Thursday, April 19, 2018, Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt (St. Catherine Monastery)

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Nestled on a promontory on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt’s seaside resort of Sharm el-Sheikh is often called the “City of Peace” for the number of international peace conferences held here.  Its location where major bodies of water meet transformed it from a modest fishing village into a major port.  With turquoise waters, “Sharm,” as it’s known by locals, is renowned for its long sand beaches, unrivaled scuba diving among vibrant coral, turquoise waters, underwater cliffs, and dramatic rock formations.  The surrounding desert, too, though less colorful, exudes its own stark beauty and ancient mystery.  Sharm is fifth most important port in Egypt.  A Jeep safari is the ideal way to explore beyond the scenic jagged mountains that hug the town.

St. Catherine’s Monastery

Today we explored historic religious sites associated with Moses during this full-day visit to St. Catherine's Monastery.  We saw the church, library, and Chapel of the Burning Bush.  Built between 548 and 565, the monastery is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  We departed our cruise ship early in the morning in order to arrive prior to the monastery’s midday closing.  The site lies at the foot of Mt. Sinai, where Moses received the Ten Commandments.  In the 4th century, the Byzantine Empress Helena erected a chapel here next to what is believed to be the same Burning Bush from which God spoke to Moses.  She dedicated the chapel to the martyr St. Catherine.  In the 6th century, Emperor Justinian ordered the building of a fortified monastery here.  We saw a living bush that is believed to be the one Moses saw; explored the icon-filled chapel; and saw the oldest continually operating library in the world.

 Many of the pictures were taken from moving bus.


Large mosque close to our docked cruise ship.

We were up at 3:35 AM for breakfast and a 5 AM bus departure as the monastery is only open 9-noon with a 3-hour drive.


Bedouin camp.

Gas station store.
Acacias tree; only camels dine on these.














This is the desert Moses tended sheep for his father-in-law.









Reception area at St. Catherine Monastery.

"Moses well."

We were not permitted to take pictures inside monastery nor museum.

Moses burning bush.







Olive trees.






Acacias tree.
 Our return to port "Sharm" from an early day.


On our way to the Suez Canal.

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