Sinai, 16th century Egypt - Public domain image. Dry plate negative.

Title from negative sleeve.
Photograph taken from Sinai's western coast on the Gulf of Suez at one of the coastal or inland plains(?), possibly El Raha Plain (Ahtha) the north most coastal plain or El Hbeg Plain to its south(?), or less likely El Qa'a the south most plain as tagged in one of the copies(?) (Source: A. Shams, Sinai Peninsula Research, 2018)
Camels replaced feral donkeys in transportation in 2nd millennium BCE, though domesticated donkeys are still used in the High Mountains of Sinai Peninsula. A series of coastal and inland plains from Suez in the north to Mount Sinai in central-south were part of Darb El Batraa in Sinai Peninsula (Way of Petra or Exodus Traditional Route). Uyun Musa (Twelve springs of Moses) in the vicinity of Shur, Marah and Elim in the vicinity of Sin, Rephidim (Palm Grove of Ba'al), El Raha (inland), and Horeb and Mount Sinai had been traditional stops/waystations for pilgrims, travellers (and later tourists) and scholars since 4th century CE. El Raha Plain (another plain with the same name, or Ahtha) the north most coastal plain on Sinai's western coast on the Gulf of Suez is known as the traditional location of Biblical Land of Shur, and to its south El Hbeg Plain, the inner valleys to the east of Gebel Hammam Fara'un, El Markha Plain and less common El Qa'a the south most plain, all were recognised as Biblical Land of Sin at different scholarly and travel accounts, plus the inland sand plains of Dabbat El Qirai', Ramlet El Himayir, Dabbat El Habir and Haydar at the foot of El Tih Plateau to the west. Either asphalt roads or mining dirt-tracks replaced the traditional camel caravan routes along the Way of Petra or Exodus Traditional Route in the 2nd half of 20th century CE. The route traverses the territories of different tribes where travel arrangements have been in place for centuries to supply camels and guides (from north to south): Huwitat (17th century CE), Tarabien (16th century CE), 'Aliqat (14th century CE), Hamada (pre-Islamic), Sawalha (14th century CE), Qrarsha (16th century CE), Awlad Sa'aed (14th century CE) and Gebaliya (6th century CE), plus Lihywat (17th century CE) and Badara (10th-13th) in EL Tih Plateau. (Source: A. Shams, Sinai Peninsula Research, 2018)
Taken either by the American Colony Photo Department or its successor, the Matson Photo Service.
Guide card: Sinai.
Gift; Episcopal Home; 1978.