Moses Mount & St. Catherine Monastery

Description

In the tracks of Moses and St.Catherine
Sinai is noteworthy not only for the brilliance of its beach and aquatic offerings. Just as highly recommended is a camel ride, jeep trip, or trekking tour through the grandiose mountain scenery of the hinterland Prominent sites include the White or the Colored Canyons, a trip through the Wadi Ghazala to the Blue Desert, the Ain Khudra and Feiran Oases, or the Pharaonic templeof Serbit El-Khadim. At the end of  such outings, the Bedouin guides love to serve up a delicious open-air desert dinner.
A visit to St.Catherine’s Monastery, site of the biblical burning bush, and until today an active and important religious center, leaves a lasting impression on the visitor. Also not to be missed, for those in good health, is a climb up to the summit of Mount Sinai, 2285 m above sea level, from which the landscape of the South Sinai presents itself in its  whole magnificence.

These two attractions, and their surrounding majestic mountains, sum up the magic and diversity of the Sinai region.There are few places in the world where, a short trip away from diving and glorious beaches, you can be in such a stunning and awe-inspiring area.Even before written history, oral traditions strongly favour this as the real site, and that spoken history has been handed down to us today.Their isolation from everyday life, has inspired people of all religions

The traditional Mount Sinai is actually the name of a collection of peaks, sometimes called the Holy Mountains.At its southern end is Mount Musa (the mountain of Moses), traditionally believed to be the place where Moses communicated with God and received the Ten Commandments.

If you are planning to climb these lofty positions, be sure that you are in a reasonable state of fitness – the climbs are long and tiring.The shortest route (but the steepest), known as Siket Syidna Musa, is a stairway consisting of 3,750 steps, known as the Steps of Penitence.These were cut out of the rock by the monks of St Catherine’s Monastery, located at the north-eastern foot of the mountain.It takes about two and a half hours to make the climb, and there are little stalls along the way where climbers can buy food and water.

After the climb and a rest to watch that beautiful daybreak, it’s time to descend and take the chance to visit St Catherine’s Monastery.The works of art contained within the monastery are amazing.They include Arab mosaics, Greek and Russian icons, European oil paintings and many other religious artefacts.
Famously, it also has one of the greatest collections of illuminated manuscripts in the world, second only to the Vatican.
There are almost 5,000 volumes in a huge range of the world’s languages.Always check opening times before a visit to St Catherine’s as it does have some days when it is closed.

Around the monastery, the St Catherine’s National Park is a fascinating area which supports an amazing diversity of plant and animal life, some of which are found nowhere else in the world.The mountains are home to Sinai rose finch from Asia, the ibex and wolf from Europe, and the striped hyena and Tristram’s grackle which came from Africa.

Several species are unique to the National Park including two species of snakes and about twenty plant species, such as a beautiful native primrose.Through clever management, the Park is able to keep its unique character while allowing visitors to see its wonders.