Saint Catherine's Monastery and Wikipedia:Sandbox/Archive: Difference between pages

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{{Infobox World Heritage Site

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| WHS = Saint Catherine Area

| Image image = [[Image:KatharinenklosterDolphinBoonex.jpgpng|300px|St. Catherine's monastery180px]]

{ddddd{dddddd}dddddddd}

| State Party = {{EGY}}

| Type = Cultural

| Criteria = i, iii, iv, vi

| ID = 954

| Region = [[Arab States]]

| Year = 2002

| Session = 26th

| Link = http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/954

}}

'''Saint Catherine's Monastery''' ([[Greek language|Greek]]: {{polytonic|Μονὴ τῆς Ἁγίας Αἰκατερίνης}}) on the [[Sinai Peninsula]], at the mouth of an inaccessible gorge at the foot of [[Mount Sinai]], in [[Egypt]] is one of the oldest continuously functioning Christian [[monastery|monasteries]]. It is a [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage Site]].

What does "undo" do exactly?

==History==

The monastery was built by order of Emperor [[Justinian I]] between [[527]] and [[565]], enclosing the Chapel of the Burning Bush ordered built by [[Helena of Constantinople|Helena]], the mother of [[Constantine I (emperor)|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 three major world religions - [[Judaism]], [[Christianity]], and [[Islam]].

Though it is commonly known as Saint Catherine's, the actual name of the monastery is the Monastery of 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 for [[pilgrimage]]s.

[[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. At this time [[Egypt]] was a [[Muslim]] country so this Christian monastery in the enormous mountain passes of Sinai could use an [[Egyptians|Egyptian]] saint from the Early Church.

[[Image:Petersinai.jpg|left|thumb|St. Catherine's Monastery possesses some of the earliest [[icon]]s in existence, including this 6th-century [[encaustic|hot wax icon]].]]

According to a document in the possession of the monastery purportedly signed by [[Muhammed]] himself, Muhammed gave his protection to the monastery after it granted, at some point, [[political asylum]] to Muhammed from his enemies. For this reason, and because a [[Fatimid]] [[mosque]] was built within the walls of the monastery, the monastery survived [[Islam]]ic dominance of the region over many centuries. The mosque is sealed and has never been used, since it is oriented incorrectly with Mecca.

During the seventh century, the isolated Christian [[anchorite]]s 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.

==About the monastery==

The monastery library preserves the second largest collection of early [[codex|codices]] and [[manuscripts]] in the world, outnumbered only by the [[Vatican Library]]. Its strength lies in Greek, Coptic, Arabic, Armenian, Hebrew, and Syriac texts.

[[Image:Santa_Catarina_Sinai_2003.JPG|right|thumb|280px|St. Catherine's monastery]]

The complex houses irreplaceable works of art: mosaics, Greek and Russian [[icon]]s, [[encaustic]] paintings, as well as sacerdotal ornaments, chalices and reliquaries. Most importantly, it is home to some of the earliest [[icon]]s in the world, dating to the 5th and 6th centuries. The oldest icon on the [[Old Testament]] theme is also preserved there. A project to catalogue the works held in the library is currently being undertaken.

The monastery along with several dependencies in the area constitute the entire '''Orthodox Church of Mount Sinai''', an autonomous (as distinct from [[autocephaly|autocephalous]]) Orthodox Christian church headed by an archbishop, who is also the abbot of the monastery. The archbishop is traditionally consecrated by the [[Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem]].

{{coor title dms|28|33|20|N|33|58|34|E|}}

==See also==

* [[Codex Sinaiticus]]

* [[Apology of Aristides]]

* [[Charnel House]]

* [[Hermit]]

* [[Poustinia]]

* [[Eastern Christianity]]

* [[Byzantine Discalced Carmelites]]

* [[Mary of Egypt]]

* [[Macarius of Egypt]]

{{commonscat|Saint Catherine's Monastery, Mount Sinai}}

== External Links ==

* [http://stcatherinesmonastery.googlepages.com/ St. Catherine's Monastery, Sinai, Egypt]

* [http://www.arts.ac.uk/research/stcatherines Camberwell/St.Catherine's Project]

* [http://www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions/icons_sinai/index.html Getty exhibit Holy Image,

Hallowed Ground: Icons from Sinai]

* [http://www.sinaimonastery.com/ Official Website of the Holy Monastery of St. Catherine at Mount Sinai]

* [http://www.orthodoxwiki.org/St._Catherine%27s_Monastery_%28Sinai%29 St. Catherine's Monastery (Sinai)] (OrthodoxWiki article)

==Reference==

* The text of the Charter from [[Mohammad]] can be read [http://www.iviews.com/Articles/articles.asp?ref=IC0609-3110 here] or [http://www.cyberistan.org/islamic/charter1.html here].

{{Orthodoxy}}

{{Greek Orthodox Christianity}}

{{World Heritage Sites in Egypt}}

[[Category:World Heritage Sites in Egypt]]

[[Category:Monasteries in Egypt|Catherine Monastery]]

[[Category:Orthodox monasteries]]

[[Category:6th century architecture]]

[[Category:6th century establishments]]

[[Category:Hesychasm]]

[[Category:Byzantine architecture]]

[[ar:دير سانت كاترين]]

[[frp:Égllése ortodoxe du Sinayi]]

[[bg:Синайски манастир]]

[[de:Katharinenkloster (Sinai)]]

[[es:Monasterio de Santa Catalina del Monte Sinaí]]

[[fr:Monastère Sainte-Catherine du Sinaï]]

[[it:Monastero di Santa Caterina]]

[[ja:聖カタリナ修道院]]

[[he:מנזר סנטה קתרינה]]

[[ka:წმ. ეკატერინეს მონასტერი (სინაი)]]

[[nl:Katharinaklooster]]

[[no:Katarina-klosteret]]

[[pt:Mosteiro Ortodoxo de Santa Catarina]]

[[fi:Pyhän Katariinan luostari]]

[[sv:Katarinaklostret]]