A golden calf in sacred space

The future of St Katherine's monastery, Mount Sinai (Egypt)

Datos Bibliográficos

ID5884819
AutoresMyra Shackley (Nottingham Trent University, autor de correspondencia)
Año1998
Volumen4
Número3-4
Páginas124-134
Fecha de publicación1998-01-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessNo
TipoARTICLE
RevistaInternational Journal of Heritage Studies (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 1352-7258 • E-ISSN: 1470-3610
EditorialInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/13527259808722230
OpenAlexW2039215626
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas12
Referencias citadas4

The spectacular fortified monastery of St Katherine, continuously inhabited since the 4th century and with a library second only in historical significance to that of the Vatican, forms the epicentre of a sacred landscape surrounding Mount Sinai, in the southern Sinai desert (Egypt). This site, with religious significance for Jews, Muslims and Christians alike, is currently threatened by very rapid growth in visitation Jrom Egypt's new tourist resorts on the Red Sea coast, less than three hours drive away. Currently, 97,000 visitors per year arrive at St Katherine, 80% of whom are day‐trip visitors and many of whom stay less than half an hour. This represents a 300% increase in the last decade, projected to increase by a further 500% by 2017. Tourism pressure is having a serious effect on the sustainability of monastic life, despite efforts to limit visiting hours and access. This fieldwork‐based case study summarises the current impact of tourism in the Mount Sinai area suggesting that although high visitation levels have imperilled its spirit of place they have also, conversely, provided some measure of protection for both site and landscape in the current political climate

Ancient history · Archaeology · Art · Mount · Archaeology and Historical Studies · Byzantine Studies and History · Engineering · Historical and Religious Studies of Rome · History