The turquoise mines of Serabit el-Khadim formed the most important site of Egyptian activity in Sinai. The temple of the goddess Hathor, “Lady of Turquoise,” was first established here by the Twelfth Dynasty pharaoh, Sesostris I. It had the dual purpose of honouring the goddess who acted as guide to the miners who exploited the mines, and glorifying the kings who ordered the expeditions.
The chapels built by successive rulers were equally divided between divine and royal cults. The earliest part is the main Temple of Hathor and the chapels increased in number over the years, thus creating the long, angular processional way, which is marked by commemorative stelae set up by the various mining expeditions that had worked there. It is the stelae, which give the site the first part of its name “Serabit,” while “el-Khadim” means “the servants,” i.e. slaves.
During the New Kingdom the original speos (rock-cut chapel) and portico of the Hathor temple were kept in good repair. However, the sanctuary of Ptah, the god of Memphis, was replaced during the rule of Hatshepsut, Tuthmosis III and Amenophis III, by a new temple dedicated to Hathor, Amun of Thebes and Sopdu, god of the Eastern Desert.
The temple kept its dual role (divine and royal) because it was used to celebrate the Heb Sed or royal jubilee festivals. Ramesses IV built himself a “Temple of Millions of Years” at this site but by the end of the Ramesside period, the site had been abandoned.