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St. Catherine Monastery
St. Catherine Monastery

Ever wondered about a place at the base of Mount Sinai with old walls, religious history and fantastic views?

St. Catherine is a holy site among most religions. It is one of the world oldest Christian monasteries. You can find old papers, great mosaics, and the Burning Bush that is mythically visited even today by tourist. 

Just imagine that you visit the 1,600-year old monastery. The religion of the ancient is a legends of Moses and rich culture. It will excite you and be wonderful. Learn, see, and do amazing things. Visitors and historians love St. Catherine Monastery.

 

What Is St. Catherine's Monastery?

St. Catherine Monastery is one of the ancient monasteries of Christianity and was constructed over 1600 years ago. It is in the Sinai Peninsula, adjacent to the mountain on which, as it is believed in religions, God presented Moses with the Ten Commandments. The site is a sacred place to Christians, Jews, and even Muslims.

The monastery was built by order of the Roman Emperor Justinian, who ruled in the 6th century. Since then, monks have been residing there, praying, and looking after visitors and travellers. It is the oldest Christian and still active monastery nowadays.

What is so wonderful about St Catherine Monastery?

There are various historic, religious and cultural reasons why St. Catherine Monastery is important to many:

  • Religious significance: This is where Moses met God on the Sinai. It is worshiped by Christianity, Judaism and Islam.
  • Mediaeval texts: The monastery also possesses some religious literature. Historians have reconstructed history using rare documents.
  • Peaceful Community: The monks lead a simple life and pray. These visitors are individuals who come to the monastery in search of peace or adventure.

 

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What can visitors see and observe at St. Catherine Monastery?

In St. Catherine's Monastery, you can observe numerous wonderful things:

  • Ancient Church: The central church in the monastery is the Church of the Transfiguration. It is renowned due to its antique mosaic beauty.
  • The Burning Bush: It is believed that one blossom on the outside of the monastery was the burning bush where Moses went. This is a bush that was never destroyed, according to the Bible.
  • The Library: The antique texts are found in plenty in the monastery library. This is the fourth-oldest library in the world, consisting of thousands of books, some of which were written centuries ago and are still handwritten.
  • Mount Sinai Hike: It is a hike that people pass across Mount Sinai. It is worth the walk as the scenery and the sunset at the peak of the mountain are worth it.

St Catherine Monastery library

 

Transport to St Catherine Monastery

The pilgrimage to the St. Catherine Monastery is a very special experience because of its place and the history. In case you are going, some of the tips are as follows:

  • Access: The monastery is located in an isolated desert place and therefore people who visit the site must be very careful. It is located in closest town, which is called Catherine village, and the vacation home is available there as well as the other tour guides may be recruited.
  • Time to travel: The weather is very hot during summer months as the best periods to travel in this place are between October to April.
  • Opening Hours: The monastery is open daily; however, there are always occasions when one needs to be sure about pilgrim to the monastery because of religious holidays or gatherings.
  • Dress Code: Since it is a religious place, one should dress decently when on a visit. It means that shoulders and knees are covered.

 

St Catherine Monastery inside

 

The strange of St. Catherine Monastery

  • Ancient Walls: There were also walls in the monastery built to protect it in case of attack, and they are very thick and poetic.
  • Historicists: St. Catherine Monastery has been visited by some distinguished persons; some of them was Napoleon Bonaparte.
  • Multicultural Heritage: The monastery used to have monks of other Christian confessions; Greek Orthodox and Coptic Orthodox are the representatives.

What You Should Know of the monastery of St. Catherine

The knowledge of the St. Catherine Monastery makes us value the history of human culture and faith. It displays how a place can become significant to several people over thousands of years. Suppose you care about history, about religion, or you are simply interested in visiting a beautiful place full of peace and calm. In that case, St. Catherine Monastery is a wonderful chance to get a peek into the past.

Should you ever decide to visit this monastery or get to know it better, remember, it is an old infrastructure, but it is a living community and a historical treasure house-hold. Its simplicity of beauty and its great story have been an inspiration to millions of people.