Nature · South Sinai
Mount Serbal
A granite peak above Wadi Feiran in southern Sinai, among the highest mountains in Egypt, rich in traces of early hermits and ancient inscriptions.
The story
Mount Serbal stands in Wadi Feiran in southern Sinai. At about 2,070 metres (some sources give 2,073 m) it is among the highest mountains in Egypt, ranked fifth by Wikipedia, and forms part of the St. Catherine National Park. Some scholars have proposed it as the Biblical Mount Sinai. Granite dwellings on the mountain were inhabited by hermits in early Christian times, and traces of a fourth-century monastery lie near its base. Inscriptions on the rocks probably date from those centuries, and one spot on the path is called Mokatteb, the valley of writing.
Good to know
- The mountain is about 2,070 metres high and counted among the highest in Egypt.
- Traces of a fourth-century monastery and many inscriptions, some in Greek, lie near its base.