Mount Sinai, Sacred mountain in South Sinai Governorate, Egypt
The summit reaches 7,497 feet (2,285 meters) above sea level with rugged granite cliffs and two ascending paths through the arid desert landscape of the southern Sinai Peninsula, leading to an exposed plateau where two small prayer spaces stand.
Byzantine Emperor Justinian ordered construction of Saint Catherine's Monastery at the base in the 6th century, after Empress Helena had built a chapel at the supposed burning bush site, while subsequent Arab rulers allowed peaceful pilgrimage and a mosque appeared atop the summit.
For Jews, Christians and Muslims, the peak marks the site of divine revelation and draws pilgrims from all continents who seek spiritual experiences and connections to Abrahamic traditions that have shaped billions of lives across millennia.
Two routes ascend: a three-hour camel path or the steeper Steps of Repentance featuring 3,750 stone stairs, with many visitors departing overnight to witness sunrise from the top, though temperatures swing dramatically between day and night requiring layered clothing.
A Greek Orthodox chapel and small mosque stand side by side on the summit platform, embodying interfaith respect for this location, while Bedouin vendors still sell tea to exhausted hikers halfway up the stone stairway.
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