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An indelible mark from a trip to Egypt will leave a special place - this is the Church of St. Catherine in Egypt. This is what I want to talk about in detail today.
I’ll let you know right away that we organize trips to the Monastery with a professional guide. You can find the program of such trips on my website dahab-travel.ru:
Orthodox tour: in the footsteps of Moses Excursions to the monastery and Mount Moses
The excursions are led by a Russian guide-local historian, bachelor of theology, historian.
Features of the excursion and small tips
This time I want to start my story from the end and immediately highlight the following important points point by point, and then I will share the emotions that overwhelm me while on this earth. So:
- An excursion to the monastery is offered only from resorts on the Sinai Peninsula from cities such as Dahab and Sharm el-Sheikh; if you are vacationing on the mainland of the country, you will have to get to the shrine on your own. Please take this into account when planning your trip.
- Prices vary . With a large tour operator you will have to pay 45 dollars for an adult and 35 for a child. I recommend using the services of a street agency. This way you will save at least 10%. But in essence and the bottom line - you get the same thing.
- The trip can be done regardless of the time of year. The main thing is to dress appropriately. Don't forget, these are holy places! Short skirts and shorts are unacceptable. And in winter, precipitation in the form of snow is possible and there are often piercing winds here - so jackets will not be superfluous at all, take a warm sweater, a spare scarf, and a blanket.
- There are no age restrictions. The main thing is your desire to touch the holy land and see the amazing.
- Don't forget to bring video and photo equipment if you want to capture all this splendor as a memory. But for me: “with the click of a shutter you can scare away the moment” and the magic that made this place holy.
- If possible , go on a trip in a small group with a private guide or on your own - you will have the opportunity to actually be here, and not gallop across Europe. After all, it takes time to penetrate all this to every fiber of your soul. In groups you will not get a full picture, you will not feel the energy of the place. Just plan your trip, set up and go.
- Drinks and breakfast will come in handy during the trip .
- Money will also come in handy : tips, donations, souvenirs, lunch at a restaurant, and so on. Please consider additional costs for museum tickets if they are not included in the tour price.
I recommend checking out the small shop located next to the church, where you can buy medallions, icons, and crosses as souvenirs of your trip. And don’t bargain, although the cost of souvenirs here is quite high - take this as a donation and tribute to this place.
You can save money in the city: I advise you to read the article on what you can buy cheaply in Egypt . It will be very useful to know.
brief information
Tourists who travel around Egypt try to visit the monastery of St. Catherine the Great Martyr. When the prophet Moses was 40 years old, he went to Mount Horeb in Sinai. There he meets the image of God in the form of the flame of a burning bush.
The Almighty ordered him to return to Egypt and lead the children of Israel to the mountain so that they would begin to believe in him. Moses did everything as he was told. Approaching the mountain, the children of Israel received the covenants of God. The well-known monastery of St. Catherine was built right at the base of this mountain in the fourth century.
“Monastery of the Transfiguration” or “Monastery of the Burning Bush” - this is how the sanctuary of South Sinai was originally called. In the 9th century, the shrine received a new name - the monastery of St. Catherine.
We have prepared a separate article about holidays in Egypt. This article is a complete guide to Egypt, you will learn about the weather, attractions, air tickets and much more.
A little about the Christian monastery in Egypt
Catherine's Church in Egypt is the only one in the Sinai Peninsula that has been active since its founding.
It was never closed or destroyed. Legend has it that after Maximin executed Saint Catherine, angels carried her body to the highest mountain. Monks lived here, and they found the relics of the great martyr .
But it’s not just the relics that attract tourists. The shrine of this place is also a sacred bush . A description of it can be read in the Old Testament.
Mostly the inspection begins with the well of Moses , the front part of the shrine and the Burning Bush (be sure to make a wish here, they say it will certainly come true).
Next is the monastery library and chapel building. The monks distribute rings to all those who have served, absolutely free, bringing good luck and prosperity. It is expected that you will voluntarily leave donations for the temple.
The Church of St. Catherine itself has a magnificent decoration of marble and mosaics. Seeing this magnificence, it is impossible not to be amazed. Behind the altar of the Basilica of the Transfiguration you will see the oldest monastery buildings, dating back to the history of the 4th century. You can get here only after the end of the liturgy.
On the territory of the sanctuary there is a huge library of ancient manuscripts (second in importance after the Vatican), a beautiful garden, twelve chapels, a unique collection of Christian icons, ancient bells, and church utensils. Many items have invaluable historical and artistic value. There is also a mosque built in the 10th century.
It is definitely worth preparing for the fact that you will spend the whole day visiting the temple. But I confidently say that you will not regret it. Impressions for life!
Just imagine, monastic life continues here unchanged, everything is the same as 17 centuries ago. It is not surprising that South Sinai is considered one of the world's significant religious centers.
Not far from the temple you will see a town for tourists . It was built specifically to serve pilgrims and just visitors. There are hotels of various classes, a shopping center, and cozy restaurants. You can always take a break and have a snack.
Charge: the attraction is closed on Mondays! The tour time around the monastery is from 8 to 12 am.
Under Muslim rule
In the 7th century, Sinai was captured by the Arabs, but never during the many centuries of its existence under the rule of representatives of a different faith was the monastery destroyed or plundered. In 625, the monastery received a charter, personally certified by the Prophet Muhammad, in which the monastery was guaranteed protection of Muslims and tax exemption. The mosque built within the walls of the monastery became a symbol of the prophet’s patronage, the presence of which prevented possible raids.
During the era of the Crusades, in order to protect pilgrims going to venerate the relics of the martyr, the Order of St. Catherine was established. The fame of the Sinai island of Christianity thundered throughout the Christian world. The construction of a Catholic church dates back to this period. A small town grew up around the monastery.
The monastery received considerable help from fellow believer Russia. Beginning with Dmitry Donskoy, to whom the monks turned for help in 1375, Russian rulers provided support to the monastery. In 1559, ambassadors of Ivan the Terrible visited here, and in 1687 the monastery was accepted under the official patronage of Russia.
Until the end of the Russian monarchy, the tsars supported the monastery with money, often from personal funds. But not only Russia helped the monastery. So, during his Egyptian campaign, Napoleon visited here and ordered the restoration of dilapidated buildings.
In 1517, Sinai was conquered by the Turks, but Sultan Selim I confirmed the special status of the community. The monks carried out active cultural and educational activities; schools and monastery farmsteads appeared from Russia to India.
Mountain climbing
Be sure to follow the path of Moses to Jebel Musa.
The excursion is called “Mountain of Moses”. It was here that the Holy Prophet received the tablets with commandments from the Almighty. At the foot of the mountain is the temple of St. Catherine, where inexhaustible streams of pilgrims mingle with tourists.
The height of the mountain is 2,285 meters. The Sinai Mountains will impress you with their unusual topography. Some mountain peaks have bizarre silhouettes and shapes. If you go up on foot, it takes about three hours. Can't handle it? Take advantage of the services of Bedouins who provide camel lifting.
Climbing Mount Moses is offered by excursion agencies at sunset and sunrise.
Who is Saint Catherine
The real name of this saint is Dorothea. She was born in the Egyptian city of Alexandria in 294 AD. Her family was quite rich, so the girl received an excellent education, and, in addition, she was very beautiful. One day a Syrian monk told her about Jesus. The girl was so inspired that she converted to Christianity, and then tried to convert Emperor Maximius himself to the Christian faith. This only angered the ruler - he ordered Dorothea to be exiled to Alexandria, and some time later executed. Her body was not found - it disappeared mysteriously. More than 300 years passed when the monks climbed Mount Sinai and there they found the remains of a girl, who were transferred to the Sinai temple. Since then, the highest mountain on the peninsula has been named after Catherine.
Place of power
Egyptian land is a unique place. Here you can combine acquaintance with amazing sights, ancient culture and excellent active recreation. Thus, the small resort of Dahab once “hooked” me with its energy, tranquility, and tranquility. Everyone wants to come back here! I also returned... Probably, its magic is explained by new discoveries that you can make in yourself, contemplating these mountains, sea, sky...
Having come into contact with the centuries-old history of humanity and the planet itself, an awareness of the frailty of existence comes. One has only to see thousand-year-old fossils raised from the bottom of the ocean on the slopes of the mountain, walk the path of Moses, and touch the holy relics. And acquaintance with the emerald tablets... When the Egyptian land is mentioned in the writings of the people of Atlantis.
And also, Sinai is one of the energy centers of the Earth... but this is a separate topic for discussion
