Saint Catherine's Monastery, Mount Sinai
Type:
Monasteries,
Mosaics
Date:
Monastery founded in the mid-sixth century
Location or Findspot (Modern-Day Country):
Egypt
Description:
The Orthodox monastery of the God-Trodden Mount Sinai marks the place where Moses spoke to God from a burning bush (Exod. 19). Founded by Emperor Justinian I in the mid-sixth century, it was initially dedicated to Mary and later, after her relics were miraculously transferred there, to the fourth-century martyr St. Catherine. Sinai is one of the world's oldest continually functioning monasteries.
The basilica-plan church has its original wooden doors and beams (inscribed with the names of Justinian and his deceased wife, Theodora). It also contains a large apse mosaic that represents the Transfiguration of Christ (Matt. 17, Mark 9, Luke 9), witnessed by two Old Testament prophets and three apostles. Jesus is surrounded by an oval of light, a mandorla, that represents his divine glory. On the wall above the apse conch are scenes of Moses on Mount Sinai. The mosaics were last restored between 2005 and 2016.
The monastery at Sinai contains over four thousand manuscripts and more than half of all surviving Byzantine icons, a Greek word that means images in general but especially panels that depict holy figures. In this remote location they were preserved from the destruction of images during the two periods of Byzantine iconoclasm. The earliest icons date to about 600. They include images of Christ, St. Peter, and the Theotokos and Child.
The basilica-plan church has its original wooden doors and beams (inscribed with the names of Justinian and his deceased wife, Theodora). It also contains a large apse mosaic that represents the Transfiguration of Christ (Matt. 17, Mark 9, Luke 9), witnessed by two Old Testament prophets and three apostles. Jesus is surrounded by an oval of light, a mandorla, that represents his divine glory. On the wall above the apse conch are scenes of Moses on Mount Sinai. The mosaics were last restored between 2005 and 2016.
The monastery at Sinai contains over four thousand manuscripts and more than half of all surviving Byzantine icons, a Greek word that means images in general but especially panels that depict holy figures. In this remote location they were preserved from the destruction of images during the two periods of Byzantine iconoclasm. The earliest icons date to about 600. They include images of Christ, St. Peter, and the Theotokos and Child.
Relevant Textbook Chapter(s):
3
Repository and Online Resources:
• Watch a video on the conservation of the apse mosaic.
• Watch a video on the monastery, its icons, and life there today, produced for the J. Paul Getty Museum exhibition "Holy Image, Hallowed Ground".
• Watch a video about the monastery and the recent conservation of its mosaics.
Image Credits:
Roberto Nardi, Centro di Conservazione Archeologica – Rome; used by permission
