Saint Catherine’s Monastery below Mount Sinai
Mighty granite walls protect the monastery
Much of the walls have stood for fourteen centuries
Cross carved in the granite walls
At one point in history all of the doors were sealed up, and entrance was made through a lift, which was also used to haul up supplies.
The building sits in the wildest imaginable location
Detail of window in the corner buttress
The route to Mount Sinai starts at the left of the monastery
Lift structure and modern entrance.
Bell tower (left) & Mosque Minaret (right) inside courtyard
Bell tower, Built in 1871
Cross carved in the granite walls
The monastery contains the Katholikon, various chapels, a amosque , library and cells for the monks.
Bell tower (left) & Mosque Minaret (right)
Saint Catherine’s Monastery below Mount Sinai
The monastery of St. Catherine in Sinai, Egypt, is the oldest active Christian monastery in the world. It is the site where Moses is supposed to have seen the burning bush.
The monastery’s library holds a unique collection of Byzantine manuscripts second only to the vatican in scale. The site is sacred to both Christianity and Islam. A mosque was built within the walls of the monastery, but it has never been used since it is not correctly oriented towards Mecca.
Built between 548 and 565 the massive granite walls have stood for over fourteen centuries. The walls were repaired in 1801 during Napoleon’s Egyptian expedition. The bell tower was built in 1871 and contains nine bells of different sizes that were a gift of the Czars of Russia.
Reblogged this on The Spirited Soul.
I have been there. It’s a beautiful wonderful climb. Worth every step huh?!
Sadly i didn’t have time to go to the summit – next time! I tacked on visiting St Catherine’s after doing a more extensive journey in Wadi Rum Jordan which you can see here http://is.gd/AlvtpX
Really enjoyed your post, especially since my husband and I visited Saint Catherine’s years ago! Thank you for sharing your experience.
Thanks Michele, with the security situation there now tourists vehicles get a military escort and all vehicles travel in convoy – or at least they did when I visited. The advantage is very few visitors!
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Monastery of St. Catherine, Oldest active Christian monastery in the World #Egypt #Travel #Christianity