St Catherine's Monastery in Egypt

St Catherine's is an ancient monastery located at the alleged site of the biblical burning bush, and a visit here promises evocative scenery and tangible history, perfect for a day-trip from your beach base on the Senai Peninsula.

Strikingly located in a gorge at the foot of Mount Sinai, the boundless history is captured in the rugged, cinematic scenery that evokes biblical tales and silver-screen epics. Construction commenced in roughly the 6th century AD, on the site of what was believed to be the burning bush from which God spoke to Moses. Visitors can still view what is claimed to be a descendant of the original bush, although the historical veracity of this claim is at best questionable. The nearby Well of Moses is a natural spring that is supposed to confer good luck and marital happiness, while the Monastery Museum has some highly impressive artefacts on display.

The most exciting aspect of a visit to the monastery though tends to be the overwhelming ambience, embodied in the imposing presence of Mount Sinai itself. Most tourists arrive on a fairly long day trip from Sharm El Sheikh and the neighbouring resorts, although for the active it’s also possible to arrange a sunrise climb of Mount Sinai, enabling participants to gaze down on a resplendent scene that has been relatively unchanged for centuries. St Catherine’s is still a working monastery, so there are many areas off-limits to visitors, but we would highly recommend it to anybody spending enough time in Sinai who has more than a passing interest in the religious history of the area.