Saint Catherine's Monastery
A walled monastery at the foot of Mount Sinai, built between 548 and 565 and the oldest continuously inhabited Christian monastery in the world. It guards an ancient library and icons, and a bush said to be the burning bush of Moses.
- Where
- Saint Catherine, South Sinai, Egypt
- Grade
- UNESCO heritage
- Worth
- 10 points collected on site, plus 8 for its grade
- Coordinates
- 28.5558, 33.9756
Get the Saint Catherine's Monastery stamp
Open LOQAH when you are at Saint Catherine's Monastery. It checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp is yours: confirmed on site in gold and struck with the date. It goes into your South Sinai volume with your photos and a note.
Near Saint Catherine's Monastery
Mount Sinai 1.9 km
A granite peak in the south of the Sinai Peninsula, held by many to be where Moses received the Ten Commandments. Pilgrims and walkers climb it in the dark by camel path or stone steps to watch the sun rise over the mountains.
Blue Hole 55 km
A sinkhole in the reef a few kilometres north of Dahab, on the Gulf of Aqaba, close enough to the shore to swim to. Its rim of coral is full of fish for snorkellers, while the centre drops away into deep blue.
Naama Bay 80 km
A natural sandy bay in Sharm El Sheikh and the main hub of the resort, its promenade lined with cafes, restaurants, hotels and bazaars. The calm water is good for swimming, and dive boats leave from here for the reefs.
Ras Muhammad National Park 90 km
A national park at the southern tip of the Sinai, where the Gulf of Suez meets the Gulf of Aqaba. Its coral reefs drop steeply into deep water, and it is one of the best known diving and snorkelling places in the Red Sea.
Monastery of Saint Paul 143 km
A Coptic Orthodox monastery in the Eastern Desert near the Red Sea mountains, built around the cave where Saint Paul the Anchorite lived. It is also called the Monastery of the Tigers, and lies about 405 kilometres south-east of Cairo.
Giftun Islands 151 km
Two islands in the Red Sea off Hurghada, Giftun Kebir closer to shore and Giftun Soraya further out. Day boats come for white sand beaches and the reefs around them.
Monastery of Saint Anthony 164 km
A Coptic Orthodox monastery in an oasis of the Eastern Desert, below the cliffs where Saint Anthony, father of Christian monasticism, lived as a hermit. It is one of the oldest monasteries in the world, and its church holds layered medieval wall paintings.
Suez Canal 286 km
A sea-level waterway 193 kilometres long, cut through the Isthmus of Suez to join the Mediterranean to the Red Sea and opened in 1869. It divides Africa from Asia, and from its banks giant container ships seem to glide through the desert.
Questions
Where is Saint Catherine's Monastery?
Saint Catherine's Monastery is in Saint Catherine, South Sinai, Egypt. The nearest other LOQAH stamps are Mount Sinai (1.9 km), Blue Hole (55 km), Naama Bay (80 km).
How do I get the Saint Catherine's Monastery stamp?
Open LOQAH when you are at Saint Catherine's Monastery and get its stamp. The app checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp goes into your South Sinai volume, confirmed on site, with the date.
I have been to Saint Catherine's Monastery before. Can I still have the stamp?
Yes. Add it from Earlier trips in your South Sinai volume, with the date if you know it, or import your Google Timeline and LOQAH matches the places you were.
Collect your first stamp.
LOQAH is free on iPhone and Android, in India and 20 more countries, with more countries on the way. Stand at a place, collect its stamp, and keep every trip in a passport that grows.