Sinai

St. Catherine’s Has Been Occupied Continuously Since 565 CE

That is not a typo. The monastery at the base of Mount Sinai was built by Emperor Justinian I, consecrated in 565 CE, and has never been abandoned. It is the oldest continuously inhabited Christian monastery on earth, staffed by Greek Orthodox monks who have maintained the liturgical traditions of early Christianity across 1,500 years of political change, including centuries under Islamic rule during which the monastery survived by producing a charter from the Prophet Muhammad – which the monks still possess, or claim to possess – granting them protection. Whether or not the document is authentic, the pragmatic outcome was the same: they survived.

The monastery opens five mornings a week from 09:00 to 11:30. That short window means planning carefully if you are coming from Sharm El Sheikh (roughly 2 hours away) or Dahab (1 hour). The library contains one of the most significant collections of early Christian manuscripts outside the Vatican, including the Codex Sinaiticus – though the original was taken to St. Petersburg in the 19th century and then purchased by the British Museum. A facsimile and related exhibits are on site.

Climbing Mount Sinai

The 2,285-metre peak traditionally identified as the site of Moses receiving the Ten Commandments is accessible from the monastery base via two routes. The Camel Path is the longer, gentler approach where local Bedouin guides offer camel rides to the upper section for a fixed fee before the final 750 stone steps that must be climbed on foot. The Steps of Penitence is a more direct 3,750-step route carved by monks and takes about 2 hours up. Most visitors make the climb in darkness to reach the summit at sunrise, which requires leaving by around 2:00am.

The summit is cold – bring a jacket regardless of how warm the valley felt. The view from the top at dawn, across the granite mountain landscape of the southern Sinai, is the kind of thing you will remember for years. The commercial reality at the top (tea vendors, blanket rentals) is jarring but manageable.

The Southern Sinai

Dahab, 85 kilometres north of Sharm El Sheikh, is a relaxed dive and kiteboarding town that operates at a different pace from the resort hotels further south. The Blue Hole just north of town is one of the most famous dive sites in the world – a 100-metre-deep underwater sinkhole off a reef – and has claimed a significant number of lives among divers who attempt the deep arch. Experienced technical divers visit it specifically. For recreational divers, the reef around it offers excellent wall diving without the depth risks.

Sharm El Sheikh at the peninsula’s southern tip is a full resort infrastructure: hotels, beach clubs, snorkeling, diving at Ras Mohammed National Park. The Straits of Tiran offer strong current diving with visibility that can exceed 30 metres.

The Security Reality

The southern tourism areas (Sharm, Dahab, Saint Catherine) have maintained specialised tourist security infrastructure for years. The Egyptian government’s Great Transfiguration Project, an ongoing multi-billion Egyptian pound initiative, is improving roads, eco-lodges, and accessibility around the Saint Catherine area. The northern Sinai region is a different situation entirely; no tourist goes there and the travel advisories from most governments are clear.

Practical Notes

The Bedouin coffee ritual at camps around the Saint Catherine area – coffee brewed with cardamom over a small fire, poured into small cups, offered with dried dates – is unhurried and worth the time regardless of schedule pressure. Arriving at the monastery and the mountain with a Bedouin guide who knows both is worth more than any brochure or organised tour.

Dress modestly at the monastery: covered shoulders and knees required. Photography inside the monastery buildings is restricted.