Monastery of St. Catherine – the oldest Christian monastery in the world.
The Monastery was built in 337 AD at the place where “God spoke” to all the people the words of the covenant, that is Ten Commandments received by Prophet Moses.
As a result of this, the empress of Byzantium Elena, ordered that a chapel be established for the pilgrimage of Christians. Therefore, Justinian built walls to prevent attacks and a basilica. Soon a new chapel was built. After half a century the chapel was filled with community.
The Saint Catherine’s Monastery and the Burning Bush began to gain world fame. The monastery was not devastated. This was facilitated by its transformation in the 6th century into a fortress.
Now the monastery is subordinate to the Jerusalem Church. Since the third millennium included in the ranks of UNESCO World Heritage Site. It stores many valuable architectural monuments.
Despite the fact that the monastery of St. Catherine is the smallest diocese in the world. While this is the oldest monastery of the Christian world, which works in our time.
The rich history of the monastery has a huge number of icons, ancient manuscripts, priceless of its kind.