Where is sinai

The central part of the Sinai Peninsula largely consists of the el-Tih Plateau. In this third region are granite and basalt escarpments that slope into the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba. It should be noted that the eastern boundary of the Sinai Peninsula sits on a geological fault zone known as the Great Rift Valley , which stretches from the upper Jordan River valley all the way through the Red Sea, and into Africa. Although the climate of the Sinai Peninsula is very hot and dry, it is not devoid of life.

Indeed, it is home to many species of mammals, snakes, other reptiles, and birds. The mammal species that are commonly found in the Sinai are leopard, ibex, and Golden Spiney Mice. There are also several species of snakes found on the Sinai Peninsula, most of which are poisonous. Lizards, such as the blue-headed Agama, can also be found in the Sinai. In many cases the mammals and snakes of the peninsula camouflage themselves to fit in with the desert terrain.

Archeological findings indicate that the Sinai Peninsula has been inhabited by humans as far back as , years ago.

Many ancient peoples made the peninsula their home, or at least passed through it. These include the ancient Egyptians, as the Sinai was domain of the Egyptian Pharaohs in ancient times. The ancient Israelites, according to the Bible, passed through the deserts of the Sinai on the way to the land of Canaan in present-day Israel. The religious texts of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam mention the names of several different groups who inhabited the Sinai Peninsula.

These include the Horites mountain people , Rephaim giants , Edomites descendants of the Biblical figure, Esau , Amalekites, and Midianites, who were said to be nomads from the Arabian Peninsula. A group of Hellenized Egyptians also lived in the Sinai Peninsula for many centuries. Today, the Sinai is mostly inhabited by Arab Egyptians and Bedouins.

The Bedouins are the oldest population on the peninsula, having lived there over a period of years. They are mostly descendants of Bedouins that migrated to the Sinai from the Arabian Peninsula, though there is a group of them known as the Jabaleya, whose origins are in the Balkan Peninsula. Most of the Bedouins that inhabit the Sinai are members of seven different tribes, who are collectively known as the Tawara federation.

They are traditionally a nomadic people, which means that they move frequently from place to place, though most now do have permanent homes. About , people in total currently live on the Sinai Peninsula. In ancient times, the Sinai Peninsula was nicknamed the Land of Turquoise, because turquoise, along with copper, was mined there. Indeed, people migrated to the peninsula during the Early Bronze Age in search of valuable minerals.

Thus, the region became a popular place for ancient mining operations. The Sinai also served as a military route between ancient Egypt and the powerful civilizations of the Fertile Crescent. All the patriarchs of the Bible, including Moses and even Abraham before him, are believed to have lived in, or at least passed through, the Sinai Peninsula.

According to the Bible, the Israelites spent 40 years wandering the deserts of the Sinai, before eventually arriving in the land of Canaan present-day Israel. The last ancient empire to control the Sinai was the Roman Empire. Around the year CE, the Roman emperor Justinian ordered the construction of a monastery on what was believed to be the Mt. Sinai mentioned in the Bible. The monastery would be known as St. The Sinai Peninsula would remain under the control of the East Roman Empire almost continuously until the 7 th century CE, when the forces of the rapidly expanding Muslim Caliphate pushed into the Sinai on their way to conquer Egypt.

Thus, the Sinai became Muslim territory, and its people were converted to Islam. In the 16 th century, the Sinai came under the rule of the Ottoman Empire, the last of the Islamic Caliphates. British rule in Egypt would last until , when the country was granted independence. Shortly thereafter, British, French, and Israeli forces attacked Egypt. There they encamped while God gave Moses the Ten Commandments, enscribed on two tablets, as well as various other laws.

Traditionally the biblical Mount Sinai has been identified as an 8, ft 2, m peak near the southern tip of the peninsula, known in Arabic as Jabal Musa the Mountain of Moses.

Several religious communities have been located on or near it over the centuries, including a Greek Orthodox monastery and a Sufi school.

However, some modern scholars have suggested, based upon new understanding of the Hebrew language, that the actual Mount Sinai may be another peak farther to the north. In modern times, the Sinai Peninsula was first formally associated with Egypt by the Islamic empire which arose in the s, shortly after the life of Muhammad.

It became the locus of further conflict following the establishment of the state of Israel, and after the Arab-Israeli War, it was occupied by Israeli forces. In Israel withdrew its forces in return for Egypt's recognition of Israel's right to exist, in accordance with terms set down in the Camp David accords brokered by U.