The Monastery of St. Katherine lies at the foot of the Gebel Musa, or Mount Moses, in the heart of the South Sinai. In 330 AD the mother of Emperor Constantine, Empress Helena, ordered the construction of a small church by Moses' Burning Bush. It was called the Church of the Transfiguration. The fortified monastery we see today was built around this church during the reign of Emperor Justinian (527-565 AD). In the 11th century the monastery was dedicated to St. Katherine of Alexandria, who had died in 310 AD. Her remains, reportedly found by monks on a mountain peak next to Mt Sinai, are buried in the monastery's Basilica. Fronted by gardens and cypress trees, the monastery is owned and run by the Greek Orthodox Church. Its rich library houses the world's second largest collection of illuminated manuscripts after the Vatican. You can see the Burning Bush and a large number of antique works of art: invaluable icons, beautifully carved doors, exquisite wall paintings and other fine religious ornaments. The Museum at St Katherine Monastery In February 2002, within the monastery's towering walls, one of the world's finest and most unique collections of Christian artifacts has been made more accessible to the public. A small yet extraordinary nine-room museum, referred to as "The Sacred Sacristy", was opened to display masterpieces of the highest artistic value. Among the tastefully displayed exhibits are exquisite 6th century Byzantine icons, delicate 9th century manuscripts written in Syriac, rare Slavonic prayer books, including splendid objects of silver, gold, ivory and precious stones. Perhaps the most valued items on exhibit, presented in a special glass case, are pages from the Codex Sinaiticus, a 4th century version of the Bible that now rests in the British Museum. Now you can see the Monastery's coveted collection, while listening to gentle Byzantine hymns in an atmosphere of splendor and reverence. The museum is open from 9 to 12 am everyday except on Fridays, Sundays and religious holidays. |