Egypt began its state-sponsored Great Transfiguration Project for tourists in 2021. The plan includes opening hotels, eco-lodges and a large visitor centre, as well as expanding the small nearby airport and a cable car to Mount Moses.
The government is promoting the development as “Egypt’s gift to the entire world and all religions”.
“The project will provide all tourism and recreational services for visitors, promote the development of the town [of St Catherine] and its surrounding areas while preserving the environmental, visual, and heritage character of the pristine nature, and provide accommodation for those working on St Catherine’s projects,” Housing Minister Sherif el-Sherbiny said last year.
While work does appear to have stalled, at least temporarily, due to funding issues, the Plain of el-Raha – in view of St Catherine’s Monastery – has already been transformed. Construction is continuing on new roads.
This is where the followers of Moses, the Israelites, are said to have waited for him during his time on Mount Sinai. And critics say the special natural characteristics of the area are being destroyed.
Detailing the outstanding universal value of the site, Unesco notes how “the rugged mountainous landscape around… forms a perfect backdrop for the Monastery”.
It says: “Its siting demonstrates a deliberate attempt to establish an intimate bond between natural beauty and remoteness on the one hand and human spiritual commitment on the other.”