St. Catherine’s Monastery & Mount Sinai

Moses received the 10 Commandments at Mount Sinai, which is why the 2280m high mountain “Gebel Musa” is one of the most sacred places for Christians, Muslims and Jews. The monastery of St. Catherine is located at the foot of the mountain.

In the heart of Sinai it lies like a fortress, an island in the rocky sea. The Islamic prophet Mohamed, caliphs, Egyptian kings and also Napoleon put the monastery under their protection to prevent it from plundering and destruction.

In the year 324 Empress Helena had a chapel built on the place where the burning bush was presumed to be standing. 209 years later Emperor Justinian I, had the monastery built as protection for the monks, which was finished in the year 565. The entrance to the monastery that Justinian I ordered is around 1,450 years old and still used today. The basilica itself is decorated with priceless icons.

Another treasure of the monastery is a collection of unique scripts from the early ages of Christianity. The library contains, besides the Vatican, the most precious script collection in the world. The most valuable is the Codex Siniaticus, a handwritten bible from the 4th century, nowadays exhibited in the British Museum in London.

The monastery is annually visited by approximately 55,000 people, and in respect for the monks work operation opening hours have been established. Monastery, basilica and the bones house can be visited daily from 9:00 – 12:00, except Friday, Sunday and orthodox holidays. The library is not accessible for tourists, but for a fee of 10 € a small but beautiful exhibition (Museum of the Holy Icon) with valuable scripts and icons can be visited.

St. Catherine’s Monastery & Mount Sinai – day trip:

This day trip was especially designed for visitors who would like to explore the village of St. Catherine a little longer, and enjoy a more private experience at Mount Sinai.

Programm:

• 7:00 am departure with a private minibus from your hotel in Dahab
• Meeting with the Bedouin guide
• Possibility to visit St. Catherine’s monastery
• Buffet in Catherine Plaza Hotel or in a local Bedouin restaurant
• 3 hours ascent to the top of Mount Sinai (2,280 m)
• Sunset on Mount Sinai
• Return to Dahab – arrival at about 10 pm
  

Level of difficulty: medium

Tips:

• On the top of Mount Sinai it can be cold, that is why we recommend bringing warm clothes.
• The ascent demands proper footwear.
• There are blankets for rent available on the top.