A stirring visit to the Sinai, following in the tracks of countless pilgrims, tribes, and armies (Burton Bernstein wrote in Sinai: The Great and Terrible Wilderness that this strategic, holy, mysterious piece of "gritty real estate...has been occupied by some alien force-50 at last count-since the early Bronze Age, about 5,000 years ago"). We climb Mount Sinai, inspect the Monastery of St. Catherine's treasury of fourth-century icons and illuminated manuscripts (the largest collection outside of the Vatican), and have tea with the Bedouin tribespeople who safeguard St. Catherine's Natural Protectorate, a land "like the Alps stripped bare." We end in the resort of Sharm el Sheikh with some well-earned R&R.

Day 1: arrive in Sharm el Sheikh • Day 2: St. Catherine’s Monastery, a treasury of fourth-century icons and illuminated manuscripts (the largest collection outside of the Vatican) • Day 3: climb Mount Sinai • Day 4: day at leisure in Sharm el Sheikh • Day 5: return to Cairo.

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