Moses mountain “Mount Sinai from Sharm El Sheikh

Description

Climbing Moses’ Mountain Under the Stars: A Night to Remember from Sharm El Sheikh

Moses mountain from Sharm El Sheikh There’s something quietly awe-inspiring about standing where the world was renegotiated—where Moses, tradition says, received the Ten Commandments. That’s exactly why, when I found myself boarding a night bus bound for Mount Sinai, I felt a mix of reverence and restless excitement.

Let me walk you through that 17-hour journey—an ancient pilgrimage with modern comforts, quiet dawns, labyrinthine paths, and a monastery that whispers centuries of devotion—all beginning under the watchful glow of stars.

8 PM: The Desert Calls at Dusk

Sharm El Sheikh’s lights fade behind us as the tour guide rounds everyone up at precisely 20:00. We roll into the night—rhythmic bump of tires, hushed conversation, soft anticipation in the air.

Three hours pass between shared stories and desert shadows before we reach the foot of Mt. Sinai. All around, silence dominates.

Midnight Summits: Torchlight and Camel Cadence

At the base, our guide hands you a sturdy flashlight and reminds you: almost there—but the climb’s only half done. You can still ride a camel two-thirds of the way, if you wish. After that, you ascend around 700 steps under moonlight, alongside rugged rocks, toward the summit, where the world rises.

There’s a certain magic in climbing at night: every cautious step, every breath brushed with ancient air, every heartbeat echoing the ones long gone.

Sunrise from the Summit: Everything Stops

Reaching the top around dawn, you’re struck by hush and height. The sky softens, stars suction away, and a ribbon of sunrise slices through mountain peaks. Thousands have seen this scene—yet today, those hues feel yours alone.

Wrap yourself in a rented blanket if you’re chill. Sip tea from a shared thermos, lean on stone, and let the sunrise redefine quiet.

Then There’s St. Catherine’s Monastery

After descending, the next stop: St. Catherine’s Monastery, one of the oldest still standing in the world (built around AD 550!). You cross its threshold into flickering lamplight, gaze at ancient manuscripts, icons, and the famed burning bush.

You don’t just walk through a building—you walk through someone’s daily prayers across centuries.

Into Lunch and Home Again

Post-monastery, breakfast awaits—humble, hearty, and deeply fulfilling. We pack up, drive back, and return to Sharm by 14:00, carrying more than photos—we’re bearing a sacred hush, a memory of sky-changed moments, quiet revelations.

What Makes This Trip Feel So Human?

• You begin with desert air and star-glow.

• You climb, physically and spiritually, in darkness.

• You sit at sunrise, the horizon cracks open.

• You stand in a monastery echoing millennia.

• You return changed, quieter, richer.

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