Mt. Sinai (Jebel Musa) and the Safsafa basins - Discover Sinai

Coming from Farsh Safsafa on the main path, after climbing a smallpass we will descend into Farsh Loza (9), named after the lonelyalmond tree with the twisted trunk that stands there near a little church.The main path carries on straight next to the church towards a higherpass, but to the north, hidden behind a small granite hill, is FarshA’rimziya, another basin worth to explore. A church stands there a bitabove the basin’s floor, as there is often some water in the basin. At theend of the basin there is a gully with a look-out point (10), from whereyou have a perfect birds-eye view of the Monastery of St. Katherine.When you return from the gully to the basin, make sure you don’t takethe wadi to the left – unless that’s your purpose. This way you wouldreach a big dam that cuts off another little basin – a fantastic view whenit is full – and the ruins of a Byzantine church above the Monastery. Ifthe reservoir behind the dam is empty you could cut across the basinand through the narrow gully get back to the main path. Otherwise goback as you came through Farsh A’rimziya. Either case, once you’re onthe paved path head for the high pass ahead, and you’ll get to Elijah’sBasin (Farsh Eliya).Although little dams were built to slow the flow of water (so it sinks inthe ground) and to channel it to gardens, the main purpose of the damson Mt. Sinai is to protect the Monastery which lies at the mouth ofgullies. Otherwise building big dams in the high mountains isunnecessary, a series of little dams, as in the past, is more effective.22