March 8th, 2012
A Brief History of Saint Katherine's
Saint Katherine is the capital city of Saint Katherine Markaz which is to be found in Southern Sinai, Egypt. Located at the foot of Mount Sinai and Saint Katherine’s monastery, it is on the outskirts of the el-Tur mountain range, approximately 120 kilometres from Nuweiba, and at an elevation of 1586 metres. A 1994 census places the number of inhabitants in Saint Katherine at 4603.
The history of Saint Katherine stretches back so far it is mind-boggling. The 16th century BC saw an Ancient Egyptian settlement flourish on the spot. This was made possible in the 16th century BC as it was at this time that the Pharaohs built the way of Shur which went across Sinai, through Beersheba and all the way to Jerusalem. As the region in which modern day Saint Katherine is boasted a great deal of turquoise, copper, and gold, it was mined extensively by the Egyptians in Saint Catherine. We know this because ruins of mines have been preserved very close to Saint Katherine in various locations such as the Valley of Inscription.