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St. Catherine Monastery:
General Information
The distance
between Cairo & St. Catherine is about 378 Km, which can be reached by
car, bus or airplane.
St.
Catherine's an isolated town, nestled in between a range of majestic
mountains that reflect the light of each passing hour with a different
scheme of color. Weather is moderate round the year, a bit cold in
Winter days.
Tourist information:
Saint
Catherine bares lot of natural attractions amongst which are the;
Colored canyon which is indeed, one of the natural wonders of Sinai. A
walk in between the dramatic sandstone canyon walls that reaches up to
40 meters in some place, marked with melting yellow, purple, red, and
gold colors are unforgettable. Day trips to the Color Canyon can be
arranged from Dahab, Nuweiba, or Taba.
Another site
worth a visit is Ein Umm Ahmed which means the " spring of the mother of
Ahmed"; inhabited by welcoming local Bedouins who will always try to
welcome you with a nice cup of tea made by their special way. T his
oasis stretches along a valley filled with life, fruit trees bearing
lemons, olives, figs and dates, as well as a vegetable garden containing
fresh tomatoes, basil, and mint. That in addition of the existence of
rare species of flora, fauna and birds. The scenery is overwhelming in
this oasis found in the core of the desert
Not far from
the road linking St Katherine with Nuweiba and Dahab, lays Ein Khudra or
the Green Oasis, the name perfectly describes this attractive
environment in that oasis, where fresh water springs nourish the date
palm gardens. Not only natural significance but Ein Khudra has
historically significant as well. It acted as an important stopover for
pilgrims traveling through and from the St Katherine-Jerusalem route.
Ancient writing and drawings on the nearby rock of inscriptions testify
that Greeks, Romans, Byzantines and Christians of the Crusader period
passed through that way.
Passing by on
your way to face the Blue Desert"; a magnificent valley. Massive granite
sculptures and golden rocks cover the desert floor along with beautiful
pink flowers dotting the plains. The Blue Desert is a great place for
climbing, taking pictures or just relaxing and walking. Located between
Dahab and St Katherine, a must to see place during your trip. In
addition, it is a great place for camping.
St. Catherine
is rich with its historical one of a kind attractions, among which is
Mount Moses , Also, known as Mount Sinai, & in Arabic as Gabal Mussa, is
honored by the three great monotheistic religions.
Lies to the
south of the Monastery of St Katherine. Known for its great religious
importance to Jews, Christians and Muslims. According to the Old
Testament this is where Moses received the Ten Commandments from GOD.
It's an
overwhelming belief that has drawn pilgrims for over a thousand years.
Ancient chapels and structures honoring saints and the Virgin Mary
appear all along the main route, called Sikket Saydna Musa or "The Path
of Moses", including a stone arch where, a monk once sat and heard
confession from the pilgrims. Nearing the summit, one encounters the
natural amphitheater where the 70 wise men waited while God spoke with
Moses, then finally a small chapel and mosque at the top. Climbing the
mount requires a moderate body, it takes about 3 hours to climb the
7,498-foot peak following the Path of Moses, a stairway of nearly 4,000
steps. Recommended to have a good hiking shoes and plenty of water.
St. Catherine Monastery:
Lies at the
foot of mountain Moses. Saint Catherine Monastery has been one of the
world's great centers of religious pilgrimage for over fifteen
centuries. Within its imposing walls rests a citadel like no other,
incredibly rich in important religious and historical structures. Among
its treasures is a library of ancient manuscripts and icons, and a 6th
century church reputed to lie directly on the site of the Burning Bush.
Quite simply, the monastery is a defining feature of the Holy Land .
The Basilica;
the physical heart of St. Catherine's monastery is its Byzantine-style
basilica, which was built along with the protective walls in 527 A.D.
There are many lamps hanging from the ceiling in a glittering, silver
color, these are considered to be one of the most distinctive pieces of
the monastery. A sarcophagus lying next to the main alter, supposedly
holds the remains of St. Catherine herself.
Chapel of the
Burning Bush; the monastery's spiritual heart is the Chapel of the
Burning Bush. A few feet away from the Chapel is the reputed bush
itself, , where GOD spoke to Moses, the burning bush is a rare species
of a rose family called Rubus Sanctus. The bush is said to have been
relocated in the tenth century, when the chapel was given a roof. Today,
it is very large in size, and many monks and scholars agree that the
bush's presence is the very reason St. Catherine's Monastery developed
in the first place.
Charnel
House; Over the centuries, thousands of monks have lived and died within
the walls of St. Catherine Monastery. Because the monastery's small
cemetery is not enough to accommodate their remains, the monks bones
where then placed in a vault or tomb beneath the Chapel of St. Trifonio,
that place is also known as the Charnel House. It worth a visit to the
monks vault and see the piles of skulls buried there.
The Fountain
of Moses; an underground spring that supplies the monastery with water,
is said that is sits on the very spot where Moses met his future wife,
after protecting her and her sisters from an aggressive group of local
shepherds. According to the monks, the well never dries up, and it is
the monastery's main source of water.
Justinian's
Wall; In 527 A.D., the Byzantine emperor Justinian ordered the
construction of two of the monasteries defining features, the wall and
the basilica. The imposing wall was meant to defend the inhabitants of
the monastery from the local Bedouin tribes, and it reaches up to 9 ft
in thickness and sixty ft in height. In 1801, emperor Napoleon ordered
their restoration.
The Library
and Gallery of Icons; the library at St. Catherine is extraordinary. It
r epresents one of the richest collections in the world. It bares about
6000 manuscripts; 3000 of them are ancient, & some of them older than
the monastery itself. These manuscripts are written in Greek, Arabic,
Hebrew, Syriac, Armenian Georgian, Coptic, Polish and Slavic, the
manuscripts deal with theological, scientific, liturgical and historical
issues.
Was said that
in year 1844, a German scholar was visiting the library then they
discovered that possibly stole the Codex Sinaitic, an extremely
important 4th century version of the Bible that now rests in the British
Museum . Similar incidents throughout the years have forced the
monastery to allow access only to visitors who have obtained written
permission from the Archbishop of Cairo.
Attached to
the library is the Gallery of Icons, which houses over 2,000 of these
ancient treasures. Preserving the world's richest collection of icons.
In 730 Emperor Leo banned and ordered the destruction of all images of
worship, since it was offending against the second of the Ten
Commandments, unfortunately that resulted in destroying countless icons.
The Mosque;
St. Catherine's Mosque was built in 1106 during the era of Caliph Hakim
to protect the Monastery from the unpredictable destructive passion of
Caliph Hakim. On special occasions, the mosque is still used by the
local Bedouins, who have helped maintain the monastery grounds for
centuries. One of the mosque's most significant features is a "minbar"
or the pulpit which remains the only one of its kind.
After Islam
entered the country, it was said that a delegation of monks once visited
the Prophet Muhammad asking for his protection. After his visit to the
monastery he granted in a document:" .. I shall be his protector against
every enemy. it is not allowed to move . a priest from his religion, nor
a hermit from his cell."
In addition
to the previous historical monuments, there are more tourist sites to be
visited; P haraoh's Island , also called Coral Island or Geziret Faroun,
lies eight kilometers south of Taba and 250 meters off the coast. The
Phoenicians were the first to make use of this island's fine natural
harbor during the 10th century BC to encourage trade with Egypt . Later
on, the island became under Byzantine control.
Early in the
12th century the Crusaders built a fortress there to protect pilgrims
traveling between Jerusalem and the Monastery of St Katherine and to
annoy Arab trade. Sultan Salah El Din (Saladin) evicted the Crusaders
from the island and significantly strengthened the fortress later in the
12th century. The Mammlukes and Ottomans probably further fortified it
when they became the dominant force of the region. T oday you can follow
in the footsteps of the legendary Lawrence of Arabia and explore the
fully renovated fortress of medieval character with its towers, arched
doorways, sleeping quarters, baths and kitchens.
Nawamis;
Can be seen just, in southern and eastern Sinai are several mysterious
prehistoric structures known as Nawamis. Between 2 to 2.5 m high and 3
to 6 m in diameter, within these structures archaeologists have revealed
shell bracelets, colored beads, flint tools, tiny jugs as well as bone
and copper tools. These items were most likely funeral offerings. Many
have been dated to the Copper Stone Age period (4000-3150 BC). Though
the Nawamis were probably ancient burial chambers, the identity of the
people buried here is still a mystery.
Serabit el
Khadim; about 40 kilometers east of Abu Zenima is one of Sinai's most
important archaeological sites.
Pharaohs of
the 3rd Dynasty (2670-2570 BC) began the long tradition of dispatching
mining expeditions to this remote and desolate area to extract
turquoise. Ancient Egyptians were not only fond of carving scarabs out
of this opaque sky-blue gemstone, but they also used pulverized
turquoise as pigment to color statues and other objects.
Feiran Oasis;
about halfway between the Monastery of St Katherine and the Gulf of Suez
, is one of the earliest Christian centers in Sinai. The ruins of many
ancient churches testify to the importance this oasis once held as a
religious hub through the centuries from as early as the 2nd century
Article 02:
The Monastery of Saint Catherine:
Monasticism:
Ever since
the early Christian Period, South Sinai was a great attraction for the
Christian monks. The Monasticism was an escape from the Roman violence
which spread in the 4th Century A.D. Especially in Firan Valley, El-Tur,
and Mount Moses, those who fled the Roman persecution have taken shelter
in various area in Egypt, particularly those areas near water sources.
Who was Saint Catherine?
She lived in
Alexandria during the persecution of Christians during the reign of
Maximinus in 305-313 A.D, and when she converted to Christianity the
Roman tortured her severely, finally beheading her in 307 A.D.
Five
centuries later, a monk saw a vision in which her body was carried by
Angels, gently placing her on top of the peak of the highest mountain in
Sinai, so the monks carried her relics to the Church of Transfiguration,
which it was named then, next to the monastery that was formerly called
“The Virgin”, and ever since then, the name of the monastery has been
known as Saint Catherine.
The Monastery
In 342 A.D
The Empress Helena, mother of Constantine the Great, built a monastery,
including the chapel known as the Virgin Mary, at the Burning Bush site;
where it is believed that Moses received the two tablets. In the 6th
century A.D the Emperor Justinian ordered the building of the church
known today as the Church of Transfiguration; both the church and the
monastery were later named for Saint Catherine. Justinian also ordered
the building of a high enclosure wall, with towers to protect the
monastery, and it is said that he provided it with 200 Roman soldiers to
protect it against the attacks of the Bedouins.
The monastery
lies at the foot of “Moses Mountain”, a beautiful site, on a high
location about 1570 feet above sea level, with a good climate and plenty
of fresh well water. To the west of it is the El-Raha
Valley.
The most
important Elements of the Monastery are:
1-The Enclosure Wall and the Gate
2-The Great Church
3-The Burning Bush Chapel
4-The Fatimid Mosque
5-The Library
6-The Wells
7-The Oil Press
8-The Garden
9-The Monks
Cells
10-The Guests
Dwellings
11-The Two
Mills
12-The Grain
Stores
1-The Enclosure Wall:
The
monastery is similar to the fortresses of the middle ages, and it was
built with an enclosure wall of granite stones, including towers at its
corners, and inner buildings surrounding it. The height of the wall is
between 12m and 15m, while its 4 sides measure 117m, 80m, 77m, and 76m.
The Original Gate:
The
original gate is actually located on the western side, but it is now
blocked! To its left is the gate that is used at present, which was made
in 1801.
2-The Main Church (The Great
Church):
It was
built on the northern side of the monastery. It takes the shape of a
basilica and it consists of a central nave and two aisles that lead to
small chapels. The central nave ends with the altar at its eastern side,
and the aisles end with 2 rooms. Near to the altar on the right there is
a reliquary of marble, which contains the relics of St. Catherine. A
wonderful Byzantine mosaic covers the apse. The visitors to this church
must take off their shoes outside before they enter, imitating Moses
when he approached this Holyplace.
*The
monastery contains about 2000 icons, which is considered as one of the
most important collections of icons in the world. Some of them date back
to the 5th and 8th centuries. You can see some of them hanging on the
walls of the vestibule, which leads to the entrance of the main
church.
3-The Mosque:
It was
built during the Caliphate of Al-Amer Be Ahkam Allah in 500 A.H (1106
A.D) to be a resting place for the pilgrims who pass by the monastery on
their way to Mecca (or Makkah), and is situated on the southwest of the
main church. It is a small Mosque, rectangular in shape, and measures
11m long by 7m wide, with walls built of granite mortared with loam
clay, covered with loam clay plaster. The Mosque consists of 3 riwaqs;
the middle one being the biggest, with a main mihrab flanked by 2
others. The floor of the Mosque is covered with hip tiles, but not the
original ones! The roof is covered with wood and reed, tiled with hip
tiles, standing on circular arches, supported on 2 piers.
The
minaret is 12m in height, ending with a balcony projecting 50cm and
bearing a semi-ball shaped dome at the top.
The
minbar (pulpit) is made of cedar wood decorated with floral decorations
of a Fatimid style, which is one of the 3 famous minbars built in this
style.
The
Mosque contained 2 silver candlesticks, still preserved in good
condition. There is a chair on which 4 lines of inscription were written
in Floral Kufic mentioning that the Prince Anoshteken Al-Amer built the
Mosque during the reign of the Caliph Al-Amer Be Ahkam Allah in 500 A.H
(1106 A.D).
4-The Library:
The
monastery has one of the most important religious libraries in the
world, containing a great number of very rare and old manuscripts. This
library also has a large number of decrees of the Caliphs and the
rulers. In recent years it has received a lot of attention by
many scholars, as Alexandria University, and the Congress Library in
Washington, has microfilmed most of the manuscripts.
5-The Wells
There
are many wells inside the monastery; the most important are “the Well of
Moses”, north of the main church, and “The Burning Bush Well” and “Saint
Stephen's Well”, which are south of the main
church.
6-The Oil Press
It is
situated below the Mosque’s courtyard, and is used for squeezing olives
to extract the oil. Its ceiling is roofed by wooden beams, and reed
ties, resting on granite arches. The floor of the yard is provided with
lanterns, to lighten the oil press.
7-The Garden
In the
front of the monastery there is a garden, including a cemetery, for the
monks, with a “skull house” beside it. The monks used to bury their
dead, leave the bodies for a certain period, and then collect their
bones and deposit them in the “skull house”.
8-The Guests Dwellings (or the Guest
House)
Inside
the enclosure wall there is a small building that was constructed in
1863 during the reign of Khedive Ishmael. It is dedicated for the
dwelling of the visitors, and the guests of the monastery.
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