Mount Tur
Table of contents
Mount At-Tur or Jabal Musa, in which God Almighty appeared when the Prophet Moses asked to see him, and gave him the Ten Commandments.
Information about Mount Tur
Mount Al-Tur, the most famous mountain in Sinai, is located within a group of high mountain ranges in the Governorate of South Sinai. Its height is 2285 meters above sea level, thus it is considered the second highest mountaintop in Egypt after Mount Saint Catherine.
Climbing the top of the mountain requires going through 3,750 steps of a ladder called the Steps of Penitence. These steps were carved out of stone by the monks of St. Catherine’s Monastery, and 750 steps before reaching the top of the mountain, there is a natural amphitheater called “Seven Elders of Israel”.
According to the Holy Qur’an, Surat Al-A’raf, verse No. (143), “And when Moses arrived at Our appointed time and his Lord spoke to him, he said, “My Lord, show me [Yourself] that I may look at You.” [Allah] said, “You will not see Me, but look at the mountain; if it should remain in place, then you will see Me.” But when his Lord appeared to the mountain, He rendered it level, and Moses fell unconscious. And when he awoke, he said, “Exalted are You! I have repented to You, and I am the first of the believers”; the commentators of the noble verse said that Moses, peace be upon him, purified himself and purified his clothes to speak to his Lord on Mount Sinai, as he longed and desired to see God, but God said to him, you could not see Me, since no human being would bear to see God in this world, so if you saw Me, you would die, but God asked him to look at the mountain and if the mountain stood still, he would see the God, but because of the horror of God’s greatness, the mountain collapsed, and because of the horror of the situation, Moses fell unconscious. This was the reason for the sanctity of this place, which thanks to this became one of the most famous mountains in Egypt and the world, as it was not only mentioned in a specific religious book, but was mentioned in all the heavenly books.
Mount Sinai is a huge tourist attraction, intended by visitors curious to know the place where a human prophet spoke to his Lord.
In Surat Taha, verse (12): “Verily I am thy Lord! therefore (in My presence) put off thy shoes: thou art in the sacred valley Tuwa”, (Tuwa) is the valley that was mentioned in all monotheistic religions, the Qur’an, the Torah, and the Bible, it is the sacred place in which the Prophet of God, Moses, peace be upon him, received the Ten Commandments, God also asked Moses there to take off his shoes when he reached the mount, this place was also passed by the Prophet of God, Mohamed, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, during the journey of Isra and Mi’raj, which is considered one of the most important events in the history of the Muslim advocacy, therefore this valley gained great sanctity in the various monotheistic religions.
Tourism to Mount Al-Tur
The mountain attracts a huge number of visitors, as in addition to the religious importance of the mountain, visitors also experience a unique exceptional experience by crossing 3750 steps up to the top of one of the world’s most famous mountains. It is also better to start climbing this mountain at night in order to reach its top with the beginning of sunrise to enjoy the wonderful view mixed with the snow on the top of the mountain in winter, there is also a church and a mosque on this mountain.
The Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments of the Prophet of God, Moses, peace be upon him, were revealed inscribed on the Tablets of Stone in Mount Sinai, and they are found in the Book of Exodus, “one of the sacred books in the Christian and Jewish religions”, the Ten Commandments are:
- You shall have no other gods before Me.
- You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them.
- You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.
- Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
- Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
- You shall not murder.
- You shall not commit adultery.
- You shall not steal.
- You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
- You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.
