Saint Catherine's Monastery

Main article: Saint Catherine's Monastery
Further information: Mount Sinai

History

Saint Catherine's Monastery is a very old Christian monastery in the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt. It was built between 548 and 565 by the order of the Byzantine emperor Justinian I. The monastery is located at the foot of Mount Sinai and is the oldest Christian monastery where people have lived all the time.

Significance

The monastery is very special because it is said to contain the burning bush that Moses saw. It was later named after Catherine of Alexandria, and many people visit it as a Christian pilgrimage.

Religious Control

The monastery is controlled by the autonomous Church of Sinai, which is part of the Greek Orthodox Church. In 2002, it became a World Heritage Site because it is important to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Inside the monastery, there is a very old mosque.

Library and Artifacts

The monastery's library has very rare and old books and artworks, including early Christian icons like the earliest known depiction of Christ Pantocrator.

Location

The monastery is also near three important mountains: Willow Peak, Jebel Arrenziyeb, and Mount Sinai, which is traditionally thought to be the biblical Mount Sinai.

Christian traditions

Saint Catherine's Monastery was built near a place believed to be where the burning bush appeared to Moses. The site also has the "Well of Moses," where Moses is thought to have met his wife, Zipporah. This well still gives water to the monastery today. The area is important to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Long ago, people found what they thought were the remains of Saint Catherine of Alexandria in a cave close by. Her relics are kept inside the monastery, making it a popular place for visitors. The main celebration at the monastery is called the Feast of the Transfiguration.

History

The oldest record of monks at Mount Sinai comes from a travel journal written by a Christian traveler named Egeria around the years 381–386.

The monastery was built by order of the Byzantine emperor Justinian I between the years 548 and 565. It has a chapel that marks the spot where Moses saw the burning bush. The monastery’s roof is the oldest known roof truss in the world.

Over time, the monastery welcomed visitors from many lands. It had monks from Arab, Greek, Syrian, Slavonic, and Georgian origins. Later, it became mainly linked with the Greek Orthodox Church. The monastery also has a mosque that was built during the Fatimid Caliphate and is still used today on special occasions.

Manuscripts and icons

Saint Catherine's Monastery has a very old library. It is the world's oldest library that is still open today. The library has many important early books and handwritten texts in Greek, Arabic, and other languages. One famous find there is the Codex Sinaiticus, an old copy of the Bible found in the 1800s.

The monastery also has special old books called palimpsests. These books were scraped and rewritten many times. Scientists used special imaging to see the original texts again. These discoveries include unknown poems and early Christian stories. The library was renovated and reopened in 2017, so scholars can study these treasures.

Stainless Steel Boxing Project

The Saint Catherine Foundation worked with the Ligatus Research Centre at London’s University of the Arts. They made special steel boxes for rare books at Saint Catherine’s Monastery on Mount Sinai.

These steel boxes help protect the books. They keep the books safe from bad weather, earthquakes, and getting old. Steel was chosen because it does not let out bad gases that could hurt the books. Steel also stops insects and fire better than wood.

Each box is made from strong steel and has soft foam inside. This keeps the books safe and secure.

Works of art

Saint Catherine's Monastery has many important and beautiful works of art. It has special mosaics and a large collection of early icons. These icons are important because they survived difficult times when other icons were destroyed. The monastery was never attacked, so these icons remained safe. Some of the icons are from the 5th and 6th centuries and show scenes from the Old Testament.

The monastery also helped create a special art style during the time of the Crusaders. It has the largest collection of icons made in that style, with over 120 pieces. Many of these were made by monks living near the monastery in the 13th century. The monastery has been working to organize and study these treasures since the 1960s.

Icons

Saint Catherine's Monastery has many beautiful and important icons. These icons are special images used in Christian worship. One of the oldest icons shows Christ Pantocrator. There are also icons of scenes like The Last Judgement and the Ladder of Divine Ascent. You can see images of saints such as Saint Michael the Archangel and Saint George. These icons date from the 6th century and later, showing the monastery's long history.

Historical images

Here are some famous artists and works that have shown Saint Catherine's Monastery:

• El Greco (1568)
• Carsten Niebuhr (1762)
• Description de l'Égypte (1809)
• David Roberts (1839), published in The Holy Land, Syria, Idumea, Arabia, Egypt, and Nubia
• Ernst Keil (1861)
• Adolf Meckel von Hemsbach (1892)

Panoramic view

A panorama of St Catherine's Monastery shows its impressive architecture and setting at the foot of Mount Sinai. The monastery, built between 548 and 565, is the oldest Christian monastery that people still live in today.

In literature

The French writer Pierre Loti wrote about the monastery in his book Le désert. He told about his trip through the Sinai desert on a camel and shared his thoughts on this special place.