The term “icon”, derived from the Greek word eikon, means “image”, and, in the Christian tradition, refers to a representation of a holy person through which one can make a spiritual connection.

One of the most striking characteristics of a Christian icon is its steady gaze, which engages the faithful and invites them to pray through them to reach God. Accordingly, the faithful prayed with eyes open before the icons, not with eyes closed or heads bowed.

St. Catherine’s Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage site located in the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt (see our map) holds one of the greatest collections of Christian icons, which contains icons dating from the 6th century – the oldest icons in the world.

Specifically in our ApproachGuide to the Christian Icons of St. Catherine’s Monastery, we:

• provide a background on icons in general, including their origins, benefactors, and construction;
• look at the stylistic evolution of icons, from their origins in the 4th century through to the Byzantine Palaeologan Period (1261-1453);
• review the changes in iconography as the Church began to recast itself as a Western Latin institution (as opposed to original Eastern Orthodox orientation)  in an effort to appeal to the growing numbers European pilgrims;
• offer detailed reviews (with high quality images) of the most influential individual works in St Catherine Monastery’s collection.

As an added bonus, we include an overview of the history on the Monastery itself and the details on a hike to the summit of Mt. Sinai aka Moses’ Mountain.

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All Approach Guides are offered as PDF files that can be downloaded and printed immediately after purchase.

Icon of Blessing Christ (6th C), St. Catherine's Monastery, Egypt