The Temple and Mines at Serabit el-Khadim In the Sinai

While it appears that the Egyptians did not know, and crossed and visited the Sinai Peninsula, and even pre-dynastic period, we found little evidence of building activities in the region. Of course, the living areas are usually small and limited, so they were living and building on an ongoing basis over the centuries. It is likely that what was built has been created in many occasions. Today, wondering through the Sinai, and unusual display landscapes and it is not difficult to imagine a land rich in minerals. Egyptians discovered for minerals in the near future, perhaps at the beginning of Egyptian history. Archaeologists have found the earliest known settlers in the Sinai Peninsula, about 8,000 years ago, it was the miners. Prepared by the region's abundant copper and turquoise deposits, and these groups are slowly working their way south, jumped from one store to another. In 3500 BC, and the veins of turquoise Serabit Great Kazem (server) that have been discovered.
Mine
Former mining complex Serabit Kazem is on a small hill to the north of Al-Tor modern. It is located in the middle of the road along the west coast, about 40 km east of Abu Zanima, and about ten miles from the valley Mughara. He was one of the most important to the Egyptians in the peninsula. Today, it is not difficult to reach the area for Serabit Kazim, although travel must be a jeep. There are no paved roads to the foot of the mountain. From the parking area and take a well marked path that contains a vertical drop of more than 2600 meters above sea level, and a little tough, despite the fact that many of the inscriptions of Pharaohs in the region devastated by a British attempt to re-open mines in the mid-nineteenth century, all the way leading to the temple is a series of inscriptions written by the former minor. Some of the more interesting to film the ships carrying Turquoise Egypt. There is also an excellent bas relief of King Sekhem on the eastern side of the plateau, which indicates to hit the enemies in Egypt. Other artifacts found along the way, including the old tunnels, and the miners' cabins and its aftermath.
Serabit - Kazim, the organization created to thrive for thousands of years. It was very important for the Egyptians to a series of procedures for surveillance and preventive measures taken to protect the mines in most of the dynastic period in Egypt to mine turquoise, and the Egyptians are comfortable lounges and large in the mountains and carving at the entrance to the representation of each of the reigning Pharaoh, who was a symbol of the authority of the Egyptian State over the mines. There are a lot of turquoise was mined during this period, conducted by the port in the Valley Matallo trim - Markha (south of Abu Zenimah), and loaded on ships bound for Egypt. Turquoise was used for both the jewelry, and to make pigments for paint colors.
Temple

And Serabit - Custodian of the temple, though in fact only rubble strewn, is one of the few monuments phraonic we know in the Sinai. In 1905, Flinders Petrie investigated the site, and found the famous proto script Sinai, which is believed to be a harbinger of the alphabet, and these are the signs of the hieroglyphic texts used to write the names of the Semitic names of the persons working in mines, and follow-up work, put the connecting bet with that can register Proto Canaanite language. Script and it put the so-called Proto - Sinaitric first (Sinai), and the language of the pan - the ancient Hebrew Canaanite language often called
    Hieroglyphic signs were used to write their names and carry Semitic proper accounts of the working days. This was a great motivation to learn the acoustic signals that voice clearly identified. Very soon was connecting with the bet that can be registered Proto-Canaanite language. Script as they developed the so-called Proto - Sinaitric first (Sinai), and the language of the Canaanite general language often referred to in ancient Hebrew
Serabit Kazim Temple seems a double series of corridors leading to the underground chapel dedicated to Hathor good. Many of the temple are many shrines and temples were dedicated to Hathor, who among many attributes, the patron goddess of mining copper and turquoise. Which is the only temple we know of the building outside Egypt, mostly from the mainland is dedicated to Hathor. The first part of the rock cut the main temple of Hathor, which contains a courtyard and porch, dates from the family 12 and the Temple may have been founded by Amenemhat III during the period when the mine was active in particular. 12 strain was a period of great mineral wealth of the Egyptians and some of the finest jewelry in Egypt in the past has been discovered in the tombs of the family 12 women.

A series of scenes depicting Hathor's role in transforming the new king ascends the throne, the ruler of Egypt deified. One scene, for example, represents Hathor suckling the pharaoh. Another scene of the stone is made of Pharaoh Tutankhamun to Hathor.
The oldest part of the temple was expanded and expanded to include anything and then the Queen Hatshepsut, and Tuthmosis III and Amenhotep III, during the era of the modern state. This was the period of restoration of mining operations, a significant decrease in the region during the Second Intermediate Period. These extensions are unusual for a structure in the way that the angle towards the west of the former structure.
On the north side of the temple is a shrine to the deified pharaoh who were in this region. On the wall of one of the many resort trail. A little further south of the main temple is also a shrine to the god of the Eastern Desert, Sopdu, which is smaller than the North Shrine.
As a tourist destination
Serabit - Kazem not easy to find private or in hand. In fact, one finds even without the help of a knowledgeable guide and then some stemma there is a need to access the actual site of the Temple. The local tribes are responsible for protecting the site from looters and open to help tourists and rental guides. Moreover, a large portion of the road leading to the area off the road on the west coast of the Sinai Peninsula is not paved. You have to climb a long series of steps on top of a mountain, then walk along the mountain ridges. It takes about two hours for the average person to get to the temple. Bring plenty of water, where there are along the road. The tourist attraction Serabit Pharaonic - Kazem is not as spectacular as many of the sites in the Nile Valley, although the surrounding area is interesting. Should be considered in more outdoor adventures on a tour of pure Pharaonic tourism.