Wadi El Dir in St Kathrine, apart from the Monastery of St. Katherine, is home to other sights, including the Chapel of Aaron, the Golden Calf, the Maqafa garden and
Gebel Muneiga. It is worth starting a visit to the Monastery from the very informative Visitors Centre.
The St. Katherine ’s Prote ctorate has
publishe d four Walking Trail Guides, each in three European languages. They might be
available from the Visitors Centre, the
Protectorate’s HQ in town and possibly in local hotels and camps. Along the walks
which the trail guides describe there are sm all stone tiles with numbers on them, and the booklet has relevant information to each of these stops, with additional cultural,
natural and historic notes and illustra tions. “ M t. Sinai, A Walking Trail Guide” describes the sights along the usual tourist route – going up the camel path and descending
from the Stairs of Repentance – in detail. The other three walking trail guides – “Wadi Talla and Wadi Itlah”, “Wadi Arbaein & Wadi Shrayj” and “Jebel Abbas Pasha” – are also excellent.
The Visitors Centre (1) is close to the roundabout (2) before town, next to Aaron’s Hill (3). The Golden Calf (4) is a short way from here, along the walk to the Monastery (5). The garden of Magafa (6) literally overhangs the monastery in the side of Gebel el Dir (7). On the top of Gebel Muneiga is Jethro’s Chapel (8). There are also paths to the Monastery from Wadi Isbaiya (9), where Mt. Sinai ecolodge is located, over a saddle. The common routes to Gebel Musa (Mt. Sinai) (10) start at the Monastery
Next to the visitors centre is the hill housing a chapel and Muslim shrine, both dedicated to Aaron – Prophet Harun (Nabi Harun) according to Islam.
Further up in Wadi el Dir, the short valley leading to the Monastery, you can see a rock formation what locals believe is the mould which was used to make the Golden Calf.
The three round objects above the walled up old gate symbolize bread and are the mark of good relations between the Monastery and the Bedouin tribes.
