Saint Catherine's Monastery
In the middle of the majestic loneliness of the Sinai mountains, stands one of the greatest monuments of human culture - Saint Catherine’s Monastery and Mount Sinai. Saint Catherine's and Mount Sinai lie in the heart of Sinai, approximately 200km from Dahab on the eastern coast and 300km from the Suez Canal on the upper western coast.
The Saint Catherine's area holds great relevance and marks a symbol of peace and unification between all faiths. All three of the West's great religious traditions - Islam, Christianity & Judaism know the Sinai as the Holy Land, a vast expanse traversed time and time again by prophets, saints, pilgrims and warriors. Sinai is most familiar to many as the great and terrible wilderness, marking the route in which the Exodus wandered for forty years.
Saint Catherine's monastery was built approximately 1400 years ago by Emperor Justinian, encompassing the great church built by St. Helena, the mother of St.Constantine in 330 AD. Saint Catherine was born in Alexandria in 294 AD, and educated in a pagan school. Born to a wealthy family, she rejected their ways and was taught of Jesus Christ by a Syrian monk, and she converted to the Christian faith.
Later in the 4th century, during the persecution of the Christians, she held her faith and confessed her beliefs. Many wise men tried to dissuade her, but she, on the contrary, persuaded them to believe in Jesus. Under torture, she again managed to persuade members of the Emperors family and members of the Roman aristocracy to convert to the Christian faith.
After her execution, her body varnished, and according
to tradition, angels transported it to the peaks
of the highest Mountain in Sinai, which now bears
her name. This tradition is supported by the fact
that monks from the monastery were guided by a dream
3 centuries later to the peak of Saint Catherine’s
Mount where they found her body. Saint Catherine's
martyrdom was carried to Europe by the Crusaders,
and she became accepted as a major saint.
Saint Catherine's Monastery is open to the public
to this day, and governed by Greek Orthodox monks,
it continues to be an attraction for people of all
faiths and cultures.
Mount Sinai, Mount Moses, or as the monks call it 'The Holy Peak', stands 2500m above sea level, the summit a 2-3 hour walk from The Monastery at its foot. According to Christian tradition, this is the biblical Mount Horeb where Moses received the Tablets of the Law within the Ten Commandments.
There are two ways to traverse Mount Sinai. One involves climbing the 3750 steps, built with rock by pious monks: this is a short but difficult ascent. The other, easier way, carved by the Egyptian Authorities in the 19th Century, is an indirect route which can be traversed either by foot or on camels or donkeys.
On the top of Mount Sinai is a chapel dedicated
to the Holy Trinity. It was built in 1934 with the
materials of an earlier church, erected in 532 by
Justinian and repeatedly destroyed. To the north
of the chapel is a cave where tradition holds that
God put Moses.
Climbing Mount Sinai is an unforgettable endeavour.
To witness the sun rising from the summit, the highest
point in Sinai, is an experience not to be missed.
Prices Saint Catherine's Monastery
- Depart Dahab 7:00 am and go by private taxi to the village of St. Catherine's. 2 hours drive
- Meet with your local Bedouin guide
- Opportunity to visit the monastery of St. Catherine's
- Buffet lunch will be served at the Catherine Plaza Hotel
- 3 hour trek to reach the top of Mount Sinai at 2280 metres. Watch sunset.
- 1,5 hour trek down the mountain
Please note:
The temperature at altitude can be very cold so you need to wear warm clothing as well as appropriate footwear. You can hire blankets at the top of the mountain. The monastry is open from 09:00 am to 12 noon and is closed on Friday and Sunday, so the trip cannot run these days
Price per person:
Number of people: 1-3 = 58 Euro per Person
4 people and more: 40 Euro per Person
