Mount Sinai - Descent
Introduction
Descent from the Mount Sinai starts after one has witnessed the sunrise and spent sometimes at the top of the mountain. This mountain is referred to the place where Moses (Musa) received Ten Commandments from God. Mount Sinai is 2,285 m (7,497 ft) in heights and it is the second highest mountain after Mount Catherine.
On the way down, one sees few huts or shops, they are close to the top of the Mount Sinai. They cater entirely for the tourists and mostly sell hot and cold beverages. When pilgrims started to come down from the Mount Sinai, sun was out but breeze was still cold. In the beginning, the area was little flatter and it was easy to climb down but soon flat area gives way to much steeper parts of the mountain.
When I was coming down, I saw a local boy standing on a cliff face while looking downwards. I was impressed by his bravery, even more surprising was when he started to jump downwards on this steep cliff face. There were few plastic basket like bins, hidden behind the small rocks to dispose the rubbish.
I saw a camel with his rope was tied to a bin. Previous night, many people used camels to bring them to the mountain. And there was a white dog, which had passed me last night or early morning when I was climbing the mountain. My guide informed that this dogs goes at the top of the summit every night with the visitors.
Elijah's Basin at Mount Sinai in Egypt
Elijah’s Basin is located 750 steps below the Jabal Musa (Mount Sinai), this is a small plateau linked to Prophet Elijah (Ilyas). It is the place where Prophet Elijah had spent some time while visiting Mount Horeb (Sinai).It has a large thousand year old cypress tree with bare branches, together with six younger cypresses and an olive tree surround an ancient well which is fed by snow melt and occasional rainfall.
A well is located at the Elijah’s Basin, where locals still use rope and bucket to fetch the water. This is a sandy flat surface which lies between the northern extension of the mountain, Mount Safsafa, and the summit. Close to the basin, a Byzantine dam was constructed primarily to prevent flood damage to the monastery.
Stairway of Repentance
An arch is referred as the Elijah’s Gate, stairs lead from here to the base of the mountain. This stairway was completed by an anonymous monk under the patronage of Emperor Justinian in the 6th century. The Stairway of Repentance or as Bedouin would call this route as “the Path of our Lord Moses” (Sikkat Sayyidna Musa).
One part of the stairway the stones look rather dramatic due to the constant battering of the wind. Mountain rises here like a high wall and it creates a small pass in between where wind howls most of the time.
Shrive Gate (The Gate of Forgiveness) is a place where, in past time pilgrims confessed their sins to a priest at this gate and before ascending to the summit. At the bottom of the mountain, there were few stalls like shops run by the locals who cater for the visitors to this area.
