St. Catherine Monastery is Being Prepped for Mega-Restoration

Catherine Monastery, a long-time UNESCO World Heritage List member, is a humble vanguard of Egypt’s snowiest mountains - and as one of the oldest Christian monasteries with the oldest continually operating library in the world, it’s no big revelation that it might be in need of some pampering. Fortunately, the western part of the monastery - whose library houses over 4,500 manuscripts - is finally being prepared for restoration.

The mega-restoration will include smaller churches within the monastery and the outside area. Electric poles will be removed from the surrounding valley area, and replaced with an appropriate lighting system and a security gate. The monastery garden is also being prepped for new additions, which include a honey apiary and olive press that will complement the rare tree species within the garden.

The development will also see a provision of golf carts to transport visitors to and from the area, and the installation of an automatic extinguishing and fire system.