| |
At the foot of the mountain
where Moses is said to have received
the Ten Commandments, lies the monastery
of St. Catherine. Early Christian hermits,
seeking seclusion from worldly affairs,
lived around the holy mountain since
the early times of Christendom. After
her visit to the impressive site of
the Burning Bush Empress Helena, the
mother of Constantine the Great, decided
in 330 AD to build a chapel in this
site and dedicate it to Virgin Mary.
|
 |
Finally in 527 AD Emperor Justinian ordered
the construction of a fortress on which the
entrance wooden frames carry the names of
Justinian, his wife Theodora and the architect’s
Stephanos.
 |
St. Catherine is considered to be one
of the oldest Christian monasteries, and
the smallest diocese in the world. It's
Monks today are Greek Orthodox and of
different nationalities. The wealthy monastery
has branches in Cairo, Cyprus and Crete.
|
|
