St. Catherine’s Monastery sits at the foot of Mount Sinai, which rises 2,285 meters above sea level, and receives daily many local and foreign visitors, adding tourist vitality to the area in which it is located.

Saint Catherine’s Monastery is one of the most important religious tourism destinations in Egypt, especially as it is one of the archaeological sites on the World Heritage List of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) since 2002.

Historical sources indicate that the archaeological monastery was built between 527 and 565 AD, ranking it among the oldest Christian monasteries around the world.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Michel Samir, a visitor to St. Catherine’s Monastery, said that he heard the story of the monastery from his father when he was a child.

St. Catherine’s Monastery receives daily large numbers of visitors from different countries of the world (Anatolia)

He added that he has been influenced since then by the history and story of the archaeological landmark, which generated a great desire to visit and see it closely.

“Seeing St. Catherine’s Monastery was one of my childhood dreams,” he added, noting that St. Catherine is one of the oldest Christian monasteries around the world.

Samir stressed that the location of St. Catherine’s Monastery at the foot of Mount Sinai, one of the highest mountains in Egypt, gives it another importance and beauty.

The location of St. Catherine’s Monastery at the foot of Mount Sinai, one of the highest mountains in Egypt, gives it another importance and beauty (Anatolia)

He also pointed out that St. Catherine’s Monastery receives daily large numbers of visitors from different countries of the world, as well as local visitors, considering that the place is an “important tourist attraction in the region.”

For her part, Marina Amir, a visitor to St. Catherine’s Monastery, said that she came from the city of Sohag specifically to visit the archaeological landmark and see it closely.

St. Catherine’s Monastery is an important tourist attraction in the Sinai (Anatolia)

On the reason for calling the monastery by this name, Amir said that St. Catherine, who was born in Alexandria in 194 AD, is the one to whom the name of the aforementioned religious temple belongs.

The name goes back to Saint Catherine, who was born in Alexandria in 194 AD (Anatolia).

The Egyptian visitor pointed out the existence of a strange story for the monastery of St. Catherine. And she added, “St. Catherine was one of the most beautiful and intelligent women of her time. She chose to convert to Christianity, which would expose her to exile from the area in which she was living.”

Interior view of one of the lanes of Saint Catherine’s Monastery (Anatolia)

Amir reported that the kings of the region made great efforts to persuade Saint Catherine to reconsider converting to Christianity, and sent dozens of preachers to do so, but she insisted on steadfastness in her faith.

St. Catherine’s Monastery contains gifts of an archaeological nature dating back to the kings and princes of that era (Anatolia)

In a related context, the Egyptian visitor said that there is an ancient church inside St. Catherine’s Monastery, which contains gifts of an archaeological nature, dating back to the kings and princes of that era.

One of the rare manuscripts found in Saint Catherine’s Monastery (Anatolia)

She explained that the archaeological monastery also includes Arab mosaic inscriptions, Russian and Greek icons, and other interesting designs, indicating that all these advantages make St. Catherine one of the rare historical monasteries.

Saint Catherine’s Monastery also includes “The Well of the Prophet Moses” and “The Tree of the Prophet Moses”, according to what the Egyptian visitor recalled.

Inside Saint Catherine Monastery (Anatolia)

Regarding the characteristics of the “Nabi Musa tree”, Amir says, “It does not grow in any other area outside the monastery.”

She said that there are beliefs that the burning of this tree is what guided the Prophet Moses, peace be upon him, to talk to his Lord at the foot of Mount Sinai.

One of the pillars of Saint Cathery Monastery. (Anatolia)

The monastery also includes a library of archaeological manuscripts, which is the second largest of its kind after the one in the Vatican, according to Amir.

The monastery includes a library of archaeological manuscripts, the second largest of its kind (Anatolia).