St Catherine’s Monastery at the foot of Mount Sinai in Egypt, is known for its sacred peace, but is now preparing to open up to the public.
The Greek Orthodox monastery was founded in the 6th century and is one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited Christian monasteries.
God is said to have appeared to Moses in the burning bush, and Moses is said to have received the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai.
Nearby, this 1,500-year-old building was constructed where the valley ends and Mount Sinai begins.
Known among the faithful for housing relics of St Catherine of Alexandria, its ancient library of rare manuscripts also draws many pilgrims.
Right now, you can feel closer to God than in many other places, with gentle breezes blowing from barren, reddish-brown rocks that cause rose bushes and olive trees to flutter.
Spend a few days here and what you mostly sense is silence.
Christians, Jews and Muslims revere this place, where faith, history and nature all come together in a powerful combination.
But down in the valley, it is bustling with concrete, containers and construction vehicles as today’s Egypt prepares for tomorrow’s tourism.
Hotels and villas are planned, offering upward of 1,000 rooms plus a promenade with a bazaar, a Peace Plaza and a visitor centre. The sign is already in place.
‘A wonderful destination for all visitors’
The government is celebrating the construction project, which is scheduled for completion in October 2026, as “Egypt’s gift to the whole world and all religions.”
A museum and theatre are planned, as well as conference rooms and restaurants. Motorways are being paved and a currently unused airport nearby is being expanded. It is set to cost $220 million.
It will be a “wonderful destination for all visitors,” whether they come for religious reasons, recreation or nature, says Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly.
According to state-affiliated media, the aim is to “harness the magic of the region” and transform it into a “must-visit destination.” A large German hotel chain is already on board.
But can a monastery that thrives on peace and seclusion cope with so many visitors? Won’t a religious site with a few occasional tourists then become a tourist site with a few religious attractions?
Balancing openness and tranquillity
A “delicate balance” is needed, says Father Justin, one of 22 monks living in St Catherine’s Monastery. “Open and accessible to a certain extent, but also preserving quiet times and solitude.”
The monks begin their day at 4 am and live in line with a “complex schedule that has been in place for centuries,” as Father Justin says. The monastery opens to visitors for three hours a day for the present.
But change is coming. The project is “the greatest possible contrast to what the area stands for,” says World Heritage Watch, an organization dedicated to protecting UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The area received this status in 2002.
UNESCO has called on the government in Cairo to present a protection plan, halt the construction work and let observers into the country but so far, nothing has come of this.
Houses demolished, cemetery destroyed
The Bedouins have long been faced with a new reality. Members of the Jabaliya tribe descended from Byzantine soldiers sent in the 6th century to guard the monastery and are believed to be the oldest tribe in the area.
The name “Jabaliya” comes from the Arabic word for “mountain,” as they live in the mountainous region.
They made the construction and operation of the monastery possible in the first place, acting as protectors, mountain guides and camel drivers.
Now, their houses have been demolished during the construction work and an old cemetery has been destroyed. With their bare hands, they dug up the remains of their relatives to bury them further away.
Where the cemetery used to be, there is now a car park.
“They ignore everyone,” says one of the Bedouins of the government’s activities.
St Catherine is in danger of becoming like Sharm El-Sheikh further south: a place with “5-star hotels and tourists who only stay in their hotels.”
After being forced into the hinterland in Sharm, many Bedouins make their living from waste recycling.
Singing and tears on the summit
On Mount Sinai, everything appears to be the same as ever. For some, after a laborious climb, all the energy of St Catherine is released.
A Korean tour group is singing Christian songs, a woman sobs loudly as she says a prayer at the summit. Another sits quietly crying on a rock, watching the sunset.
Down in the monastery, the singing of the monks can be heard coming from a loudspeaker in the small shop, and the smell of burnt wax from the votive candles fills the air.
A few rooms above, the library houses more than 3,300 ancient manuscripts, said to be as valuable as those in the Vatican.
“You have to protect the people who come here to feel something inside themselves,” says a monk. “Something in their hearts. If you don’t protect it, it becomes a tourist attraction” he says, placing both hands on his chest.
View of St Catherine’s Monastery on the Sinai Peninsula. –/dpa
Parts of the ongoing construction project near St Catherine’s Monastery on the Sinai Peninsula. –/dpa