Saint Catherine's Monastery, Mount Sinai

Saint Catherine's Monastery on the Sinai Peninsula, at the mouth of an inaccessible gorge at the foot of Mount Sinai, in Egypt is probably the oldest continuously functioning Christian monastery. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

History

The monastery was built by order of the Emperor Justinian I between 527 and 565 enclosing the Chapel of the Burning Bush ordered built by Helena, the mother of Constantine I, at the site where Moses is supposed to have seen the burning bush; the living bush on the grounds is purportedly the original. The site is sacred to three major world religions - Islam , Christianity, and Judaism.

Though it is commonly known as Saint Catherine's, the actual name of the monastery is the Monastery of the Transfiguration. The site was associated with St. Catherine of Alexandria (whose relics were purported to have been miraculously transported there) and it became a favourite site for pilgrimages.

According to a document in the possession of the monastery purportedly signed by Mohammed himself, Mohammed gave his protection to the monastery after it at some point granted political asylum to Mohammed from his enemies. For this reason, and because a Fatimid mosque was built within the walls of the monastery, the monastery survived Islamic dominance of the region over many centuries. The mosque is sealed and has never been used, since it is oriented incorrectly with Mecca.

During the 7th century, the isolated anchorites of the Sinai were eliminated: only the fortified monastery remained. The monastery is still surrounded by the massive fortifications that have preserved it. Until the 20th century, access was through a door high in the outer walls. From the time of the Crusades, the presence of Crusaders in the Sinai between 1099 and 1270 spurred the interest of European Christians and increased the number of intrepid pilgrims who visited the monastery. The monastery was supported by its dependencies in Egypt, Palestine, Syria, Crete, Cyprus and Constantinople.

About the monastery

The monastery library preserves the second largest collection of early codices and manuscripts in the world, outnumbered only by the Vatican Library. Its strength lies in Greek, Coptic, Arabic, Armenian, Hebrew, and Syriac texts. The complex houses irreplaceable works of art: mosaics, Greek and Russian icons, encaustic paintings, as well as sacerdotal ornaments, chalices and reliquaries. Most importantly, it is home to some of the earliest icons in the world, dating to the 5th and 6th centuries. The oldest icon on the Old Testament theme is also preserved there. A project to catalogue the works held in the library is currently being undertaken.

The monastery also comprises the entire Orthodox Church of Mount Sinai, an autonomous (as distinct from autocephalous) Orthodox Christian church headed by an archbishop, who is also the abbot of the monastery. The archbishop is traditionally consecrated by the Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem.

The monastery is located at 28°33'20" N 33°58'34" E

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History

About the monastery

See also