Mt Sinai and St. Catherine's Monastery: Dawn Pilgrimage in the Desert
The pre-dawn climb to the summit of Mount Sinai is one of the most powerful experiences in the Middle East. From where Moses received the Ten Commandments, you watch the sun rise over the jagged Sinai peaks. St. Catherine's Monastery below is the world oldest continuously inhabited Christian monastery.
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Mount Sinai Summit
The 2285-meter summit is reached by two routes: the Steps of Repentance cut into the rock by a monk, or a longer camel path. Most visitors ascend at 2am by torchlight to reach the top for sunrise.
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St. Catherines Monastery
The UNESCO-listed monastery founded by Emperor Justinian in 565 CE encloses the site of the Burning Bush, a library with 3000 manuscripts second only to the Vatican, and remarkable Byzantine mosaics.
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Burning Bush Courtyard
The monastery claims the transplanted Burning Bush still grows in its courtyard. Whether believed literally or symbolically, the ancient shrub in the walled garden is a deeply moving sight.
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Monastery Library
One of the world great libraries, holding 3000 manuscripts in Greek, Arabic, Coptic, Armenian and other languages. Digitization projects are making these treasures available to scholars globally.
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Sinai Bedouin Guides
The mountain can only be climbed with a local Bedouin guide, a regulation that supports the traditional communities of the high Sinai. Guides are knowledgeable, friendly and essential for navigating in the dark.
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Colored Canyon
A side excursion from the St. Catherine region takes you through a narrow slot canyon with dramatically layered sandstone walls in hues of yellow, red, purple and white. Usually combined with the monastery visit.