| Sharm El Shiekh |
The richest and most spectacular
diving area in the Red Sea. This expanse of approximately 40 miles of virgin
continuous Coral reef is enhanced by dramatic coral drop-offs, aquamarine
bays and coral formation in the diving world. Sharm El Shiekh has its own
airport, hotels, post office, night clubs and gas stations. |
| Nuweiba |
| At 66 miles from St. Katherine,
on the Gulf of Aquaba. Now a port for the ferry which runs twice daily
between Sinai and Jordan, an ideal sea-side winter resort. Sandy beaches
offer endless water sports possibilities. |
| Saint Catherine
Monastery |
Located at the foot of Mount Moses,
St. Catherine's Monastery, was constructed by order of the Emperor Justinian
between 527 and 565. Is built around what is thought to be Moses' Burning
Bush, which has a chapel built atop it. It is a spectacular natural setting
for priceless works of art, including Arab mosaics, Greek and Russian icons,
Western oil paintings, paintings on wax, fine sacerdotal ornaments, marbles,
enamels, chalices, reliquaries, including one donated by Czar Alexander
II in the 19th century, and another by Empress Catherine of Russia in the
17th century. But of perhaps even greater significance is that it is the
second largest collection of illuminated manuscripts (The Vatican
has the largest). The collection
consists of some 3,500 volumes in Greek, Coptic, Arabic, Armenian, Hebrew,
Slavic, Syriac, Georgian and other languages. Around the year 1850, the
fourth century Codex Sinaiticus, which is now in the British Museum in
London, was discovered here. The Monastery even has a small 10th or 11th
century mosque which was probably built to appease the Islamic authorities
of the time. There is also a small chapel (the Chapel of St. Triphone,
also known as the Skull House) which houses the skulls of deceased monks. |
|
| Dahab |
About 50 miles south of Nuweiba,
known internationally for its authentic Bedouin village, and magnificent
coral reef. |
| Taba |
The road to Nuweiba runs along the
shore until it reaches Taba, known as a caravan stop since biblical times.
It is still used today as a stop over at the borders of Egypt and Israel.
Take a boat trip to Pharaoh's
Island, crowned by a Crusader fortress. This fortress was begun in 1170
by Salah ad-Din, and has recently been resorted. |
| Mount Sinai
(Jebel Musa,
or Mount Moses)
|
 John
Lloyd Stephens said that "Among all the stupendous works of Nature, not
a place can be selected more fitting for the exhibition of Almighty
power. Mount Sinai is both the name of a collection of peaks, sometimes
referred to as the Holy Mountains, and the biblical name of the peek on
which Moses received the Ten Commandments.
Mount Mousa (or Musa), also referred
to as Jebel Musa, Gebel Mousa, Mount Moses or the Mountain of Moses (all
of which basically means the same thing) is considered to be that biblical
peak. This peak has religious significance to Islam as the place where
Mohammed's horse, Boraq, ascended to heaven. The 7,497 foot mountain has
3,750 steps hewn out of stone by monks of St. Catherine's Monastery,
which is located just to the North. The peak is accessible by the steps,
or by a gentler path east of the monastery. Both lead to an amphitheater
known as the "Seven Elders of Israel". From there, one must ascend the
remaining 750 steps to reach the summit where the Chapel of the Holy Trinity
was built in 1934 (on the location of the original chapel built in 363
and rebuilt by Justinian in 530) and affords a truly breathtaking view.
It is recommended that you take the steps down, as they will lead you past
the fountain of Moses, a small chapel of the Virgin, and two arches, the
Gate of St. Stephen and the Gate of the Law. |
|
