Definition: St. Catherine's Monastery is a Byzantine church built at the foot of Mount Sinai, Egypt between 548 and 565 AD. The building was erected by the Emperor Justinian I, as part of the defensive structure for the Byzantine Empire.
The monastery's art and architecture was documented by George Forsyth of the University of Michigan in the late 1950s. St. Catherine's is one of the oldest active monasteries in the world, celebrating its 17th century of the monastic life in 2002.
This glossary entry is part of the Dictionary of Archaeology.
The monastery's art and architecture was documented by George Forsyth of the University of Michigan in the late 1950s. St. Catherine's is one of the oldest active monasteries in the world, celebrating its 17th century of the monastic life in 2002.
Sources
There are several great sources on St. Catherine's, the best archaeological one being at the University of Michigan's website.This glossary entry is part of the Dictionary of Archaeology.
