“A great spiritual treasure that should be maintained for future generations.”
“A marvellous testament to the wealth and diversity of the cultures which have come together and enriched one another in this meeting point between the people of Africa, and Europe and Asia.”
Protecting one of the greatest libraries in the world
Saint Catherine Foundation
The Saint Catherine Foundation raises funds and awareness for the essential works needed to conserve, preserve, study and share the unique heritage offered by Saint Catherine’s Monastery in Sinai, Egypt. The Monastery is home to one of the most important collections of Christian manuscripts in the world, second in historical and spiritual significance only to that of the Vatican.
The Monastery sits on the slopes of Mount Sinai protecting the library and its collection of manuscripts. The manuscripts offer unrivalled insights into the life and the faiths that coexisted within the Monastery walls for centuries. They reveal important information about the movement of people and ideas from Late Antiquity to the modern era and provide unrivalled evidence of the development of religious literature and the languages, some still spoken, others extinct, in which these texts were written.
Sharing historical insights with today’s technology
Through systematic investment in secure storage and the latest technology, these manuscripts can be shared safely with scholars, academics and enthusiasts around the world, without risk or compromise to the original collection. Their contribution to research and education, in a surprisingly wide variety of fields, is invaluable.
The challenges of conservation in Sinai
However, the practicalities of getting resources and equipment into Sinai and carrying out work in the middle of a mountainous desert make the conservation and preservation of buildings and artefacts both complex and costly. This is why every single donation towards these projects is so urgently needed and gratefully received.