially by Sir Flinders Petrie, revealed the ancient mining camps and a long-lived Temple of Hathor
Hathor

In Egyptian mythology, Hathor was originally a personification of the Milky Way, which was seen as the milk that flowed from the udders of a heavenly cow....
, the Egyptian goddess who was favoured as a protector in desert regions.

Serabit el-Khadim is not particular easy to get to unless you know where to look. It is not a major tourist destination. While its Pharaonic ruins are not so spectacular compared to those in the Nile Valley, its remoteness and rugged beauty make it a very worthwhile trip. There are a number of plinth
Plinth

A plinth is the base of a cabinet in cabinet making.In architecture, a plinth is the base or platform upon which a column, pedestal, statue, monument or structure rests....
s, large cartouches, and stone baboons. The road barely is marked and is not paved from the main shore highway along the Gulf of Suez to the site. The climb to the temple from the dirt road is a moderately steep one and the temple can be reached in less than two hours, but is difficult in summer when temperatures can approach 50°C. There is no water (other than local wells) or other facilities. If attempting to go there bring lots of water.

The local tribes are responsible for protecting the site from looting
Looting

Looting , to rob, sacking, plundering, despoiling, or pillaging is the indiscriminate taking of goods by force as part of a military or political victory, or during a catastrophe or riot, such as during war, natural disaster, or rioting....
 and are open to assisting tourists and hiring out as guides. Some of the rocks in the vicinity of the site have interesting carved graffiti from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

Further reading


  • W.M.Flinders Petrie, Researches in Sinai, London, 1906.


  • R. Giveon, The Stones of Sinai speak, Tokyo, 1978.


  • Eckenstein, Lina. A History of Sinai. London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1921.


External links