Saint Catherine’s Monastery, Greek Orthodox monastery situated on Mount Sinai more than 5,000 feet (1,500 metres) above sea level in a narrow valley north of Mount Mūsā in the Sinai peninsula. Often incorrectly called the Sinai Independent Greek Orthodox Church, the monastic foundation is the smallest of the autonomous churches that together constitute the Eastern Orthodox church. Fortress like, surrounded by massive fortifications, the monastery is located at the foot of Mount Sinai, at the mouth of a gorge and on a well maintained, two way street, left from the main road leading to the nearby, minuscule town of Saint Catherine. A monastery built on holy ground. The location of the monastery is significant for Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, because tradition identifies it as the place of the Burning Bush, a major biblical event where Moses encountered God: This remains its name today, though the monastery … More recently, it has been known as Saint Catherine’s Monastery. The monastery is also especially dedicated to the holy prophets Moses and Elias, who both came to this mountain, and who both spoke with Christ at the Transfiguration. The Monastery of Saint Catherine is the oldest active Eastern Orthodox monastery in the world, renowned for its extraordinary holdings of Byzantine art..