Those who are not in a hurry can discover an amazing world just a few steps off the main tourist path. The interconnected secluded basins atop the range harbour intact and ruined chapels, hermit cells, gardens, and lead to look-out points at the top of steep gullies with views on different areas of the surroundings, including a picture-perfect bird-eye view of the Monastery of St Katherine. You can easily spend a full day discovering the range before climbing to the summit of Mt Sinai for sunset. You could then either descend back to town before total darkness sets in, or sleep in a Bedouin garden in a nearby valley and see another monastery the next day.
This is one of our regular tours that we highly recommend. It is actually easier than the direct summit climb as we do it in three steps, with flat walks and rests between them.
The above illustration was made using Google Earth, with the peaks and hidden secrets marked on the image. You’ll find information and a photo about each a little further down. Ckick on GoogleEarth image to open it in full size in new tab.
This tour is suitable for nature lovers, enthusiasts of historic sites, and those who are after a Christian experience. The difference is the way it is taken, with either more focus on the natural sights or the historic and religious sites. They overlap, anyway, but the guide will point out the relevant things according to group or individual interest. There will be breaks for rest and/or reflection, and the guide will prepare snacks, tea/coffee, and light lunch. Those staying overnight will also have a nice dinner and breakfast, and simple but beautiful accommodation with the view of the peak of Mount Sinai. Depending on group size and requirements, a camel to carry supplies might be needed.
Please note: Access to most Monastery properties (inside chapels, gardens) is not allowed without their permission which must be sought in advance, and is normally granted to Orthodox Christian pilgrims only. But you get a good look of them, as you can see in the photos below, all taken from outside.
Attractions (Day 1)
One day covers most of the attractions, including the summit of Mount Sinai, but an easy second day can be added as an option. More information about that after the attractions of day 1.
Chapel of Saint Panteleimon / Kinist el Homar
Nicknamed the “Chapel of the Donkey” (Arabic: Kinist el-Hmar), this small shrine honors Saint Panteleimon, the physician-martyr beloved for healing miracles. It stands on one of the approach shelves to the mountain, a quiet stop where travelers pause before or after the strenuous climb. The Bedouin nickname recalls a local tale: a hermit lived here alone and each Sunday descended with his donkey to the monastery to attend the liturgy and carry back supplies; one day the donkey went alone, and the people understood the monk had died.
Farsh Safsafa & Chapel of the Holy Girdle of the Virgin Mary
At the end of the footpath, tucked between granite walls, lies another quiet basin, known as Farsh Safsafa, with a small walled garden, a well, and a chapel. From the basin’s mouth—where the path drops into a steep gully—you can see the Nabi Harun area. The chapel is dedicated to the Holy Girdle of the Virgin Mary (the Theotokos), a long-standing Marian devotion in the Christian East, commemorated here in simple stone and prayer.
Farsh Loza & Chapel of Saint Gregory of Sinai
Right on the path to Ras Safsafa lies a small basin called Farsh Loza, named for the twisted-trunk almond tree beside a modest chapel honoring Gregory of Sinai. He was a 14th-century monk and hesychast, a practitioner of inner stillness and continual prayer in the Orthodox tradition. The chapel has a tiny footprint and rough fieldstone masonry, much like other hermit chapels scattered around Jebel Musa. In a nearby hidden little basin is the Chapel of Saint Anne.
Farsh Aramziya & Chapel of Saint John the Baptist
From Elijah’s Basin, a stone-paved path leads north toward Ras Safsafa. A short detour off this path reaches a hidden terrace, Farsh al-Aramziya—also known as Farsh Zahrour, named for the Sinai hawthorn (Crataegus sinaica) found in the basin. Here stands a small stone chapel dedicated to Saint John the Baptist (“Saint John the Forerunner”). The site exemplifies Sinai’s hermitage network: chapels tucked onto rocky benches that catch a little soil, water, and shelter. The masonry is simple— likely rebuilt over time—but the dedication and setting suit the area’s solitary character, where scripture is read, prayers are chanted, and watch is kept over the valleys below.
View of Monastery
At the edge of the basin of Farsh al-Aramziya, at the top of a narrow gully dropping steeply into Wadi el Deir, you can get a spectacular view of the monastery.
The Steps of Repentance
From the monastery to Elijah’s Basin the Steps of Repentance climb roughly 3,000 stone steps, then a further ~750 steps lead from the basin to the summit— about 3,750 in all. Along the ascent pilgrims passed two gates and a wayside chapel, markers of the ancient route. Tradition places the completion of the stairway in the 6th century, when monks carved and laid the steps as acts of penance to reach the holy peak. Steep, uneven, and awe-inspiring, it was the most ascetic approach used by pilgrims.
Elijah’s Basin / Farsh Eliya
Elijah’s Basin (Farsh Eliya) is a natural terrace situated below the summit of Jabal Musa, serving as a resting and gathering place for pilgrims making the ascent. Tradition holds that the prophet Elijah sought refuge here, giving the site its name. The basin is marked by several chapels and a church, including the Chapel of Saint Marina the Virgin, the Church of Elijah, and the Chapel of Saint Stephen of Sinai. The basin’s open space, access to water, and flat ground made it a practical encampment site for monks and travelers, while its religious associations have made it an integral stop on the sacred route to the summit.
Mt. Sinai / Jebel Musa
The summit of Jebel Musa, rising 2,285 meters (7,497 ft), is revered as the traditional location of Mount Sinai, where Moses received the Ten Commandments. At the peak stands the Chapel of the Holy Trinity, a small structure rebuilt in the 20th century on earlier Byzantine foundations, alongside a modest mosque. Visitors ascend by the camel path to greet sunrise or sunset from the summit. The breathtaking panorama of rugged granite peaks and desert plains intensifies the mountain’s aura. But the range of which Jebel Musa is part of.
Attractions (Day 2)
The overnight stay is optional, but is is a nice way to finish the walk and experience the chill of a Bedouin garden. Accommodation is simple, but the garden is beautiful and offers great views of Mount Sinai and the Monastery of the Forty Martyrs. There is a good dinner, usually chicken, rice, side dishes, salad and drinks, and a hearty breakfast the following day. The morning is spent relaxing and discovering the surroundings, including the Monastery of Forty Martyrs, then we return either to town or the main Monastery of Saint Katherine (this is up to the visitors, but must be clarified before hike). Either way, there is a little climb at first, but it is downhill afterwards and the walk is not too long.
Late Ramadan’s Garden
Located at the foot of Mount Sinai and Mount Katherine, this is the most beautiful Bedouin garden in this area, ideal as a base to climb both peaks. It stands right next to the Monastery of the Forty Martyrs, and offers views of the summit of Mt Sinai. There are several rooms and a shady open area, the arisha, as well as bathroom. A wide variety of fruit trees and vegetables are grown, providing a very beautiful and relaxing setting.
Monastery of the Forty Martyrs / Deiral-Arbain
Standing in a valley southwest of Jabal Musa, the Monastery of the Forty Martyrs, known locally as Deir al-Arbain, commemorates forty Christian soldiers martyred for their faith. Tradition holds that hermits lived here from the early Byzantine period, drawn to its solitude and spring. The monastery is quite small, but its orchard, still beautifully maintained, is remarkably large. Although the building is more modest than Saint Catherine’s, it reflects the rhythm of monastic life in Sinai, where prayer was joined with labor in the fields. In the orchard is an old chapel dedicated to Saint Onuphrius, a hermit from Upper Egypt who reportedly lived in a nearby rock shelter for around 70 years and died in 390 CE.
Monastery of Saint Katherine
Saint Catherine’s Monastery, officially the Sacred Monastery of the God-Trodden Mount Sinai, was built by Emperor Justinian in the 6th century at the foot of Jabal Musa. It is the world’s oldest continuously working monastery and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The monastery houses priceless icons, manuscripts, and the famed “Burning Bush” revered as the one encountered by Moses. Its fortress-like walls sheltered monks for centuries, making it both a spiritual and cultural treasure. Today, it remains an active monastic community and a key pilgrimage destination for Christians worldwide.
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