Saint Catherine mountain (Arabic: جبل كاترين), is the highest mountain in Egypt. Its height is 2,629 meters above sea level. The mountain is located in the southern part of the high mountain block in the Sinai Peninsula, in the province of southern Sinai. The mountain is located south of the town of Santa Catarina near Santa Catarina Monastery and south of Mount Jabal Musa. The mountain has two adjacent peaks. From the mountain there is a view of all parts of southern Sinai.
The mountain is named after Catherine of Alexandria, a Christian martyr from Roman times, who according to Christian beliefs carried her body to the top of the mountain by angels. It is also named after Santa Catarina Monastery located north of the mountain.
Jabal Katrina is a large horst that rose in a vertical motion along the replica of Wadi Sabaya at the Katrina Plateau during the Neogene period. Katrina Plateau consists of various volcanic rocks formed in different periods in the Precambrian era. These rocks include: tuff, agglomerate volcanic bombs and lava flows. The volcanic rocks in this area have undergone extensive cracking and weathering processes and therefore there is extensive soil degradation in the mountain area. This feature causes a lot of water to seep in and thus affects the water regime in the area.
The rains are relatively few and far between in the high mountain region of Sinai, but the peaks sometimes snow. In winter, near the top of the mountain, the average maximum temperature is 5 ° C and the average minimum temperature is 3 ° C. Temperatures below zero degrees are not uncommon in the mountains during the winter. In summer, the average maximum temperature is 23 ° and the average minimum temperature is 12 °. The average daily amplitude between temperatures is about 10 °.
The snow that falls on the mountain tops each year seeps mostly because of the nature of the rock and does not add to the amount of water available. Therefore, the vegetation in the mountain is characterized by drought-resistant vegetation. Among the plants found in the mountain area: desert wormwood (mainly in wadis), thorny jet and thorny squirrel.
The Christian tradition
According to Christian tradition, St. Catherine was killed by the Romans in Alexandria, in the early third century, after being tortured for refusing to return to her Christian faith. Many years later, according to Christian tradition, angels carried her body and placed it on top of the mountain. At that time, one of the monks of the "Senna Monastery" (the ancient name of Santa Catarina Monastery) dreamed that there was a treasure on top of the mountain. He climbed the mountain and found the body. Since then the monastery has been named after Katrina. In the monastery church is a silver box in which, according to the monks, is the skull and left hand of St. Catherine.
On the top of the mountain was built by the monks a chapel to which monks and pilgrims occasionally ascend. Around the chapel are engravings in the rock and many inscriptions of pilgrims from different periods.
There is a camel road coming from the north, from Deir al-Arba'in (an abandoned monastery surrounded by a huge orchard) through Wadi al-Arba'in, or through Wadi Georgia. There is also a road for the vehicle, coming from the south, Moadi Rutig.
From the mountain there is an observation point to all parts of southern Sinai: in the north - to the a-Tia cliff, in the west - to the Gulf of Suez and even to Mount Jabal Gharib on the western side of the bay, in the south - Jabal Umm Shomer block and in the east - Eilat Bay, Tiran Island and peaks The mountains of Saudi Arabia.
The mountain is named after Catherine of Alexandria, a Christian martyr from Roman times, who according to Christian beliefs carried her body to the top of the mountain by angels. It is also named after Santa Catarina Monastery located north of the mountain.
Jabal Katrina is a large horst that rose in a vertical motion along the replica of Wadi Sabaya at the Katrina Plateau during the Neogene period. Katrina Plateau consists of various volcanic rocks formed in different periods in the Precambrian era. These rocks include: tuff, agglomerate volcanic bombs and lava flows. The volcanic rocks in this area have undergone extensive cracking and weathering processes and therefore there is extensive soil degradation in the mountain area. This feature causes a lot of water to seep in and thus affects the water regime in the area.
The rains are relatively few and far between in the high mountain region of Sinai, but the peaks sometimes snow. In winter, near the top of the mountain, the average maximum temperature is 5 ° C and the average minimum temperature is 3 ° C. Temperatures below zero degrees are not uncommon in the mountains during the winter. In summer, the average maximum temperature is 23 ° and the average minimum temperature is 12 °. The average daily amplitude between temperatures is about 10 °.
The snow that falls on the mountain tops each year seeps mostly because of the nature of the rock and does not add to the amount of water available. Therefore, the vegetation in the mountain is characterized by drought-resistant vegetation. Among the plants found in the mountain area: desert wormwood (mainly in wadis), thorny jet and thorny squirrel.
The Christian tradition
According to Christian tradition, St. Catherine was killed by the Romans in Alexandria, in the early third century, after being tortured for refusing to return to her Christian faith. Many years later, according to Christian tradition, angels carried her body and placed it on top of the mountain. At that time, one of the monks of the "Senna Monastery" (the ancient name of Santa Catarina Monastery) dreamed that there was a treasure on top of the mountain. He climbed the mountain and found the body. Since then the monastery has been named after Katrina. In the monastery church is a silver box in which, according to the monks, is the skull and left hand of St. Catherine.
On the top of the mountain was built by the monks a chapel to which monks and pilgrims occasionally ascend. Around the chapel are engravings in the rock and many inscriptions of pilgrims from different periods.
There is a camel road coming from the north, from Deir al-Arba'in (an abandoned monastery surrounded by a huge orchard) through Wadi al-Arba'in, or through Wadi Georgia. There is also a road for the vehicle, coming from the south, Moadi Rutig.
From the mountain there is an observation point to all parts of southern Sinai: in the north - to the a-Tia cliff, in the west - to the Gulf of Suez and even to Mount Jabal Gharib on the western side of the bay, in the south - Jabal Umm Shomer block and in the east - Eilat Bay, Tiran Island and peaks The mountains of Saudi Arabia.
Saint Catherine is considered a complex region as it provides many activities:
you can visit the famous monastery
you can practice hiking
you can enjoy the snow (the only place in Egypt) in winter
you can enjoy the Safari
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