The Icons of Saint Catherine’s Monastery
Saint Catherine’s Monastery is not renowned throughout the world simply because it is
the site where Moses is believed to have seen the burning bush. One of the oldest
Christian monasteries in the world, the site holds one of the biggest collections of ancient
manuscripts in the world, as well as one of the foremost collections of icons. The
highlight of our visit through the monastery was the Church of Transfiguration, which
has seen little change since its conception in roughly 551 AD. I was most impressed by
the Church walls, which are lined with unique icons adding to the monastery’s vast
assembly of treasures.
The collection of icons that are housed inside the Monastery can be found in the Church,
the chapels, the sacristy, and the monks’ cells. Interestingly, a separate room called the
Icon Gallery is dedicated to those enthusiasts who have a keen interest in learning more
about the history of icons. In effect, out of a collection of over 2,000 icons, which were
produced during various periods between the 6th and 19th century, about 100 of them are
scattered throughout the monastery. Images, whether in two dimensions or three have
played a significant role throughout the history of religion. Depending on the tenets of a
given religion, the function (i.e. ornament, instruction, inspiration, or worship) and
degree to which icons are used vary.
Some of the icons in the monastery are unique sacred objects while others are simple
works of art. These masterpieces are generally characterized by a specific period in time,
or technique used for production. I was most interested to learn about the ‘Siniatic’ icons,
which date between the 12th and 15th century and represent important individuals
associated with the Monastery including Prophet Moses, St. Catherine, St. John
Climacus, and others. In effect, monks, abbots, patriarchs, and Saints are usually
represented. Interestingly, most of these icons were believed to have been painted in the
Monastery itself and because of the different artistic talent of the painters they vary in
style, technique, and quality. Interestingly, they provide a window into not only the
Monastery’s history, but also daily life and activities of notable people who resided in the
famous site.
I was able to find a resident guide of the monastery who is an expert on icons and their
history. He kindly agreed to sit down with me and do an in-depth interview. Excerpts of
the interview are included below.
Interview at Saint Catherine’s Monastery
Interviewer: Can you tell me your name and describe your role at the Monastery?
Interviewee: My name is Timor and I am 24 years old. I am Christian. I have been
working here at the Church for 5 years. I am the head of security. My father also works
here. He is a carpenter.
Interviewer: Can you tell me about the icons that are housed inside the monastery?
Interviewee: The icons date between the 6th and 19th century. There are about 2000 icons
in total. Some icons are Portraits of Jesus, Moses, and Saint Catherine. Others are scenes
of the life of certain figures including Saint Eustratios and Saint Virgin Mary. There are
also menologia icons, which illustrate the Saints honored on each day of the ecclesiastical
year. It takes about 6 months to make some of these icons. The earliest icons were made
out of wax and vegetal pigments mixed at high temperature and spread on a wooden
surface. A special brush is used to apply the mixture to the surface. In the 7th century this
technique was replaced by the tempera painting.
Interviewer: What is the significance of the icons and the Saint Catherine’s Monastery?
Interviewee: This is where Moses communicated with God. Since then, there the
pilgrimages started. Over the years many dignitaries including Napoleon have made the
pilgrimage to this site as a way of connecting with their Christianity. Some of the icons at
the Monastery are images of these dignitary visits and represent the strong relationship
that Christians have with Mt. Sinai and the Monastery at Saint Catherine’s.