Spiritual Space in the Land of Egypt

It is not necessary to be religious to meditate on a mountain, or in a monastery, a mosque, or a church for that matter. God is all around us in these holy lands. The Judaic, Christian and Muslim faiths all have aspects of the truth. When we join them up together with all the other bits, then we may see more clearly.

Best Destinations in Egypt for Meditation

Top of Mount Sinai Egypt

Mount Sinai is as good a place as any in Egypt to begin to begin our daydream. I recommend taking warm clothes along because even in the summer the late afternoons can be cold although there are comfortable hotels nearby. It is so desolate and awesome up there that I am not surprised the Jews believed their almighty god inhabited the space. The views from the top are elevated as I imagine looking down from heaven. In the 4^th century, Christians built a monastery in the foothills of the harsh, unforgiving place.

St. Catherine’s Monastery

Someone had a vision when they built St. Catherine’s Monastery in Egypt. There is a village character within its fortress walls at the mouth of an inaccessible gorge. Cells for solitary monks rub shoulders with priceless paintings, ancient scrolls and gilded ceilings. Remarkably for these troubled times, the site of this religious community is sacred to Christianity, Islam and Judaism.

The Dodekaorton Icon Beam

A Quiet Courtyard in St Catherine’s

A Moment in the Mosque of ‘Amr ibn al-‘As

The original middle-7^th century structure was a simple low shed supported by palm tree trunks. It stood on the site where the first Arab conqueror of Egypt pitched his tent, and takes his name. Progressively more elaborate versions followed as control over Egypt ebbed and flowed. The architraves on the southern wall date from to the 9^th century. The current structure completed in 1796, after the previous one became dilapidated shortly before Napoleon arrived on his French expedition.

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