Saint Catherine city is one of the holiest places on earth. Its spirituality, which many do not know, contributes to its status as a healing spot due to its dry climate. Besides, the city boasts historical legends, including the story of the palace of Khedive Abbas Helmy I. He built the palace on an area of 450 square meters atop Mount Abbas, about 2383 meters above sea level. This location is on the second tallest mountain in Saint Catherine and requires a climb of 3 and a half hours.

Dr. Ahmed Adel, director of Saint Catherine’s monuments, told us

Khedive Abbas chose this area, it came after conducting an experiment to put raw meat in separate places to find out the timing of its decomposition, and when it remained for a longer time, it proved that it has a dry climate to contribute to its treatment of asthma, after doctors advised him to move to a place with a dry atmosphere, and from here came the idea of building the palace.

‎How Khedive Abbas got the region ‎

Khedive Abbas bought the mountainous area from the sons of the Jabaliya tribe who protect the monastery of St. Catherine. He bartered with the monks, offering them 100 acres of agricultural land in the Seriaqus area near Cairo Governorate in exchange for abandoning the spring of water and the fruit cultivation orchard. Abbas then began to build the palace in 1853 but died in 1854, a year after construction started, and to this day, its construction has not been completed.

‎Details of the construction of the palace ‎

Sheikh Jamil Attia, a member of the Jabaliya tribe who works in one of the Bedouin camps, confirmed that they started the construction of the palace in a simple primitive style, on a rugged plateau at the top of the mountain.

‎Arrival at Abbas Palace ‎

‎He added that they receive adventurous tourists wishing to climb the mountains and reach the summit through a mountain hammer called Abu Jifa, passing through Ain Shakia, which is the spring of potable water, Wadi Al-Akhdud and the Zawatin area, which is famous for this name due to its abundant olive trees, and the area was characterized by the cultivation of rare fruits.‎

‎Khedive Abbas’s palace became a Bedouin legend. ‎

‎For his part, Mohammed Al-Jabali, a member of the Jabaliya tribe, and works as a tour guide, said that it is one of the anecdotes related to the palace of Khedive Abbas Helmy, that the Bedouins of Catherine called it an example of their popular proverbs such as «semi-palace of King Abbas» and means that described by this proverb is marred by decrease, as the palace that has not been completed, as their parents witnessed the attempt to build and extend roads from the city of Tor Sinai, to the headquarters of the palace and the transfer of supplies, marble and equipment for construction, which was not completed due to the death of Khedive.‎

Find more about saint catherine.

https://www.facebook.com/insinaiofficial

Find more destinations

https://insinai.com/category/where-to-go/

Our facebook Group

https://www.facebook.com/groups/friends.of.sinai