|
|
Monitu represents the ancient
inhabitants of Sinai; at that time, Sinai was called the Country
of Turquoise or Mafkat. Even from the Monitu period the
turquoise was used and in this period the Sinai’s firsts mines
appeared. Big turquoise mines appeared around 3000 BC in Sinai,
during the first Dynasty. Maghara Wadi from Sinai Peninsula is
the oldest turquoise source; other mine was at Serabit el-Khadim.
In these places are about 6 mines, all of them being situated on
the peninsula’s South West, on an area of about 650 square
kilometers. The Serabit el-Khadim mine is located at four
kilometers away from the ancient temple of Hathor. The ancient
Egyptians used the turquoise for beads and for some complex
jewelry, in combination with other stones for ornaments. More,
the ancient Egyptians thought that the turquoise had mystical
powers; they used it for figures, in art or to make ornaments
like the jewelry of queen Zar (5500 BC). There were annually
mining expeditions at the Sinai’s turquoise mines; the mines
worked for the Egypt’s pharaohs for more than 2000 years. In the
19th century the turquoise mines were discovered again and used
it till the beginning of the 21 century. Today, the mining of
turquoise on a large scale is not profitable anymore but the
Bedouins still quarry the deposits with the gunpowder made at
home. Accidents can happen in the rainy months of winter because
of the flash flooding but in the dry months too. The Sinai
material, also known as the Egyptian turquoise, has a greener
color, it is durable and stable. The Sinai turquoise is the most
translucent and its surface structure has discs of a dark blue
color that can not be met in the turquoise of other places. |
|
