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<< Our Photo Pages >> Serabit el-Khadem Temple of Hathor - Ancient Temple in Egypt in Lower Egypt (North)

Submitted by AlexHunger on Thursday, 29 September 2011  Page Views: 22797

Roman, Greek and ClassicalSite Name: Serabit el-Khadem Temple of Hathor
Country: Egypt Region: Lower Egypt (North) Type: Ancient Temple
Nearest Town: Ras Abu Rudeis
Latitude: 29.036879N  Longitude: 33.459261E
Condition:
5Perfect
4Almost Perfect
3Reasonable but with some damage
2Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site
1Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks
0No data.
-1Completely destroyed
3 Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
3 Access:
5Can be driven to, probably with disabled access
4Short walk on a footpath
3Requiring a bit more of a walk
2A long walk
1In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find
0No data.
1 Accuracy:
5co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates
4co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map
3co-ordinates scaled from a bad map
2co-ordinates of the nearest village
1co-ordinates of the nearest town
0no data
5

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Serabit el-Khadem Temple of Hathor
Serabit el-Khadem Temple of Hathor submitted by motist : In South West Sinai desert, the area of Wadi Maghara, an ancient turquoise mine, Serabit El Khadem. For the Egyptians, turquoise was sacred. It was found in graves and temples. Egyptian Pharao's sent military expeditions who worked with the local Semitic people who knew the trade of turqoise and copper mining. In Wadi Maghara the oldest alphabetic script 'PROTO SINAITIC' was discovered in rock eng... (Vote or comment on this photo)
Ancient Temple in the Sinai Peninsula. Pharao Sneferu of the 4th dynasty was the first to make expeditions to the Sinai in the search for Turquoise. The first proper temple at this location, used by the miners, was built during the Middle Kingdom. In the new kingdom, the facility was enlarged.

Hathor is not originally an Egyptian Goddess. She is widely believed to be of Semitic origin, starting of as Ishtar in Mesopotamia, evolving into Ashtarte in Assyria, becoming Ashtoreth on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean (Israel/Phoenicia/Philistines). She even migrated to Cyprus and beyond as Aphrodite and Venus, while the Egyptians adopted her as Hathor some time after the Old Kingdom. The peak of her career in the Egyptian Pantheon came as nursemaid and wife of the God Horus.

The Egyptians largely preferred to keep their own gods, but Hathor stuck after the prolonged mining expedition to the Sinai and Negev starting from the reign of Sneferu in the Old Kingdom. The mining expeditions resumed during the Middle Kingdom and the New Kingdom when Egyptian political stability allowed it.

Flinders Petrie wrote in his 1906 Researches In The Sinai that the Egyptians believed foreign gods had power on respective territory and were to be respected. Hathor was primarily a fertility Goddess, as suggested by the cow horns. She was also called the “Lady of the Turquoise” and the goddess of way farers. This made her the patron goddess of miners as Turquoise and Copper was the primary ore sought in these expeditions.

The Egyptian largely depended on inspiration to find gems and metals as there was little technology. This came from dreams in “Sleep Chambers” at the temples on the Sinai. The expedition leaders and foremen would pray for signs and wait for a dream to tell them where to dig next. As the revenues from the Sinai mines were considerable, the cult of Hathor quickly spread to the banks of the Nile upon the triumphant return of the miners.

British colonials damaged many hieroglyphics while attempting to revive the mines. Flinders Petrie started excavating the site in 1904, as discussed in his book "Researches in the Sinai." It is said Petrie moved many of the stelles around while other were taken away.

The Site is relatively inaccessible as one needs to rent a sturdy off-road vehicle to get to the foot of the mountain and then rent a camel to get up part of the rest and walk the remainder on foot.

It has been surmised that this temple and mountain is the site of the Biblical mount Sinai as described in the Book of Moses.

Old Israel datum coordinates: 21520E, 829980N.

Note: Forgotten archaeological gems: The ancient turquoise mines of South Sinai
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Serabit El-khadem Temple of Hathor
Serabit El-khadem Temple of Hathor submitted by motist : Serabit El-khadem temple of Hathor, in the South West Sinai desert. (1 comment - Vote or comment on this photo)

Serabit el-Khadem Temple of Hathor
Serabit el-Khadem Temple of Hathor submitted by motist : In South West Sinai desert, the area of Wadi Maghara, an ancient turquoise mine, Serabit El Khadem. For the Egyptians, turquoise was sacred. It was found in graves and temples. Egyptian Pharao's sent military expeditions who worked with the local Semitic people who knew the trade of turqoise and copper mining. In Wadi Maghara the oldest alphabetic script 'PROTO SINAITIC' was discovered in rock eng... (Vote or comment on this photo)

Serabit el-Khadem Temple of Hathor
Serabit el-Khadem Temple of Hathor submitted by durhamnature : Ruins of the temple, from "History of Egypt....." via archive.org (Vote or comment on this photo)

Serabit el-Khadem Temple of Hathor
Serabit el-Khadem Temple of Hathor submitted by durhamnature : Queen Thyi, from "Researches in Sinai" via archive.org (Vote or comment on this photo)

Serabit el-Khadem Temple of Hathor
Serabit el-Khadem Temple of Hathor submitted by durhamnature : Stele, from "Researches in Sinai" via archive.org

Serabit el-Khadem Temple of Hathor
Serabit el-Khadem Temple of Hathor submitted by durhamnature : Model of the temple, from "Researches in Sinai" via archive.org

Serabit el-Khadem Temple of Hathor
Serabit el-Khadem Temple of Hathor submitted by durhamnature : Altar, from "History of Sinai" via archive.org

Serabit el-Khadem Temple of Hathor
Serabit el-Khadem Temple of Hathor submitted by durhamnature : Old plan of the temple, from "History of Sinai" via archive.org

Serabit el-Khadem Temple of Hathor
Serabit el-Khadem Temple of Hathor submitted by durhamnature : Old plan of the caves, from "History of Sinai" via archive.org

Serabit el-Khadem Temple of Hathor
Serabit el-Khadem Temple of Hathor submitted by durhamnature : Old plan of the valley, from "History of Sinai" via archive.org

Serabit el-Khadem Temple of Hathor
Serabit el-Khadem Temple of Hathor submitted by durhamnature : Plan of the temple site, from "History of Egypt....." via archive.org

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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
 17.7km SSW 209° Wadi Maghareh* Ancient Mine, Quarry or other Industry
 57.8km SE 136° Aqrat Safna nabatean village in Sinai Ancient Village or Settlement
 65.4km ESE 116° Al trefiya Nawamis* Portal Tomb
 68.0km ESE 114° Zaranich Ras Al Zalaka rock painting* Cave or Rock Shelter
 68.0km ESE 115° Moiat Dhaba'iya Masseboth* Standing Stones
 77.5km WSW 258° Wadi al-Jarf Ancient Village or Settlement
 86.8km SSE 148° Mount Umm Shomar Predator Trap* Ancient Mine, Quarry or other Industry
 91.4km ESE 102° Hdhabat Chajaj Nawamis* Burial Chamber or Dolmen
 96.0km NNW 341° Qalat Al-Guindi* Hillfort
 133.7km ENE 58° Gebel Khashm el Tarif* Ancient Temple
 145.5km ENE 69° Wadi Tweiba* Rock Art
 150.8km ENE 65° Netafim Neolithic sanctuary* Ancient Temple
 151.4km ENE 68° Ramat Yotam 'roded' type site* Ancient Temple
 151.8km ENE 65° North of Netafim spring* Ancient Temple
 153.6km ENE 63° Mount Uzia West Predators Trap* Misc. Earthwork
 154.0km ENE 66° Roded cult sites* Ancient Temple
 154.8km ENE 66° Wadi Tawahin* Ancient Mine, Quarry or other Industry
 154.8km ENE 66° Wadi Roded Open Air Sanctuaries* Ancient Temple
 155.3km ENE 61° W' Se'ipim valley* Ancient Village or Settlement
 155.6km ENE 61° Wadi 'Eteq tributary cult & Goat pen site* Ancient Village or Settlement
 155.7km ENE 66° Yedidyah pass Roded type cult site* Ancient Village or Settlement
 156.3km ENE 62° SE' Se'ipim valley* Ancient Village or Settlement
 156.6km ENE 67° Shahmon Desert Kite* Misc. Earthwork
 157.0km ENE 61° Se'ipim Valley North Predators Trap* Misc. Earthwork
 157.3km ENE 61° North Se'ipim Valley Predator Trap* Ancient Mine, Quarry or other Industry
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"Serabit el-Khadem Temple of Hathor" | Login/Create an Account | 3 News and Comments
  
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Re: Serabit el-Khadem Temple of Hathor by Anonymous on Wednesday, 28 March 2012
The access to Serabit is very easy today. Including a road and a kind of hotel at the foot of Serabit.
Last visit at serabit January 2012

HJ Schwarz
[ Reply to This ]

Forgotten archaeological gems: The ancient turquoise mines of South Sinai by davidmorgan on Sunday, 25 September 2011
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"His majesty of this God has sent the God's treasurer, the assistant and leader of the troupe, Her-Wer-Re, to the mining lands and he said: there is abundant turquoise in the hill."

With these words, Chief Her-Wer-Re began documenting the work of his mining expedition sent by the pharaoh (his majesty of this God) to Serabit al-Khadem in South Sinai during the Middle Kingdom Period (ca. 2055-1985 BC). In the inscriptions on his stele at the mine, he boasts of the success of his expedition despite rumors that turquoise ore might be lacking at that particular time of year: "My expedition returned complete in its entirety … I broke off in the first month of summer, bringing my precious stone … I accomplished my work with great success without a voice being raised against my work, which I have done excellently."

Rock inscriptions left by ancient Egyptian miners in South Sinai are rich with details of working conditions and weather, as well as praise for the pharaoh and the gods. They present a lively narrative of daily life that can be easily compared to modern business reports, or even a diary.

Sinai is often referred to in Arabic as “Ard Al-Fayrouz” (the land of turquoise) after its ancient Egyptian name "Ta Mefkat" or “Khetyou Mefkat”, which means turquoise terraces. Minerals were of great use in ancient times - for making royal jewelry and divine offerings, and more importantly for mummy ornaments and amulets, encouraging pharaohs since the Early Dynastic Period (ca. 3050-2890 BC) to send mining expeditions to extract turquoise and copper from South Sinai.

Wadi Maghara, Wadi Kharig, Bir Nasb and Serabit al-Khadem were among the premium mining spots in antiquity, and visiting them today offers a different experience for history and archaeology aficionados than the temples and tombs of the Nile Valley and Delta, which reflect ancient Egyptians’ beliefs in the afterlife. The archaeological sites of Southern Sinai relay aspects of daily life in old mining communities.

Such communities documented their work and adventures in the desert through rock inscriptions, graffiti (spontaneous wall drawings done by traveling expeditions), and occasionally chapels erected for the local God Hathor - also known as the Lady of Turquoise - once miners settled in.

The chief of the expedition would oversee documentation efforts: wall carvings at the mine’s entrance state the date of the expedition, the name of the chief and the group’s achievements. At Serabit al-Khadem, inscription number 56 reads: "Gallery (mine) has been opened by Chief Sanofret and named ‘Admiring the Beauty of Hathor.’” Other inscriptions at mining sites emphasize the power of the pharaoh over regions distant from the ruling capital in the Nile Valley. In Wadi Maghara, the wall carvings executed by miners show a typical Early Dynastic scene of the pharaoh smiting a man with a mace head.

Because ancient Egyptians tended to link all their life activities to religion, the miners were also keen on offering chapels and stelae (stone slabs or columns bearing commemorative inscriptions) to the local gods.

The site of Serabit al-Khadem still preserves the remains of the largest ancient Egyptian temple in the Sinai Peninsula. Located on an elevation, almost 800 meters above sea level, the temple is built of dozens of stelae inscribed by the chiefs of ancient expeditions from both the Middle and New Kingdoms (ca. 1550-1295 BC) to honor Hathor. It is surrounded by ancient mining caves.

Miners also carved hundreds of bits of graffiti enroute to the mines. The actual archaeological spot of Rod al-'Air still acts as a resting point for today's visitors on the way up to Serabit al-Khadem, just as it did for ancient miners. While resting, one can see graffiti of boats, animals and mining tools. The graffiti is believed to refer to the boats used by expeditions to cross from the Eastern Desert to Sinai. Remains of such boats were u

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Re: Serabit el-Khadem Temple of Hathor by motist on Saturday, 23 October 2010
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The miners' goddess

http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2010/1020/he2.htm
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