Saint Catherine.
Her Day of Martyrdom
The Orthodox Church celebrates on December 7, and the Catholic Church on November 25.

She was born in Alexandria in 287. According to life, she studied the works of all pagan writers and all ancient poets and philosophers ... Catherine knew well the writings of the sages of antiquity, but she also studied the writings of the most famous doctors, such as: Asclepius, Hippocrates and Galina; in addition, she learned all the art of oratory and dialectics and also knew many languages ​​​​and dialects". She was converted to Christianity by a Syrian monk who baptized her under the name Catherine. According to legend, after baptism, Jesus Christ appeared to her in a dream and handed her a ring, calling her his bride (see The Mystical Betrothal of St. Catherine).

Catherine was martyred during the reign of Emperor Maximin at the beginning of the 4th century. She came to the temple during the festive sacrifice performed by Maximinus and urged him to leave the pagan gods and convert to Christianity. The king, struck by her beauty, invited her to his place after the holiday and tried to convince her to leave the Christian faith. For a dispute with an educated girl, numerous philosophers were invited, who were defeated by her in a dispute, for which the emperor put them on fire.

Maximin himself again tried to convince Catherine to bow to the pagan gods, but could not achieve this. On his orders, the girl was beaten with ox sinews, and then imprisoned. There she was visited by the wife of the emperor, called in her life Augusta or Vasilisa (she was brought by a friend of the emperor, commander Porfiry). Catherine convinced her, Porfiry and the servants who came with them of the truth of the Christian faith.

Then they came up with the following weapon of torture. There are four wooden wheels on one axle, and around them there are different iron points: two wheels turn to the right, and two to the left; in the middle of them, a maiden must be tied, and the rotating wheels will crush her body.

These wheels, according to life, were destroyed by an angel descended from heaven, who saved Catherine from torment. Having learned about this, the wife of Maximin came and began to denounce her husband, confessed herself a Christian and was executed. Following her, the commander Porfiry and 200 soldiers converted by Catherine to Christianity were executed.

After these events, Maximin again called Catherine to him and offered to make her his wife if she sacrificed to the pagan gods. The saint refused and Maximin ordered her to be executed by cutting off her head. According to legend, milk flowed out of the wound instead of blood.

After the execution of Saint Catherine, her body disappeared. According to legend, it was carried by angels to the top of the highest mountain of Sinai, now bearing her name. Three centuries later, in the middle of the 6th century, the monks of the Monastery of the Transfiguration, built by Emperor Justinian, obeying a vision, climbed the mountain, found the remains of St. Catherine there, identified them by the ring that was given to her by Jesus Christ, and transferred the relics to the church. After the monks of the monastery of the Transfiguration acquired the relics of St. Catherine and the spread of her cult, the monastery acquired its real name by the 11th century - the monastery of St. Catherine.

Moreover, there are two monasteries in Sinai in honor of St. Catherine. On the mountain of St. Catherine, at the site of her beheading with a sword, there is a chapel. This is a Russian chapel, and Tsar Ivan the Terrible himself allocated funds for its construction.

However, pilgrims are interested in another monastery, Greek. In which are the relics of St. Catherine and it is located at the foot of Mount Sinai.

To venerate the relics of St. Catherine, pilgrims go to the Sinai Peninsula, which is located territorially in Egypt, washed by the Red Sea and shares Asia with Africa. Although the Sinai Peninsula itself is geographically part of Asia. There are mountains on the peninsula, the highest of them is Mount St. Catherine ( Jebel Catherine).
The mountain has a height of 2629 m. It is located in the southern part of the Sinai Peninsula, about 4 km southwest of Mount Sinai.
As with other high peaks of the Sinai Peninsula, snow lies on the mountain in winter. From the top of the mountain, you can see the Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba at the same time.

In Sinai itself, there are a lot of biblical shrines.

At the top of Mount Moses are the Orthodox Church of the Holy Trinity (pictured) and a small mosque. To the north of the church, under a rock, there is a small cave where, according to the Bible, Moses hid for forty days and nights. On the northern slope of the mountain are the Orthodox cave church of the prophet Elijah and its well, as well as the Orthodox chapel of the Virgin From the north, at the foot of the mountain, stands the monastery of St. Catherine (pictured below).

The outstanding Christian saint John of the Ladder labored in Sinai, hegumen of Mount Sinai, whose main work is The Ladder.

The very first Christians went to Mount Sinai and fled there from pagan persecution. Hermit monks have always lived in solitude and sketes in Sinai, it is believed that at one time the Islamic prophet Muhammad lived in Sinai and he commanded his generals not to disturb the quiet life of Christian hermits. And indeed, the Islamic population always lived in Sinai, but the same saint Catherine's Monastery, which is practically open and not protected by anything, has never been subjected to any outrage or violence in history. The Islamic population of Egypt respects this world Christian shrine. Muslims have their own mosque on Mount Sinai. A 3,100 steps lead to the top of the mountain.

The exact location of the biblical Sinai is unknown, but this mountain in the Sinai Peninsula has been a traditional place of mass pilgrimage since ancient times. On the top of Mount Moses there is a small Orthodox church of the Transfiguration and a mosque. At the foot of the bottom is the famous monastery of St. Catherine. Two paths lead to the mountain: a long one (easier and touristic) and a short one (difficult and pilgrimage). Modern tourist tradition involves meeting the dawn on Mount Moses, so the local Bedouins organized camel transport, warm blankets for rent and the sale of drinks and snacks on the way to the top .

A breathtaking sight. At the moment of sunrise, you can watch how the clouds shimmer like a diamond placer.

From the religious side, this is a pilgrimage that is unique in its sensations. Most people climb to the top for the purpose of remission of sins, because they know that those who go all the way without getting angry, praying and repenting of their sins, the first rays of the sun at the top will give not only warmth, but also forgiveness.
Huge hordes of tourists - this is the only negative. When descending the Moses trail, the view is amazing!

However, we are more interested in the Monastery of St. Catherine at the foot of Mount Sinai, one of the oldest continuously operating Christian monasteries in the world. It was founded in the 4th century in the center of the Sinai Peninsula at the foot of Mount Sinai (biblical Horeb) at an altitude of 1570 m. The fortified building of the monastery was built by order of Emperor Justinian in the 6th century. The inhabitants of the monastery are mainly Greeks of the Orthodox faith.

It was originally called the Monastery of the Transfiguration or the Monastery of the Burning Bush. Since the 11th century, in connection with the spread of the veneration of St. Catherine, whose relics were found by the Sinai monks in the middle of the 6th century, the monastery received a new name - Monastery of Saint Catherine.

In 2002, the monastery complex was included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

The first monks in that area were mostly hermits living alone in caves. Only on holidays did hermits gather near the Burning Bush to perform a joint Divine service.

Agree that being in Sinai and not visiting such a famous monastery is unacceptable.

Certainly the monastery makes an impression. Just imagine, religions, political regimes and peoples are changing around. And the monastery with just a dozen monks continues to exist through the ages. Truly a holy place. For 700 years in the midst of the Muslim world, the monastery is not destroyed, but gets - a minaret. Although in fact, even during the first Muslim conquest. Representatives of the monastery go to the prophet Muhammad himself, and receive from him a letter of protection - the Firman of Muhammad (the original has been kept in Istanbul since 1517, where he was claimed from the monastery by Sultan Selim I), and the copy exhibited in the monastery, proclaims that Muslims will protect the monastery and also exempt it from paying taxes. The real Firman was written on the skin of a gazelle in Kufic script and sealed with the handprint of Muhammad..

The monastery garden is one of the best in Egypt.

The first thing you want to see, of course, is the "Burning Bush" bush from the Bible, in which the Blog appeared to the prophet Moses. Before that, it was kind of forgotten. Although the monastery originated in the 4th century, it is around it. They are not allowed to go to the bush, you can only see it from behind the fence. Since otherwise the pilgrimage tourists would have stripped him like sticky long ago. This is understandable.

Relics: the hand of St. Catherine

By the way, the main temple. Gives the impression of humility. What is surprising, looking at the flow of tourists, and the absence of pilgrims. Everyone puts on candles. Candles are free. You yourself determine how much you are willing to pay for them and lower them into donations.

One of the main shrines is the relics of St. Catherine. To the left of the entrance is her finger. The Relics themselves are hidden in a marble brandy to the left of the altar. The finger is more like a baby's hand or a wooden handle from a child's doll than a finger. It needs to be touched. In general, according to legend, the relics of the saint were transferred by an angel to the top of the mountain (now Mount St. Catherine) immediately after her death. But for 200 years they could not be found. Until finally one of the abbots had a dream. After which, on the top of the mountain, they were found.

Unfortunately, it also happens that the monastery itself is closed if the monks leave somewhere or 1-2 monks remain who do not let anyone in. Many places in the monastery are blocked. And it's impossible to see everything. Then there is nothing left to do but visit the cemetery The cemetery has a chapel of St. Tryphon and seven graves, which are used repeatedly. After a certain time, the bones are removed from the grave and placed in the ossuary, located on the lower tier of the church. Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The only complete skeleton in the ossuary is the relics of the hermit Stephen, who lived in the 6th century and is mentioned in the "Ladder" of St. John of the Ladder. Stephen's relics, dressed in monastic robes, rest in a glass icon case. The remains of other monks are divided into two parts: their skulls are stacked near the northern wall, and their bones are collected in the central part of the ossuary. The bones of Sinai archbishops are kept in separate niches.

There is a museum in the monastery, you should try to visit it - there are no such icons as in Sinai anywhere - this is a special icon-painting school. There are also manuscripts, some more than a millennium and a half old! One of these manuscripts from the monastery was donated to Tsarist Russia, but already under the USSR, the government of that time sold it to the USA.

Outside the walls of the monastery there is a hotel and a cafe.With vile coffee for $10 ov, and Lipton tea in a bag - for $ 4.

It should be noted that the monastery has existed in Sinai since the 4th century, and in 1691 the Sinai monks were taken under the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church and the monastery was considered Russian until 1917. The sister of Peter the Great, Sophia, presented the monastery with a silver tomb (cancer) for the relics of Catherine.
In Kiev, in the middle of the 18th century, the courtyard of the monastery of St. Catherine was opened, now it houses the National Bank of Ukraine. In 1860, the monastery received from Emperor Alexander II as a gift a new shrine for the relics of St. Catherine, and for the monastery bell tower built in 1871, the emperor sent 9 bells, which are still used on holidays and before the liturgy.

The monastery of St. Catherine is the center of the autonomous Sinai Orthodox Church, which, in addition to this monastery, owns only a number of monastic farmsteads: 3 in Egypt and 14 outside of Egypt - 9 in Greece, 3 in Cyprus, 1 in Lebanon and 1 in Turkey (Istanbul)

The abbot of the monastery is the Archbishop of Sinai. His ordination since the 7th century Jerusalem Patriarch, under whose jurisdiction the monastery passed in 640 due to the difficulties that arose after the conquest of Egypt by Muslims in communicating with Patriarchate of Constantinople(officially, autonomy from the Patriarchate of Constantinople was received only in 1575 and confirmed in 1782 [
The affairs of the monastery are currently managed by a general assembly of monks, which decides economic, political and other issues. The decisions of the Assembly are implemented fathers council, which includes four people: the deputy and assistant of the archbishop, the monastery sacristan, housekeeper and librarian.

In Russia, in 1713, the Order of St. Catherine was approved by Peter the Great. Women's order, second in seniority in the hierarchy.

Order of the Holy Great Martyr Catherine(or Order of Liberation) is an order of the Russian Empire for awarding grand duchesses and ladies of high society, formally the second in seniority in the hierarchy of awards from 1714 to 1917.

There is also a single case of awarding this female order to a man with the Order of St. Catherine. On February 5, 1727, the son of A. D. Menshikov, Alexander, was awarded. He became the only man in the history of the order to become its cavalier. After the fall of his father, the all-powerful Prince Menshikov, Menshikov Jr., at the direction of Peter II, was deprived of all his awards.

Yesterday there was a lengthy entry about our journey to Mount Sinai. Well, here we are. We arrived at the monastery of St. Catherine around the beginning of the evening service. We checked into a hotel and went to vespers. The service is not very long, the hieromonk performs it, he does not enter the altar, he pronounces everything that is necessary either in front of the royal doors in the middle of the temple, or from his place, as it were, on the left kliros. They read and sing antiphonally - one hieromonk and one layman, standing in stasidia opposite each other. Another hieromonk performed censing during the service. After Vespers, the pilgrims are brought to venerate the relics of St. Catherine and give out rings with her inscription for blessing. Who has one, who has two, I got 3, different sizes, we will give them to ours. After the relics, everyone goes to the Burning Bush. They are applied to the place under the throne of another chapel, where the prophet Moses stood. At the entrance, everyone will certainly take off their shoes, as a reminder of the biblical words. Kupina itself is located behind the altar of the main basilica of the monastery - the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord. There is no passage to it now, since the pilgrims strove to break off everything along a branch. It is not allowed to take pictures in the temple, so there will be no photo from the main monastery church. By the way, since its founding in the 4th century and the arrangement of the imp. Justinian in the 6th century the monastery was named in honor of the Transfiguration of the Lord, but by the 11th century the name in honor of St. vmch. Catherine.

Here is what Wikipedia says: The Monastery of St. Catherine (Sinai Monastery, Greek Μονὴ τῆς Ἁγίας Αἰκατερίνης, Arabic دير سانت كاترين‎‎) is one of the oldest continuously operating Christian monasteries in the world. It was founded in the 4th century in the center of the Sinai Peninsula at the foot of Mount Sinai (biblical Horeb) at an altitude of 1570 m. The fortified building of the monastery was built by order of Emperor Justinian in the 6th century. The inhabitants of the monastery are mainly Greeks of the Orthodox faith. It was originally called the Monastery of the Transfiguration or the Monastery of the Burning Bush. Since the 11th century, in connection with the spread of the veneration of St. Catherine, whose relics were found by the Sinai monks in the middle of the 6th century, the monastery received a new name - the monastery of St. Catherine.

Details about the monastery are well stated on Wikipedia https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9C%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%81%D1%82%D1%8B%D1% 80%D1%8C_%D0%A1%D0%B2%D1%8F%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%B9_%D0%95%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B5% D1%80%D0%B8%D0%BD%D1%8B

our room is 209, all amenities and everything is quite modest.

the main inhabitants of the monastery are cats, they are bigger beggars even than the Bedouins

guest cells

before the service - some have already soared (such an impression)

on the way to the monastery

the strongest walls of the monastery - probably preserved from the 6th century

entrance to the monastery

The Burning Bush - as an image of the Virgin and Sts. Moses and Catherine. Very interesting icon.

we go inside the monastery

around and everywhere here are the owners of the Bedouins. Sinai is inhabited by about 16 Bedouin tribes, but since the time of Justinian, only the Jabalia tribe has been constantly around the monastery - the descendants of local Bedouins and Anatolians and Greeks resettled from Byzantium. Before the Muslim invasion, they were all Orthodox Christians, however, like almost the majority of the Bedouins of Egypt, Palestine, Transjordan and the Arabian Peninsula

Basilica of the Transfiguration and the bell tower, in the temple, in addition to the main one, up to 12 aisles and chapels

entrance to the Church of the Transfiguration

fraternal corps

These are our accompanying Bedouins - they do not leave the group for a single step, very good guys by the way. Some speak Russian very well, some know the "tourist set" of words - "How are you?" "Good" etc.

fresco of the Transfiguration of the Lord at the entrance to the church

in the altar of the main temple there is a canopy above the throne, everything is illuminated by the only electric light in the church, in the temple itself there are only candles and lamps

Orthodox people leave notes in the cracks

Burning bush. Bible story to remind

EXODUS

CHAPTER 2

15... And Pharaoh heard about this matter and wanted to kill Moses; but Moses fled from Pharaoh and stopped in the land of Midian, and [coming into the land of Midian] sat down by the well.

16 The priest of Midian [had] seven daughters [who looked after the sheep of their father Jethro]. They came, drew water and filled the troughs to water the sheep of their father [Jethro].

17 And the shepherds came and drove them away. Then Moses arose and protected them, [and drew water for them] and watered their sheep.

18 And they came to Reuel their father, and he said [to them], Why have you come so soon today?

19 They said: Some Egyptian protected us from the shepherds, and even drew water for us and watered [our] sheep.

20 He said to his daughters: Where is he? why did you leave him? call him and let him eat bread.

21 Moses liked to live with this man; and he gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses.

22 She [conceived and] gave birth to a son, and [Moses] called his name: Gersam, because, he said, I became a stranger in a strange land. [And when she conceived again, she gave birth to another son, and he called his name: Eliezer, saying: The God of my father was my helper and delivered me from the hand of Pharaoh.]

23 After a long time, the king of Egypt died. And the children of Israel groaned from their work and cried out, and their cry went up to God from their work.

24 And God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

25 And God saw the sons of Israel, and God regarded them.

CHAPTER 3

1 Moses was tending sheep to Jethro, his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. One day he led the flock far into the wilderness and came to the mountain of God, Horeb.

2 And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a thorn bush. And he saw that the bush of thorns was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed.

3 Moses said: I will go and look at this great phenomenon, which is why the bush does not burn.

4 The Lord saw that he was going to look, and God called to him from among the bush, and said: Moses! Moses! He said: Here I am, [Lord]!

5 And God said: do not come near here; put off thy sandals from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.

6 And he said to [him], I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Moses covered his face because he was afraid to look at God.

7 And the Lord said [to Moses]: I saw the suffering of my people in Egypt, and heard their cry from their ministers; I know his grief 8 and I go to deliver him from the hand of the Egyptians and bring him out of this land [and bring him] into a good and spacious land, where milk and honey flow, into the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, [the Gergesites,] the Hebeites and the Jebusites.

9 And behold, the cry of the children of Israel has already come to Me, and I see the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them.

10 So go: I will send you to Pharaoh [the king of Egypt]; and bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.

11 Moses said to God: Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh [the king of Egypt] and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?

12 And [God] said: I will be with you, and here is a sign for you that I have sent you: when you bring [My] people out of Egypt, you will serve God on this mountain.

13 And Moses said to God, Behold, I will come to the children of Israel and say to them, The God of your fathers has sent me to you. And they will say to me: What is His name? What should I tell them?

14 God said to Moses: I am who I am. And he said, So say to the children of Israel: Jehovah has sent me to you...

the well of Jethro (Itro), Moses' father-in-law - at this well, which is now on the territory of the monastery, Moses protected 7 girls of Midian and met his future wife Sepphora.

hand pump for water at the ancient well

and light shines in the darkness...

After the service and worship of shrines, everyone moved to a small monastery museum - there are icons, ancient manuscripts, church utensils - a historical heritage. Most of all I wanted to look "live" at the icon of the Sinai Savior, this is my favorite icon of the Lord. And we saw her! The only pity is that the shop did not find a quality reproduction of it, distorted colors everywhere and / or poor print quality. I wish I had her at home...

Photos from the museum were taken on the phone.

hall of encaustic icons. The iconoclasts did not reach Sinai, which is why such wonderful images have been preserved here. Theotokos with the upcoming ones, the apostle Peter is also a brilliant icon

Moses and Aaron, below it seems to be Jethro, but I could be wrong

ancient crosses and scripture lists

page of the famous Codex Sinaiticus, one of the oldest copies of the New Testament

door - 16th century, also nothing

sakkos of the Archbishop of Sinai, next to it in the window is the rest of the butt, absolutely wonderful embroidery

sic! "Ladder of Paradise" in Arabic, seems to be 10th century.

in the ossuary (crypt) of the monastery are the relics of many hundreds of monks and martyrs, among others the incorruptible relics of St. Stephen, who received confessions from pilgrims halfway to the top of Mount Sinai. He is mentioned in the "Ladder" of St. John of the Ladder

this is the crypt / ossuary of the monastery

we constantly walked past him from the hotel to the monastery, so he got into the frame several times.

rush to the service

I really like the coloring - ocher is beautiful in its natural form

monastery gardens

I didn’t go inside, so I don’t know what is inside, a temple, a chapel or something else

Olives and cats are the main wealth :)

"I'm in the house" :)

hotel courtyard - cells on the left, a coffee shop on the right, straight ahead - a refectory and a monastery shop

Updated. Recording completed. Good health to all and God's help for the prayers of St. prophets Moses and Elijah, vmch. Catherine and Rev. John of the Ladder and all the Sinai Desert Fathers

One of the oldest continuously operating Christian monasteries in the world. Founded in the 4th century. in the center of the Sinai Peninsula, at the foot of Mount Sinai (biblical Horeb).
The fortified building of the monastery was built by order of Emperor Justinian in the 6th century.
The inhabitants of the monastery are mainly Greeks of the Orthodox faith.

It was originally called the Monastery of the Transfiguration (or the Monastery of the Burning Bush).
Since the 11th century, in connection with the spread of veneration of St. Catherine, whose relics were found by the Sinai monks in the middle of the 6th century, the monastery received a new name - the monastery of St. Catherine.

In 2002, the monastery complex was included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

The Sinai Peninsula is a peninsula in the Red Sea, on the border between Asia and Africa, part of the territory of Egypt.

The land of the peninsula was mastered by the ancient Egyptians in the era of the First Dynasty.
In the 2nd millennium BC. e. Sinai became the place where many of the events described in the Bible unfolded.
From 1260 to 1518, the territory was controlled by the Egyptian Mamluks, then it became part of the Turkish Ottoman Empire for several centuries.
In 1906, the peninsula became part of British-controlled Egypt. At the same time, the eastern border of the territory was drawn, which still remains the border between Egypt and Israel.

Basically, the territory of the Sinai Peninsula is occupied by a desert, closer to the south there are mountains (height up to 2637 m) and plateaus.

The valley where the Monastery of St. Catherine is located.

Starting from the III century. monks began to settle in small groups around Mount Horeb - near the Burning Bush, in the Faran oasis (Wadi Firan) and other places in southern Sinai. The first monks in that area were mostly hermits living alone in caves. Only on holidays did the hermits gather near the Burning Bush to perform a joint Divine service.

The monastic life of this period was described in the 5th century. disciple of John Chrysostom, former prefect of Constantinople, Saint Nile, whose works are still studied by priests, monks and believers: “Some ate food only on Sundays, others twice a week, others two days later ... Every Sunday they all from from different places they gathered in one church, kissed each other, communed the Holy Mysteries, and with conversations about the salvation of the soul they edified, consoled and encouraged each other to high deeds.

During the reign of Emperor Constantine, in 330, the monks of Sinai turned to his mother, Saint Helen, with a request to build a small church dedicated to the Mother of God near the Burning Bush, as well as a tower for the monks to shelter in case of nomad raids.

The monks' petition was granted, and the pilgrims of the end of the 4th century. it was reported that Sinai already had a thriving community of monks, which attracted believers from various parts of the Byzantine Empire.

The monastery received a further impetus for development in the 6th century, when Emperor Justinian I ordered the construction of powerful fortress walls that surrounded the previous buildings of St. Helena, and a church that has survived to this day, and also sent soldiers to Sinai to protect the monks. (The construction of Justinian was reported by his contemporary Procopius of Caesarea.)

The powerful monastery fortifications built by Justinian were maintained by the monks in good condition and delighted the pilgrims.

According to the "Chronicle" of Eutyches of Alexandria, in order to protect and maintain the monastery, the emperor moved to Sinai two hundred families from Pontus of Anatolia and Alexandria. The descendants of these settlers formed the Sinai Bedouin Jabaliya tribe. Despite the conversion to Islam that occurred in the 7th century, they continue to live in the vicinity of the monastery and engage in its maintenance.

During the period of the Arab conquest of Sinai in 625, the monastery sent a delegation to Medina to enlist the patronage of the Prophet Muhammad. A copy of the safe-conduct received by the monks - the Firman of Muhammad (the original has been kept in Istanbul since 1517, where it was claimed from the monastery by Sultan Selim I), exhibited in the monastery, proclaims that Muslims will protect the monastery, and also exempt it from paying taxes.

The firman was written on the skin of a gazelle in Kufic script and sealed with the imprint of Muhammad's hand. However, despite the privileges received, the number of monks began to decline, and by the beginning of the 9th century. there were only 30 of them left.
With the spread of Islam in Egypt, a mosque appears in the monastery, which has survived to this day.

During the period of the Crusades from 1099 to 1270, there was a period of revival in the monastic life of the monastery. The Sinai order of the crusaders took on the task of guarding the pilgrims from Europe heading to the monastery, whose number increased. During this period, a Catholic chapel appears in the monastery.

After the conquest of Egypt by the Ottoman Empire in 1517, the Turkish authorities did not reduce the rights of the monks, retained the special status of the archbishop and did not interfere in the internal affairs of the monastery. The monastery conducted extensive cultural and educational activities, in the XVIII century. he opened a theological school on the island of Crete, where the Greek theologians of that time were educated.
Monastery courtyards were opened in Egypt, Palestine, Turkey, Romania, Russia and even India.

The monastery maintained long-standing ties with Russia. In 1375, Metropolitan Macarius came to Moscow for alms for the monastery, and in 1390, an icon depicting the Burning Bush was brought from the monastery of St. Catherine as a gift to the Grand Dukes, which was placed in the Kremlin's Annunciation Cathedral (first in the iconostasis, and then in the altar to other valuable icons received from the Eastern clergy).
In 1558, Tsar Ivan the Terrible sent an embassy to the Eastern Patriarchs with a golden veil on the relics of St. Catherine as a gift for the Sinai Monastery.

In 1619, the Sinai archimandrite visited Russia and participated, together with the Jerusalem Patriarch Feofan, in a prayer service before the shrine of Sergius of Radonezh in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra.
After that, numerous donations from the Russian tsars go to Sinai.

In 1860, the monastery received from Emperor Alexander II a new shrine for the relics of St. Catherine, and for the monastery bell tower built in 1871, the emperor sent 9 bells, which are still used on holidays and before the liturgy.

The main temple of the monastery (katholikon), a three-aisled basilica, is dedicated to the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ. Its construction dates back to the reign of Emperor Justinian.

The entrance to the narthex is decorated with carved doors made of Lebanese cedar, made during the Crusades, and the doors to the main nave of the basilica date back to the 6th century and are the same age as it.

In each of the twelve columns crowned with Corinthian capitals and separating the naves of the basilica, the relics of saints are kept in special recesses, covered with bronze plates, and on the columns themselves are placed 12th-century menaean icons according to the number of months of the year.

Two rows of carved wooden stasidia are installed along the columns. The columns are connected by arches, above which there are windows.

In 1714 a new marble floor was laid in the basilica.

The ceiling of the basilica is made of Lebanese cedar and painted in the 18th century with stars on a blue background.

The main decoration of the basilica is the mosaic of the Transfiguration of the Lord located in the conch of the apse, which is in very good condition.
The mosaic was made in the first half of the 6th century. court craftsmen sent by Justinian to decorate the monastery.

The mosaic of the Transfiguration of the Lord is framed by medallions with sixteen half-figures of apostles and prophets. In the center of the composition is the monumental figure of Jesus Christ, enclosed in an azure mandorla, which is connected by rays of divine light with the figures of the prophets and three disciples, made on a golden shimmering background.

For viewing from the central nave, the mosaic is covered by a wooden carved iconostasis of the 17th century, but from the side naves at the level of the altar, the mosaic is available for viewing.

In the altar of the basilica, two silver shrines with the relics of St. Catherine (head and right hand) are kept in a marble reliquary. Another part of the relics (finger) is in the reliquary of the icon of the Great Martyr Catherine in the left nave of the basilica and is always open to believers for worship.

Behind the altar part of the Basilica of the Transfiguration is the Chapel of the Burning Bush, built on the spot where, according to the biblical story, God spoke to Moses (Ex. 2:2-5).
The chapel has an altar, located not as usual over the relics of the saints, but over the roots of Kupina. (For this purpose, the bush was transplanted a few meters from the chapel, where it continues to grow further.)

There is no iconostasis in the chapel that hides the altar from the faithful, and pilgrims can see under the throne the place where Kupina grew: it is indicated by a hole in the marble slab, covered with a silver shield.

Fulfilling the biblical directive, all entering here should take off their shoes. The chapel is one of the oldest monastic buildings.

Since the monastery has never been conquered and devastated since its foundation, at present it has a huge collection of icons and a library of manuscripts, second in historical importance only to the Apostolic Library of the Vatican.
The monastery has 3304 manuscripts and about 1700 scrolls. Two-thirds are written in Greek, the rest in Arabic, Syriac, Georgian, Armenian, Coptic, Ethiopian and Slavic.

In addition to valuable manuscripts, the library also contains 5,000 books, some of which date back to the first decades of printing.
In addition to books of religious content, the library of the monastery contains historical documents, letters with gold and lead seals of Byzantine emperors, patriarchs and Turkish sultans.

The monastery has a unique collection of icons of exceptional spiritual, artistic and historical value. Twelve of the rarest and oldest icons were painted in the 6th century with wax paints - these are the oldest icons in the world.

Part of the monastery collection belongs to the early Byzantine period up to the 10th century (including Syro-Palestinian icons of the 8th-9th centuries). These icons are made by Greek, Georgian, Syrian and Coptic masters. The icons have been preserved because the monastery, being outside the Byzantine Empire since the 7th century, did not suffer from iconoclasm.

Numerous Russian scientists have contributed to the study of the Sinai Monastery. The Russian hieromonk Samuil in 1837 for the first time cleared and strengthened the 6th-century mosaic "The Transfiguration of the Lord", which adorns the katholikon of the monastery.
In 1887, the researcher Aleksey Dmitrievsky compiled a catalog of icons from the monastery collection and considered questions about the Cretan school of icon painting and the role of Sinai in the preservation of cultural traditions in the 16th-18th centuries.
The Orthodox Palestine Society played an important role in the study of the monastery of St. Catherine, publishing Russian and Greek materials about these places.

The monastery, as before, is a traditional place of Christian pilgrimage. Every day after hours, believers are given access to the relics of St. Catherine.

The monastery of St. Catherine is the center of the autonomous Sinai Orthodox Church, which, in addition to this monastery, owns only a number of monastic farmsteads: 3 in Egypt and 14 outside Egypt - 9 in Greece, 3 in Cyprus, 1 in Lebanon and 1 in Turkey (Istanbul).

The abbot of the monastery is the Archbishop of Sinai. His ordination from the 7th century. is performed by the Patriarch of Jerusalem, under whose jurisdiction the monastery passed in 640 due to difficulties that arose after the conquest of Egypt by Muslims in communication with the Patriarchate of Constantinople.

The affairs of the monastery are currently managed by a general assembly of monks, which decides economic, political and other issues. The decisions of the Assembly are executed by the Council of the Fathers, which includes four people: the deputy and assistant of the archbishop, the monastery sacristan, the housekeeper and the librarian.

Going on a tour of ancient Egypt, many tourists do not miss the opportunity to go to Mount Sinai. There are religious and cultural monuments that tourists have heard about or seen in the photo, but have not seen with their own eyes. The mountain has become the cradle of mythical and legendary sights. One of which was the monastery of St. Catherine in Sinai (Eng. Saint Catherine’s Monastery). Founded, according to Wikipedia, in the 6th century by the decree of Emperor Justinian, the temple is the only one still in operation, which attracts thousands of pilgrims every year.

Where is the monastery of St. Catherine

The monastery of St. Catherine is located on Mount Sinai. The mountain has several other names, one of which is “Moses”. According to one of the Biblical stories, it was here that the prophet Moses wandered for 40 days and nights on God's mountain, after which God appeared to him and gave the Ten Holy Commandments.

The mountain is located in the southern region of the Sinai Peninsula, on the map is located near the world-famous resort on the Red Sea, Sharm el-Sheikh.

How to get there

The Monastery of St. Catherine in Egypt is popular not only with pilgrims of Christianity, Buddhism and Judaism, but also with ordinary tourists who want to get to know and touch the centuries-old religious relics. A trip to the Mount of Moses and the monastery is usually included in a standard sightseeing tour of the sights of Ancient Egypt.

The monastery can be reached from several resort areas. One of the fastest ways is from nearby Sharm El Sheikh. The transport company BedouinBus provides daily transportation by two buses from different parts of Sharm: the first follows from Dahaba, the second from Nuweiba. Travel time will be about 2-2.5 hours.

From Cairo daily there is a bus at 10.30 o'clock, departs from the Turgman Garage bus station, making a stop in Suez at 14.00. The bus will take tourists to the very center of St. Catherine at 18.00.

From Hurghada you can also visit the monastery. From here, a ferry leaves for Sharm el-Sheikh across the Red Sea, then the bus will take you directly to the mountain.

Construction history

The first monastic settlements in Sinai were recorded in the 2nd century, here they began to settle in small settlements near the mountain and near the Bush of the Burning Bush, where the Lord appeared to the prophet Moses in fire. At first, mainly hermits lived here, who spent the night in small caves one by one, gathering together only on Christian holidays for joint worship. These historical facts were the first to be revealed by a disciple of John Chrysostom in his writings, the deciphering of which is still ongoing.

A decade later, during the reign of Constantine, the monks petitioned Saint Helena with a request to build a small church for services. Their petition was approved, and already at the end of the 6th century, mass monastic services were held in the newly-made church. The Burning Bush and the House of Prayer itself attracted the attention of not only the inhabitants of modern Egypt, but also pilgrims from Byzantium.
Two centuries later, in the VI century, the ruler of that time, Justinian, ordered the strengthening and construction of fortress walls. After that, a regiment of soldiers was sent here to protect the monks from the conquerors. The monastery was named Preobrazhensky. The renaming to St. Catherine's Monastery dates back to the 11th century. Saint Catherine, who devoted her short life to converting ordinary people to Christianity, was executed in 305. According to legend, the angels carried the body of Catherine to the top of the mountain of Moses. The monks of the Transfiguration Church made a long journey up the mountain to find the remains of the body. They identified Catherine by the ring that was given to her by Christ. Having returned the relics to the temple, it was renamed and retained its name to this day. The territory belonging to the monastery includes several additional buildings.

monastery buildings

Basilica of the Transfiguration

The basilica is the main temple on the territory of the monastery. The building has the form of three naves, columns surrounding the main entrance. The basilica was built in honor of the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ by Emperor Justinian. At the entrance, pilgrims will see a cedar door from the time of the Crusades, decorated with carvings, ornaments and images of Saints. The unique decoration of the basilica is the mosaic of the Transfiguration of the Lord. It belongs to the works of art of the VI century. Framed with medallions depicting the twelve apostles. In the center is the figure of Jesus on a golden background. The frescoes and mosaics were restored in 1965. Another pride of the basilica is the silver caskets containing the relics of St. Catherine.

Chapel of the Burning Bush

Behind the altar is the Chapel of the Burning Bush, which, according to the Bible, was built on the very spot where the Lord appeared to Moses. According to legend, everyone who enters here must take off their shoes. This building is dedicated to a great event - the Annunciation. Icons are placed here, one of which is the Mother of God with a baby in her arms. Also, there is no iconostasis in the chapel, due to this, parishioners can observe the place from where the bush was transplanted. This happened for the reason that the throne is located above the roots of the Kupina. The former place of the Burning Bush is covered with a silver shield with carved images of saints.

According to the Bible, the daughters of the priest Raguel met Moses. It happened on the north side of the basilica of the monastery. A well was installed here. It has survived to this day and supplies the temple with water.

Refectory

After the construction of the mosque in the 10th century, the refectory, which was on this site before, was moved. There is a wooden table in the Rococo style, the walls are decorated with images of Elijah in the desert, the Second Coming, etc. The restoration was carried out in 2005, after which the refectory is again open to the public.

Garden

From the monastery, the garden is located on the northwest side. There is an underground passage that connects the garden and the monastery. The monastery garden is divided into 2 terraces. Fruit trees are planted on one of them - apple trees, cherries, pears, apricots, as well as grapes. Olive trees are grown on the other terrace. Until the last century, this garden was the best in all of Egypt.

Ossuary and cemetery

Ossurium is the place where the skeletal remains of believers are kept. This place is also called the ossuary. Together with the cemetery, they are located next to the garden, not included in the territory of the monastery. There is a chapel of St. Tryphon here. The remains of the monks are stored in various ossuaries - the skulls are separate from the rest of the bones. But the bones of the archbishops of Sinai are kept separately.

Treasures of the monastery

Library

Archbishop Nikifor created a library in 1734 and was the first to introduce the study of books. According to the testimonies of pilgrims, the library was not properly guarded, and the storage of books was disorderly. This led to the plundering of some monumental monuments of scripture. One such loss was the Codex Sinaiticus. In addition, the library stores many unique items and can be second only to the Vatican library in its importance. Here are stored:

• Sinai Psalter;
• Syriac Code;
• Collection of pages of the Gospel of Matthew in Greek;
• Greek Gospel of the 8th century.
• Historical documents, certificates with lead seals;
• More than 3 thousand manuscripts.

Icons

The collection of icons is unique in its aesthetic and religious significance. Here are:

• 12 oldest icons, still painted in wax, dating back to the 6th century;
• Collection of icons from the Byzantine period;
• Triptych of the 13th century depicting the cycle of the Mother of God.

• The heyday of the monastery is attributed to the era of the Crusades, when the interest of pilgrims increased sharply among the Byzantines;
• In the entire history of its existence, the temple was not captured, destroyed or set on fire;
• The first hermit monks gathered on the site of the built monastery every weekend to conduct sermons long before the monastery development project;
• The monastery received its modern name only 500 years after its formation;
• During the Turkish rule, a Mosque was built on the territory.

Ticket prices

Tour operators will offer tourists tickets for $45 for an adult and $20 for a child. Tickets purchased from street vendors will be cheaper on average by 20-30%. You can also count on a discount if the tour is paid for by a large group of tourists.

Opening hours

You can visit the holy places on any day, from 8.00 to 12.00. On Saturday, the Liturgy is held here.

What to see nearby

Climbing Mount Sinai, visiting ancient pilgrimage sites, Church of the Holy Trinity- all this can be seen in one excursion to St. Catherine. Usually, tour operators offer a "double" tour - after climbing the mountain, tourists visit the Monastery of St. Catherine. 2 ratings, average: 4,50 out of 5)

✓Tripster is the largest online tour booking service in Russia.

✓Travelata.ru - search for the most profitable tours among 120 reliable tour operators.

✓Aviasales.ru - search and compare prices for air tickets among 100 agencies and 728 airlines.

✓Hotellook.ru is a search engine for hotels around the world. Compares prices across many booking systems, finding the best.

✓Airbnb.ru is the world's most popular service for renting accommodation from hosts (often it comes out more convenient and cheaper than a hotel). Follow this link and get $25 as a gift for your first booking.

✓Sravni.ru - online travel insurance, including for a visa.

✓Kiwitaxi.ru - international car transfer booking service. 70 countries and 400 airports.