Saint Catherine, Sinai Peninsula

Saint Catherine City is a magical gem located in the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt at an elevation of about 1600 meters from sea level, at the foot of the Sinai High Mountains. It is one of the only remaining active worship sites since biblical times. Many travelers from all over the world come to witness the beautiful sun rays reflecting through the top of the city in a heavenly fashion and explore the finest examples of biblical wonders between the gates of the immortal monastery of Saint Catherine City in the same site where it believed Moses talked to God and received the ten commandments. The city is also surrounded by the highest mountain ranges in Egypt. It has very low humidity and the coldest nights in all of Egypt during winter due to the high altitude but it also offers a delightful pleasant climate during the summer.

The history of Saint Catherine City goes back to the times of the 16th century BC when it was a province to the Egyptian empire providing turquoise, copper, as well as gold as shown by the well-preserved remains of mines and temples, one of which are temples, dedicated to Hathor the goddess of love and beauty. The city of Saint Catherine is also a protectorate, established in 1988. It is declared as a UNESCO World Heritage area due to its natural and cultural importance. It has a unique ecosystem containing biodiversity filled with rare plants and herbs and several wild animals. There are over 200 religious places and other important monasteries and churches, ruins of Byzantine monastic settlements, as well as the highest mountains in Egypt with spectacular views, amazing rock formations, and landscape.

The city is one of the newest townships in Egypt containing every typical number of facilities such as a high school, police, a hospital, a fire brigade, a range of hotels, telephone centers, banks, post offices, and more. It is also a place of holy importance to the world’s three major Abrahamic religions, Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. It is the site where Moses is believed to have been given the Ten Commandments from the all mighty; a place where early Christianity flourished and the Orthodox monastic traditions still exist. It is also a place that the prophet Mohammed put under his protection. Many events recorded in the Holy Bible & Quran took place in the area with hundreds of places of religious importance in the city. The city holds two ancient churches, the Monastery of St Katherine and the Rock of Moses.

Places of Interest in Saint Catherine City

It is a special high-altitude Sahara with an ecosystem filled with various endemic and rare species, there are many rare types of medicinal plants that locals use for countless ages. Apart from the many religious places found around the Monastery of St. Catherine and on the top of Jebel Musa (Mt. Sina), there are many more churches, monasteries, and holy places in the area and a bit further afield. There are many other historical places, dating back to the Pharaonic age, Nabatean, and Byzantine era; or more modern sites such as the Palace of Abbas Hilmi I. Pasha.

The area is also full of natural and cultural wonders, such as water pools, creeks, and springs in the dry, barren mountain wadis where there are beautiful Bedouin gardens and buildings set among amazing rock formations. From the highest mountains of Egypt, you have spectacular views as far as Sharm el Sheikh, El Tur, and the Gulf of Suez.

Saint Catherine’s Monastery

The Monastery of St. Catherine is one of the oldest monasteries in the World located at the foot of Mount Catherine, the highest mountain in Egypt, near Mount Moses. It was built by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian in the 6th century AD; although there was already a church at the site of the Burning Bush erected by Empress Helena in 330 AD. Byzantine Orthodox monasticism has even earlier roots; and the area is sacred to all three monotheistic religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The monastery was also under the protection of the Prophet Mohammed, Arab and Turkish leaders, and Napoleon, which helped to preserve it virtually undamaged.

Surrounded by high mountains of red granite, the monastery has remained completely isolated for many years. To get there, pilgrims had to face a long and difficult journey; but today an easily passable road passes through it, connected to the main towns on the coast. Hundreds of people visit it daily. Consequently, the small village of Saint Catherine is jammed with tourist buses, especially in the morning. The surrounding mountains are of surprising beauty. It is common to walk up to the top of Mount Sinai to enjoy the panorama of the place where Moses received the Ten Commandments.

Saint Catherine’s Monastery contains some of the most incredible artifacts and documents from the Byzantine and Roman periods; that’s why the monastery was inducted into the UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2002. It is also home to several famous icons, including the main church; the chapel of the Burning Bush which is a small chamber behind the altar of the basilica; the old refectory, as well as the Fatimid mosque built next to the Orthodox Church; a rare coexistence of religions in today’s World. It includes also a library; the second largest in the world. The library includes a priceless collection of illuminated Bibles and ancient manuscripts, including a hand-written copy of the New Testament. It has also reopened to the public after three years of restoration.

Mt. Sinai (Jebel Musa)

In the south of the Sinai Peninsula, about halfway between the two northern branches of the Red Sea, there is a mountain range with two peaks, called Mount Sinai or Jebel Musa. It is revered as the place where Prophet Moses received the Ten Commandments from God. It is a sacred mountain to Jews, Christians, as well as Muslims. It is also one of the highest mountains in Egypt; with a small Orthodox church and a mosque on its summit at 2285 meters from sea level.

There are two main routes up the mountain. The more strenuous path is known as The Steps of Repentance. It is thought to have been established in the 6th century. It’s a steep slog up 2,500 stone-cut steps to the summit this way. The alternative and easier route is the Camel Trail, a switch-back gravel track up the mountain.

From the summit of Jebel Musa, there are breathtaking views of the wild and desolate surrounding country. The trips to the summit are not only for religion; however, coming here after a visit to the monastery of Saint Catherine to admire the sun rising from the top of Mount Sinai is usually part of the trip.

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