Serabit Al Khadim

Sinai


One of Sinai's most impressive sites, this ruined Pharaonic temple is surrounded by ancient turquoise mines and starkly beautiful landscapes. Turquoise was mined here as far back as the Old Kingdom, and the temple, dedicated to the goddess Hathor, dates back to the 12th dynasty. Beside it is a New Kingdom shrine to Sopdu, god of the Eastern Desert. Inscriptions upon the temple court walls list the temple’s benefactors, including Hatshepsut (1473–1458 BC) and Tuthmosis III (1479–1425 BC).

Serabit Al Khadim can be reached via an unsignposted track just south of the coastal settlement of Abu Zenima or, more interestingly, from a track branching north off the road running east through Wadi Feiran via Wadi Mukattab.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Sinai attractions

1. Forest of Pillars

8.07 MILES

Inland from the temple of Serabit Al Khadim, a track heads through the colourful wadis of Gebel Foga to the cliffs that edge Gebel Et Tih Tih and the…

2. Wadi Mukattab

8.39 MILES

Here Sinai’s largest collection of rock inscriptions and stelae, some dating back to the 3rd dynasty, give evidence of ancient turquoise-mining activities…

3. Gebel Serbal

23.38 MILES

To the south of Wadi Feiran, the 2070m Gebel Serbal (believed by early Christians to have been the real Mt Sinai) is a challenging six-hour hike to the…