SHAFAQNA- Saint Catherine Monastery, one of the oldest Monasteries in world, is a popular religious tourist destination in Egypt, registered in the list of worldwide heritage of UNESCO in 2002.
St. Catherine Monastery is one of the most popular religious tourist destinations in Egypt, which was registered in the list of worldwide heritage of UNESCO in 2002. The monastery was built in 6th century with a unique architecture in foothills of Mount Sinai, Egypt.
As one of the oldest survived monasteries of the world, this monastery was built during 527-565 A.D., by the order of Justinian I, Emperor of Byzantine, and today, it is possessed by Greek Orthodox Church and Eastern Orthodox Monastery.
The monastery hosts tourists daily and is one of the popular religious tourist destinations in Egypt. Historians believe that the reason of naming of the monastery goes back to a Christian nun named “Catherine” – born in 194 A.D. in Alexandria, Egypt, who converted to Christianity and as a result, was banished from her hometown, so the monastery was named after her, “St. Catherine”.
The monastery has an Arabic architecture, furnished with Greek and Russian emblems, that has added to its beauty and splendor. Many people believe location of the renowned tree where Moses (AS) had been chosen as a Prophet in Sinai Peninsula, is inside this monastery.
St. Catherine Monastery also owns one of the best libraries which possesses a treasure of calligraphic books. The area is considered a holy place for Jews, Christians, and Muslims and this is its most important touristic feature. Saint Catherine is located at the foot of Mount Sinai at an elevation of 1500 meters.
Capital of world’s religious tourism
Nowadays, more than 3,500 engineers and workers are working round the clock to materialize the project of making Saint Catherine the capital of the world’s religious tourism. The Egyptian government has decided to carry out the biggest tourism project in Saint Catherine, located in the South Sinai Governorate.
This news is translated by Shafaqna English.
Egypt Aiming To Turn Saint Catherine Into Capital of World’s Religious Tourism