Saint Catherine's Monastery — Attraction in South Sinai

Constructed at the foot of Mt. Sinai, around what is thought to be Moses' Burning Bush, by order of the Emperor Justinian between 527 & 565 AD , the Orthodox St. Catherine's Monastery is considered one of the oldest Byzantine Antiquities in Egypt and said to be one of the oldest Christian monasteries in the world. The monastery is a spectacular natural setting that incorporates the Burning Bush seen by Moses and contains valuable icons for priceless works of art, including Arab mosaics, Greek and Russian icons, Western oil paintings, paintings on wax, fine sacerdotal ornaments, marbles, enamels, chalices, reliquaries, donated by a number of kings and emperors, but of perhaps even greater significance is that it is the second largest collection of illuminated manuscripts (The Vatican has the largest). There is also a small chapel (the Chapel of St. Triphone, also known as the Skull House) which houses the skulls of deceased monks. According to the legend of the monastery, after the execution of the St. Catherine who lived in Alexandria at the time of Emperor Maximinus, tradition claims her body vanished, and the angels transported it to the peak of the highest mountain in Sinai. About five centuries later, guided by a dream, monks of the monastery built by Justinian found her body, brought it down from the mountain and placed it in a golden casket in the church. The Monastery even has a small 10th or 11th century mosque which was probably built to help on securing the monastery again the often attacks.

بني دير سانت كاترين، بأمر من الإمبراطور جوستنيان، بالقرب من سفح جبل موسى حول شجرة العليق أو العليقة الملتهبة التي يعتقد بـأنها شجرة اشتعلت بها النيران فاهتدى إليها موسى ليكلم ربه، ويعد الدير من أقدم الاثار البيزنطية فى مصر ويقال أنه أقدم أديرة العالم، وهو معتزل تابع للروم الأرثوذكس، ويديره رئيس الدير وهو أسقف سيناء. ويمثل دير سانت كاترين قطعة من الفن التاريخي المتعدد، فهناك الفسيفساء العربية والأيقونات الروسية واليونانية واللوحات الجدارية الزيتية والنقش على الشمع وغيره. كما يحتوي الدير على مكتبة للمخطوطات يقال أنها ثاني أكبر مكتبات المخطوطات بعد الفاتيكان، وتشمل قيمة الدير الأثرية كنيسة تاريخية بها هدايا قديمة من عدة ملوك وأمراء، وبرج أثري مميز للأجراس، إضافة لرفات القديسة كاترين أو زوروسيا التي عاشت عهد اضطهاد الامبراطور مكسيمينوس، والتي ظهرت رفاتها في حلم أحد رهبان الدير بعد مرور ثلاث قرون من وفاتها، فنقلت هذه الرفات ووضعت قي هيكل الكنيسة بصندوق رخامى بجانب الهيكل الرئيسي وما زال الطيب المنساب من رفات القديسة يشكل أعجوبة حتى عرف الدير باسمها منذ القرن الحادى عشر إلى الآن. كما توجد بالدير (معضمة) تحوي رفات جميع الرهبان الذين عاشوا في الدير. ومن الجدير بالذكر أن هناك مسجد صغير داخل الدير قام أحد حكام مصر في العصر الفاطمي ببنائه حماية للدير من الهجمات التي كان يتعرض لها...

Saint Sava Serbian

Saint Sava Serbian & 1234 year & St.Catharine `s monastery

Sinan Pasha burns the relics of St. Sava at Vracar, Belgrade, 1594

Upon arrival in Jerusalem, Sava lodged at the St. George Monastery in Akre, a monastery he had purchased from the Latins during his first pilgrimage. Sava visited Patriarch Athanasius of Jerusalem and then went by boat to Alexandria, Egypt, to meet with Pope Nicholas, "Patriarch of Alexandria and all Africa." He then went to St. Catherine's Monastery on Mt. Sinai, where he spent Great Lent of 1234. This was a most blessed Paschal journey for Sava, for he climbed the heights where the great man of God, Moses the God-seer and Deliverer of his people, had spent many hours speaking to the Lord God face to face as a friend converses with a friend. Sava, too, had been a "Moses" to his people, pastoring, leading and organizing them into a community of God. After the Paschal celebration of 1234, Sava returned to Jerusalem and then traveled to Antioch. After visiting Constantinople, Sava intended to visit the Holy Mountain and Hilandar, but "it did not please the Holy Spirit." Instead, he left for Trnovo, Bulgaria, the capital of King Ivan Asen II's Bulgarian kingdom.

Sava arrived in Trnovo on January 1, 1235. He was received with grcat honor and dignity, not only because of his efforts on behalf of the Bulgarian ecclesiastical authorities while in the Middle East, but more importantly because he was truly the most respected and venerated person of his era. At the request of King Ivan Asen II, Sava stayed at the Royal Palace in Trnovo. Many state dignitaries, monastics, clergy and pious faithful came to venerate this holy pastor and to receive his blessing. Sava officiated at the Divine Liturgy on Epiphany, January 6, 1235, in the Royal Cathedral of the Holy Forty Martyrs in Trnovo. As was the custom, he participated in the service of the Blessing of the Waters held outside the Cathedral, at the nearbyJantra River. After the Divine Service, the Saint caught a cold which developed into pneumonia, eventually causing his death during the night between Saturday and Sunday, January 14, 1235. He was 60...

We contacted the organizer through WhatsApp and got a quick response. We booked several tours, and the organizer considered all our wishes, offering the best options. Big thanks for the list of things to prepare for the trip!

The bus and guide arrived at the hotel on time. We made a few stops along the way — to drink water, have a snack, and rest. We reached the mountain’s base after midnight, where a local Bedouin met us and guided us to the top of Mount Sinai, with short stops along the way.

At night, at over 2000 meters high, it’s very cold, so keep that in mind. Even though I came prepared (I had a hat, down vest, and gloves), I still needed to rent a blanket for 3 euros. By the way, you can pay in dollars, euros, or local currency.

Climbing the mountain was an amazing experience, full of joy and pride. The mountain views were stunning, though it was sad to see so much litter — a reminder of how important it is to respect nature.

The monastery was open, and our Russian-speaking guide shared lots of interesting information you can’t find online. Pilgrims and visitors can leave notes at the icon of Saint Catherine and donations for the monastery. It’s worth mentioning that tips are expected everywhere — a dollar or two for any service. It’s just the way things work here (even in the airport, they expected a tip when replacing toilet paper).

The tour ended around 10 a.m. When everyone was back on the bus, we headed to Sharm El Sheikh. The guide kindly offered us croissants and water. We got back to the hotel around 1 p.m., just in time for lunch. We were very happy with this tour and will definitely recommend it to...