The temple of Hathor at Serabit el-Khadim

The temple of Serabit el-Khadim is located on a plateau on top of a mountain in south-west Sinai. From earliest dynastic times, pharaohs sent expeditions to Sinai in search of turquoise and copper, and abundant seams of turquoise were found in the Serabit region. Hathor had the epithet ‘Lady of Turquoise’, so it is no surprise to find a temple dedicated to Hathor near the mine workings. Members of the ancient expeditions hoped that, by making offerings to Hathor, they would extract good quantities of turquoise and return safely to the Nile valley. A lithograph by Louis Haghe  after a sketch of Serabit el-Khadim  by David Roberts (1849). Image: Wellcome V0049452, via Wikimedia Common