| St. Catherine's Monastery is a monastery on the Sinai Peninsula, at the foot of Mount Moses (Mount el-Deir) and Mount Sinai, in Egypt. It was built at the site where Moses is believed to have seen the Burning Bush, which is alive and on the grounds. Though it is commonly known as Saint Catherine's, the actual name of the monastery is the Monastery of the Transfiguration. It is sometimes also known as the Monastery of the Burning Bush. It is one of the oldest Christian monasteries in the world |
| St Catherine's Monastery, which is located at the foot of Mount Sinai (also called Mount Horeb or Jebel Musa meaning “Mountain of Moses”) is built around what is thought to be the site where Moses spoke to God for the first time at the burning bush, although there is no evidence that it is the mountain referred to in the Bible. The monastery contains a Basilica, Chapel, Charnel House, Well, Library, Gallery and Mosque which are surrounded by granite wall measuring 8 to 35 meters high. This wall defended it from numerous attacks in the 1,400 years it has been standing. It belongs to the Greek Orthodox Church and most of its monks are of Greek origin. |
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 | It is believable that St Catherine's has done very well to be still standing today, especially considering its location. Until the 20th century provisions were brought in through a 30 foot doorway using a system of pulleys. In the past the monks were, at times, living on next to nothing as access to the monastery was near impossible. This makes it even more amazing that there have been monks there continuously for the last 1,400 years, especially considering that it is in an Islam country. |
| History:- Originally founded by the Emperor St. Justinian the Great in 527, the monastery has weathered numerous changes in the history of the region, including the invasion of Islam, whose founder Mohammed himself guaranteed protection for the monastery. (The monastery still has possession of a written document from Mohammed to prove it.) In the 9th century, the site was associated with St. Catherine of Alexandria (whose relics were miraculously transported there) and it became a favorite site for pilgrimages. Numerous ancient manuscripts have been preserved in the library, which is second only to the manuscript library of the Vatican. The collection consists of some 3,500 volumes in Greek, Coptic, Arabic, Armenian, Hebrew, Slavic, Syriac, Georgian and other languages. |
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 | A number of ancient icons are also on the grounds, including the famous Pantokrator of Sinai (7th c.), pictured at left, and The Ladder of Divine Ascent (12th c.), an iconic representation of the book by that name by St. John Climacus. |
| Architecture:- The monastic church dates from the reign of St. Justinian. Its architect, Stephen of Aila, built a three-aisled, wood-roofed, basalt basilica, with carved capitals on the nave columns which are derived from the Corinthian order. The variation in the capitals there seems to be a deliberate choice, rather than the result of using columns from other buildings (which can be seen in other structures). The basilica has five side chapels, and towers flank the west end of the church. The sacred bush is left growing in the open beyond the east end of the building. |
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 | The monastery church has seen little essential change since the time of its imperial founder. Its great western portal is still closed by the original 1400 year old wooden door, which still functions perfectly on its first pins and hinges. The wood roof of the nave, also of 6th century construction, rests on beams that bear inscriptions honoring Justinian and his famous wife Theodora. These inscriptions had been reported by travelers as far back as the 18th century, but not until a 1958 expedition was a careful study made of them in relation to the church structure. The inscriptions mention "our most pious Emperor" Justinian and his "late Empress" Theodora. Theodora died in 548 and Justinian in 565, so that the church was completed between those years. |
| There are the remnants of a 10th or 11th century Fatimid mosque within the walls of the monastery, probably built to appease Muslim authorities of the time. Recent excavations within the mosque's walls have yielded evidence that the building predates its use as a mosque, however, as architectural and ornamental crosses and other Christian symbols have been found within. St. Catherine's Monastery is an Orthodox monastery on the Sinai Peninsula at the foot of Mount Sinai in Egypt. One of the oldest Christian monasteries in the world, St. Catherine's incorporates the burning bush seen by Moses and contains many valuable icons. |
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| Above the monastery is Mount Sinai (or Jebel Musa, Mount Moses), where Moses received the Ten Commandments from God. Because God spoke to Moses in these places, this area is sacred to three world religions: Christianity, Islam and Judaism. |
Books about St Catherine's Monastery The Treasures of the Monastery of Saint Catherine | Books about St Catherine's MonasterySinai and the Monastery of St. Catherine |
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