JPG

17 responses

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  Donald Garrett   gave props (11 Jan 2009):

  Please tell us more about this intriguing photo.

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  Gail Anderson   gave props (11 Jan 2009):

  wonderful!

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  Susan Littlefield gave props (11 Jan 2009):

  so......this definitely isn't in oregon, then?!?!? :~) beautiful shot; looks far removed from civilization.

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  Oregon Curly said (11 Jan 2009):

  Thanks for the comments!
  It is a place that inspires awe and peacefulness (and tiredness if one climbs to the top of Mt. Sinai)
  We spent several wonderful days there and did make the climb. Here is some info on the place I've quoted from a couple of web sites.
  http://www.geographia.com/egypt/sinai/stcatherine.html
  Set beneath the mountain where Moses is said to have received the Ten Commandments, Saint Catherine Monastery has been one of the world’s great centers of religious pilgrimage for over fifteen centuries. Within its imposing walls rests a citadel like no other, incredibly rich in important religious and historical structures. Among its treasures is a library of ancient manuscripts and icons second only to the Vatican's itself, and a 6th century church reputed to lie directly on the site of the Burning Bush. Quite simply, the monastery is a defining feature of the Holy Land.
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Catherine's_Monastery,_Mount_Sinai
  The oldest record of monastic life at Sinai comes from the travel journal written in Latin by a woman named Egeria about 381-384. She visited many places around the Holy Land and Mount Sinai, where, according to the Hebrew Bible, Moses received the Ten Commandments from God.
  The monastery was built by order of Emperor Justinian I between 527 and 565, enclosing the Chapel of the Burning Bush ordered to be built by Helena, the mother of Constantine I, at the site where Moses is supposed to have seen the burning bush; the living bush on the grounds is purportedly the original. The site is sacred to Christianity and Islam.
  Though it is commonly known as Saint Catherine's, the full, official name of the monastery is, The Sacred and Imperial Monastery of the God-Trodden Mount of Sinai, and the patronal feast of the monastery is the Transfiguration. The site was associated with St. Catherine of Alexandria (whose relics were purported to have been miraculously transported there by angels) and it became a favorite site of pilgrimage.
  Catherine of Alexandria was a Christian martyr initially sentenced to death on the wheel. However, when this failed to kill her, she was beheaded. According to tradition, angels took her remains to Mount Sinai. Around the year 800, monks from the Sinai Monastery found her remains.
  
  St. Catherine's Monastery possesses some of the earliest icons in existence, including this 6th-century hot wax icon.According to the Charter of Privileges, a document in the possession of the monastery purportedly signed by Muhammad himself, Muhammed gave his protection to the monastery. A Fatimid mosque was built within the walls of the monastery, but has never been used since it is not correctly oriented towards Mecca.
  During the seventh century, the isolated Christian anchorites of the Sinai were eliminated: only the fortified monastery remained. The monastery is still surrounded by the massive fortifications that have preserved it. Until the twentieth century, access was through a door high in the outer walls. From the time of the First Crusade, the presence of Crusaders in the Sinai until 1270 spurred the interest of European Christians and increased the number of intrepid pilgrims who visited the monastery. The monastery was supported by its dependencies in Egypt, Palestine, Syria, Crete, Cyprus and Constantinople.

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  Litz Go gave props (11 Jan 2009):

  wonderful. Thank you,OC for sharing.

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  Warren ~Mangione~   gave props (11 Jan 2009):

  WOW, Thanks for gettting this shot! Also for the history. Awe inspiring.

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  Lois Martin said (12 Jan 2009):

  I have to wonder where and how they acquired water. Wonderful photo and history lesson.

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  Oregon Curly said (12 Jan 2009):

  Lois, there are several wells on the grounds, they have a very nice subsistance garden too. It is pretty much self sustaining, had to be at the start as it was a several day camel trip from Cairo to get there. Dispite being a desert in name, there are a number of oasis' and many nomadic peoples living in the Sinai. It is not the rolling sand we normally think of when we hear 'desert', it is a hilly and rocky place...and very dry between the oasis'.

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  Klaus Girk (Deleted) gave props (12 Jan 2009):

  What a great shot and history, thanks for sharing.

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  Lynn H gave props (12 Jan 2009):

  What a lovely place! Super shot, OC

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  Tammy Espino gave props (12 Jan 2009):

  I am envious!!! I would love to see this in person. Thanks for sharing the capture & the story!!

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  Bob H gave props (12 Jan 2009):

  I love that country. Great shot

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  John Linton gave props (15 Jan 2009):

  I'll bet this is where I left my "remote"...OK, that was stupid...but the pic rocks.

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  Rob Roy gave props (21 Jan 2009):

  What an absolutely SUPERiffic shot!! Enough beauty here to keep the eye busy quite a while... and FABulous text!! Good job!!

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  Regenia Brabham   gave props (22 Jan 2009):

  A terrific history lesson and image to match. Thanks so much for sharing.

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  Gregory Mencotti   gave props (15 Apr 2009):

  Which is beter - the photo or the commentary? Both are great!

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  Aaron Mythen gave props (30 Sep 2009):

  Wow! This looks like a man made model for some reason!!!