Saturday 18th May 2024 • Promotional Content
Worldwide Travel Te Travel Guide 31 Explore the glory of Mount Sinai The magnificence of these mountains and its isolation from the outside world has inspired people of all religions
and protectorate of Saint Catherine, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Tis holy ground is sacred to Christianity, Islam and Judaism, and holds spiritual significance as the divine spot where Moses received the Ten Commandments. Today, this rustic town is home to one of the world’s oldest continuously functioning Christian orthodox monasteries built on the site of Moses’s Burning Bush at the base of Mount Sinai. Visitors from around the world come to marvel at the natural and historical signif- icance of this area, and many feel a deep spiritual affinity with the land. It’s certainly true that the sheer
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magnificence of these mountains and their isolation from everyday life has inspired people of all religions. Te traditional Mount Sinai is
actually the name of a collection of peaks, sometimes called the Holy Mountains. It’s a two-hour drive from Sharm el-Sheikh. At its southern end is Mount Mousa
(the mountain of Moses), traditionally believed to be the place where Moses communicated with God and received the Ten Commandments. Nearby is the highest peak, Mount Catherine which, at over 8,625ft high, is also the highest mountain in Egypt. Although, be sure that you are in a reasonable state of fitness if you wish to climb. Te shortest route (but the steepest),
known as Siket Syidna Mousa and the route of prophet Moses, 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 Saint Catherine’s Monastery. Try to be at the summit in time to see the glorious sunrise. Te longer route, El Bashait, takes
two and a half hours and may be climbed at night, either on foot or on the back of a camel. Tere are little stalls along the way where climbers can buy food and water.
eep in the Sinai Mountains, at an elevation of 5,250ft above sea level, lies the town
Saint Catherine is sacred to Christianity, Islam and Judaism, and holds spiritual significance as the divine spot where Moses received the Ten Commandments
After the climb and a rest to watch
that beautiful daybreak, it’s time to descend and take the chance to visit Saint Catherine’s Monastery.
SAINT CATHERINE’S MONASTERY Tis stunning holy place was constructed by order of the Roman Emperor Justinian between 527 and 565 CE. It’s built around the site believed to be the place where Moses saw the Burning Bush in the famous biblical passage. Te works of art contained within
the monastery are priceless: they include Arab mosaics, Greek and Russian icons, European oil paintings and many other religious artefacts. Its collections of illuminated manu- scripts is second only to that of the
Vatican’s library. Tere are almost 5,000 volumes in a huge range of languages from across the world. Te monastery’s spiritual heart is
the Chapel of the Burning Bush, an unassuming structure of tremen- dous religious significance. And just a few feet away from the chapel is the reputed bush itself. It’s
still a working monastery
and, of course, visitors are expected to respect this during their time there. Around the monastery, the Saint
Catherine’s National Park is a fasci- nating area that supports an amazing diversity of plant and animal life, some of which are found nowhere else in the world. Animals that you might spot include geckos, skunks, hedgehogs, hares, Sinai leopards and rock hyrax.
Visit:
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