The St. Catherine Monastery (named after St Catherine, the martyr of Alexandria) is an ancient
monastery founded about AD 330 by the Byzantine empress Helena. She built a small chapel and a fortified refuge for local hermits built beside what was believed to be the burning bush from which God spoke to Moses.
This monastery and its surrounding area is a Unesco World Heritage site.
The monastery was later on fortified. A fortress was constructed around the original chapel, to provide a secure home for the monastic community that had grown there, and as a refuge for the Christians of southern Sinai.
Within the monastery compound, you'll find the original Burning Bush, the Well of Moses and the Transfiguration Chapel.
Burning Bush (now surrounded by a fence to keep tourists from nipping and cutting off the bush for souvenir).
The Well of Moses (where Moses met his wife Zipporah. It is said whoever drinks from the well, shall have marital happiness).
The Church of the Transfiguration ~ an ornately decorated 6th-century church and is a sight to behold (Unfortunately picture taking inside the church is not allowed).
A picture with one of the locals...
Check out the picture of the Sinai Rock
A granite stone from the top area of Mount Sinai showing what seems to be a depiction of a bush.
St Catherine is our last stop in Egypt. Alas, we had to leave early as travel from St Catherine to Israel will take about five (5) hours.
Pharaoh's Island (also known as the Coral Island) a small granite atoll surrounded by coral reefs and amazing dive sites. The island is also known for its citadel, originally built by crusaders and later conquered and reconstructed by Saladin. The citadel is listed today as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
We are sad to leave Egypt, but equally eager to see Israel.
Waiting after immigrations is Alex.
He will be our guide as we continue our Holy Land adventure in Israel.
Follow our Holy Land Adventure:
- For Holy Land helpful Tips >>> Holy Land Tips
- DAY 1 - welcome to Cairo Egypt >>>> Day 1
- DAY 2 - touring the land of ancient monuments, pharaohs and great pyramids >>>> Day 2
- DAY 3 - road to Mt Sinai >>>> Day 3
Please check also my separate post on all the hotels we've stayed at during our tour of the Holy Land.
For questions and inquiries on our Tour Package with CITTI please visit their facebook page at CORPORATE INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL AND TOURS INC
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