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St Catherine's Monastery


St Catherine's Monastery
Photo Information
Copyright: Phillip Homer (fijiphil) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 498 W: 103 N: 236] (1332)
Genre: Places
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2005-10-10
Categories: Architecture
Camera: Canon Digital Ixus 500
Exposure: f/7.1, 1/250 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Date Submitted: 2006-06-27 12:17
Viewed: 1490
Points: 16
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Located at the foot of Mount Sinai (which is not visible in the photo), St. Catherine's Monastery, was constructed by order of the Emperor Justinian between 527 and 565. It is built around what is reputed to be the Burning Bush, from which God spoke to Moses. It is a spectacular natural setting for priceless works of art, including Arab mosaics, Greek and Russian icons, Western oil paintings, paintings on wax, marbles, enamels, chalices, reliquaries, including one donated by Czar Alexander II in the 19th century, and another by Empress Catherine of Russia in the 17th century. But of perhaps even greater significance is that it houses the second largest collection of illuminated manuscripts in the world (The Vatican has the largest). The collection consists of some 3,500 volumes in Greek, Coptic, Arabic, Armenian, Hebrew, Slavic, Syriac, Georgian and other languages. Around the year 1850, the fourth century Codex Sinaiticus, which is now in the British Museum in London, was discovered here. The Monastery even has a small 10th or 11th century mosque which was probably built to appease the Islamic authorities of the time, but which is now sealed and has never been used as it is not correctly aligned with Mecca. There is also a small chapel (the Chapel of St. Triphone, also known as the Skull House) which houses the skulls of deceased monks.

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This photo was taken by climbing for about 20 minutes up the rocky slopes on the opposite side of the valley. I was hoping to get high enough that the peak of Mt Sinai itself would rise above the lower mountains you can see in the photo, but with aching feet after our climb of the mountain itself the night before, and suffering as I was in the burning Egyptian sun, it wasn't possible.
leo61, Albrecht, touristdidi, fotomek, htplus, doubay has marked this note useful
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To guillaumejm: POVfijiphil 1 08-29 17:25
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • leo61 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3724 W: 343 N: 7487] (31920)
  • [2006-06-27 12:22]

Hi Philip!
Good composition with this interesting buildings in the foreground.and the nearly same colored mountans and the fantastic sky in the background.Perfect sharpness and verry nice colors.
Regards,Leo

Hi Philip
Beautiful view and well chosen compo. Good colours and DOF.
greetings Albrecht

What a fantastic place! What great trips, you have! I want to go everywhere, but I am too tired, and too poor!

Hello Philipp,
Wonderfull composition with great colours and light management. The pov is great. Vertical framing suits very well to your picture.
Best regards
JMarc

good shot of this legendary place - nice POV & composition, saturation indicates a sunny day (normally Sinai Peninsula is not that colorful; I've seen the area during a cloudy day - it was like ivory) tfs Tomasz

  • Great 
  • htplus (0)
  • [2006-12-16 1:34]

One of the best photos placing the monastery in perspective against the mountains.

  • Great 
  • doubay Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 993 W: 56 N: 916] (4623)
  • [2007-01-15 14:49]

Hey Phillip,
great shot of one of the most fascinating christian monuments and the impressive surrounding landscape. Thank you for sharing.
Best Regards
Andreas

Hi Philip,
Beautiful shot - I love the crisp contrast between the mountains and the sky. Most photos of St. Catherine's exclude the top of the mountains, but you've included them as an interesting element of the photo's composition.
Best,
Sarah

hello Philip,
cela penche un peu,et les couleurs sont un peu plates ,une légère saturation rendrait mieux la couleur loacle.
Un Ws est ajouté a ma critique
A+
Joseph

My own experience seeing St. Catherine's from above was at night, and a fairly dramatic experience it was, since we were stuck climbing down Mt. Sinai with no flashlight and only the moon to guide us. The shot is nice, though not your best from what I've seen- I'm no great photographer, but I like the inclusion of the mountains instead of just focusing downward.

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