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Bell Tower and Minaret After Rain

The bell tower and minaret in the morning after several days of rain.

5 comments to Bell Tower and Minaret After Rain

  • Richard Saloom

    Father Justin, A fascinating picture. To what period do the crosses and railings belong? Do they require routine care such as painting? Regards Richard

    • Father Justin

      The bell tower was built in 1870 by stonemasons from the Greek island of Tinos. The cross at the top is substantial, but the four crosses at each corner are cut from sheet metal. One of them snapped off several years ago. Last year, Michael the Russian replaced it, using his rope climbing skills to make the difficult ascent to the top of the tower. The railings are coated with rust proof paint, but they are also protected by the dry climate here.

  • EARLENE SCHMITT

    So beautiful Father Justin
    When hiking the mountain, is temperature cooler at higher altitude?
    I rem mountains in New Hampshire with still snow near top. Monadonack mountain, near Peterboro NH was beautiful!

    • Father Justin

      Saint Catherine’s Monastery is at an elevation of 1550 metres (5085 feet), while the peak of Sinai is at an elevation of 2285 metres (7497 feet). It is always cooler at the summit, which can be very pleasant in the summer. In the winter, ice and snow remain in sheltered areas of the mountains after they have melted at lower elevations. Bedouin have strong tents near the summit, to provide tea and coffee and biscuits to those making the climb. The tents provide shelter if it becomes windy, especially in early spring.

  • Jeff Wheelwright

    Where silence and the legend dwell,
    A cleft in Horeb is, they tell,
    Through which upon one happy day
    (The sun on his heraldic track
    Due sign having gained in Zodiac)
    A sunbeam darts, which slants away
    Through ancient carven oriel
    Or window in the Convent there,
    Illuming so with annual flush
    The somber vaulted chamber spare
    Of Catherine’s Chapel of the Bush–
    The Burning Bush. Brief visitant,
    It makes no lasting covenant;
    It brings, but cannot leave, the ray.

    Melville’s Clarel: A Poem and Pilgrimage in the Holy Land, 3.5.1-14

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