Monastery of St. Katherine
In 330 AD, the mother of Emperor Constantine, Empress
Helena, ordered the construction of a small church near
Moses’ Burning Bush. It was called the Church of
the Transfiguration. The fortified Monastery of St Katherine
seen today was built around the church during the reign
of Emperor Justinian (527-565 AD). In the 11th century,
the monastery was dedicated to St Katherine of Alexandria,
who died in 310 AD. Her remains, reportedly found by monks
on a mountain peak next to Mount Sinai, are buried in
the monastery’s Basilica.
Fronted
by gardens and cypress tress, the monastery is owned and
run by the Greek Orthodox Church. Its rich library houses
the world’s second largest collection of illuminated
manuscripts after the Vatican, and also contains invaluable
icons, beautifully-carved doors, exquisite wall paintings
and other fine religious ornaments. Within
the monastery’s towering walls, one of the world’s
finest and most unique collections of Christian artifacts
has been made more accessible to the public.
MOUNT
SINAI
Mount Sinai, just south of the Monastery of St Katherine,
is of great religious importance to Jews, Christians and
Muslims alike. According to the Old Testament, this is
where Moses received the Ten Commandments. Throughout
the centuries, the mountain has drawn thousands of pilgrims
from all over the world. Visitors can ascend to the summit
(7497 ft) either by climbing the ‘ancient route’
- some 4000 steps built by monks - or by following an
easier but longer path. Both lead to an open area known
as Elija’s Basin, where it is necessary to walk
up the remaining 750 steps to the top. At the summit,
is the Chapel of the Holy Trinity built in 1934 on the
site of a much earlier chapel built in 363 AD. The climb
takes about three hours but the view from the top is truly
breathtaking, especially at sunrise.
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Again, underwater activities are the main attraction in
Nuweiba. Shallow reefs create interesting locations for
snorkeling; and diving sites include Ras Burka, Big Ruta,
Devil’s Head and Maagana to name but a few. Opportunities
exist, too, for trekking, either by camel or jeep, into
the astounding Sinai interior or through the coastline
mountains. Highlights include St Katherine’s Monastery,
Mount Sinai, the Coloured Canyon, or a visit to some of
the oases in the area.
A
small, yet extraordinary, nine-room museum referred to
as ‘The Sacred Sacristy’ has now been opened
to display many masterpieces.
Among
the tastefully-displayed exhibits are exquisite 6th century
Byzantine icons, delicate 9th century manuscripts written
in Syriac, rare Slavonic prayer books, and splendid objects
of silver, gold, ivory and precious stones. Perhaps the
most valued items on exhibit, presented in a special glass
case, are pages from the Codex Sinaiticus, a 4th century
version of the Bible that now rests in the British Museum.
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