"Gateway to The Monastery of St Catherine." Top 5 Page for this destination Nuweiba` by K.Knight

Some may find the Charnel house gruesome as it is the final resting place for thousands of Monks skulls from days gone by. Housed behind a simple wire fence, it appears that a skeleton of a dark robed monk is guarding the bones of his ancestors! I am not sure if he is keeping the Monks in, or the visitors out.

There are also a number of niches carved into the side walls that appear to house complete skeletons.

Anne and I under the "Burning Bush."

Within the walls of the Monastery of St Catherine there is a bush that is said to be growing from a single clipping of “The Burning Bush” that instructed Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt and into the Promised Land.

Anne and I can be seen here standing under this evergreen bush in the “robes” that were given to us at the entrance to the chapel. The robes are used to cover your knees and, when they are handed back, you are asked to make a donation for their use. This is a scam because the “robes” are given as a free service to visitors and it is simply the door attendant that is looking for some “Baksheesh” to supplement their wages. Do not pay!

The Motel.

Approx 10 minutes from the monastery is a very comfortable, and well priced, motel.

Nestled at the foot of Mount Sinai, in a small valley, this is the perfect place to base yourself for a visit to the monastery. The cool waters of the pool is welcoming enough but the well stocked bar will provide you with a cold beer to drink while you wash away the desert dust!

The restaurant is basic but the food is fresh and plentiful. A buffet dinner can be purchased for approx US$8 and is great value.