St Catherine’s Monastery & Mount Sinai

Where Moses received the 10 Commandments!

Nestling in a valley at the foot of Mount Sinai, St Catherine’s Monastery is built on the site where Moses is said to have heard the voice of the Lord speaking from a burning bush. It has been a famous site for pilgrims for more than fifteen centuries and one of the oldest working Christian monasteries in the world dating back to 337AD, steeped in history and filled with priceless art and historic treasures much of which is on display for visitors.

Through Mirage Divers you can book a trip to see the Monastery and there are many ways and to do so:

Day Time trip:

The trip starts at 8am with a drive for approximately two hours to reach St Catherine’s. After looking around the monastery, you’ll be driven back to Dahab, arriving mid afternoon.

SunRise Trip: Mount Sinai & The Monastery

The trip begins at midnight, with a 2 hour drive to St Catherine’s where you’ll meet your English-speaking Bedouin guide (guides are compulsory). You’ll then ascend the mountain by the Camel Trail, in good time for the sunrise. Afterwards, you’ll descend by the same route, or by the stairs, depending on your preference. The monastery opens from 9am till 12 pm , and you’ll have time to visit the various attractions, such as the Basilica and the museum, before we leave for Dahab

SunSet Trip: Mount Sinai & The Monastery

Leave Dahab at 8am and arrive at the monastery at around 10am. You’ll have time to visit the various attractions, such as the Basilica and the museum before climbing the mountain after lunch. Then ascend by the Camel Trail, in good time for the sunset. Afterwards, you’ll descend by the Camel Trail or the Stairs, and you’ll be driven back to Dahab.

All these trips can be booked with Mirage Divers Online or while you are in the diving center, Please Contact us for more info.

The Basilica: erected by the Emperor Justinian between 542 and 551, the Basilica, also known as the Church of the Transfiguration, has been carefully preserved through the ages. The famous Mosaic of the Transfiguration, also dating from the sixth century, is in near perfect condition. At the far end of the Basilica is the Chapel of the burning Bush, usually only viewable by special dispensation.
Moses’s Well: Moses, a fugitive from Egypt, met Zipporah, one of Jethro’s seven daughters at the well. He later married her, aged 40.
Monastery Museum: the museum contains a fascinating array of Byzantine icons, crosses, chalices, and ancient manuscripts and books, including fragments of the world’s oldest Bible. The Monastery Library, usually closed to laypersons, preserves the second largest collection of early codices and manuscripts in the world, outnumbered only by the Vatican.
The Cemetery: the cemetery itself is so small that monks’ skeletons are usually disinterred after a year and moved to the charnel house, which is open to visitors.