A Tale of Two Religions at St. Katherine Monastery

I and my former editor-in-chief traveled 230 kms to St. Katherine’s Monastery last year to uncover the secret between two religions thriving within its stone fortress.  Upon arriving at the entrance of the monastery, a large pack of tourists were waiting in line to go through a narrow entrance cut through granite walls. Without much difficulty, we were able to squeeze ourselves inside; whereas had we been alive during the 18^th century, we would have entered through the wooden elevated gate by rope and pulley.

At the foyer is a white rectangular Fatimid Mosque and the church’s bell tower. On the surrounding of the mosque are inscriptions stating that Prince Anoshteken Al-Amer built the Mosque in 1106 for Caliph Al-Amer Be Ahkam Allah as a shelter for pilgrims journeying towards Mecca and as protection for the Monastery. While the door of the Mosque has been locked since its completion, the keys to it are nevertheless held by the Jebeleya (mountain people) Bedouins as their rightful honor, as well as to use in special occasions. It is interesting to know that not only do the Bedouins call for their own prayers, but they also ring the church bell for the Christian masses.

Immediately past the Mosque is the doorway of the Church of Transfiguration. Built by Emperor Justinian in 557 AD, the Byzantine church transmits a sense of strong devotion and faith of the Greek Orthodox monks to the Almighty for securing the church’s esteemed interior and important relics safe and preserved from obstructions of the last 15 centuries. Around its monolithic marble columns are some of the monastery’s chief icons, such as impressively carved thrones of past patriarchs and bishops, the most-prized gold-etched mosaic of The Transfiguration of Christ on the apse above the main altar, and to its right-hand side, the crowned skull and left thumb of St. Katherine of Alexandria, which were found on Mt. St. Katherine during the 9^th century.

No monks were visible inside the church yet, not until noon when all 25 of them gather in daily mass. Hoping to find a monk whom we could talk to, we exited through the southern end of the church and climbed up the wooden staircase to the Icon Collection.

At the reception area, we met Father Nilos, the monk responsible for over 2000 great treasures displayed in the Icon Collection from the 6^th to 9^th century AD. However, since he was not authorized to answer unsolicited questions, he suggested us to wait inside the church for Father Porphyrios, the Guardian of Treasures.

We retreated to the main grounds, stopping shortly in front of the Burning Bush, which is currently undergoing restoration. The site believed to be the backdrop of Moses’ historical conversation with God contains a lush bush, enclosed with a high stoned wall and a fence, also standing as a witness to the pilgrims who have prayed and written their wishes on rolled-up papers stuck through its crevices.

Back inside the Church of Transfiguration, we found Father Porphyrios surveying the precious nave with his Egyptian assistant. He approached us as we neared the nave and was kind enough to answer our questions regarding two diverse religious sites existing inside the monastery. His assistant translated his Greek reply for us, stating that “We live in harmony with the Jebeleya Bedouins who come and work with us, as well as with other Muslims visiting our monastery because of the respect we give to both religions. We also have in the Icon Collection a covenant written by the Prophet Mohamed recognizing the significant practices of both as different forms of worship to the same God.”

The kind monk then led us to an area further away from the Church. Much to our surprise, the area that we were shown into was the vault of skeletons. The Charnel House, which is now restricted to tourists, holds the skeletons of monks and bishops that have been exhumed from the cemetery. It stores each skeleton part in separate piles and the bishops apart from the monks. But its main attraction is the skeleton of a 6^th century monk, Stephanos crunched inside a vertical glass casket with a purple robe and cap and long nails sticking out from his boney fingers. He was believed to have stayed in contemplation on Mt. Sinai in the years prior to his death in 580 AD. His corpse was later found on the holy mountain preserved by Sinai’s dry cool climate.

Having accomplished our goal and meeting a friendly monk who showed us something we had only read about in books, we took off for another 2 ½ hour-scenic trip back to Sharm El Sheikh.

The Monastery is open Monday to Thursday and on Saturday from 10:00 to 11:30 am; on Friday from 10:45 to 11:45 am.  Admission is free.

Sinai Bedouins

In the old days, the Bedouins traveled around the bounder less Sinai Peninsula from Saudi Arabia to South Sinai on their camels as early as the 6^th Century AD.  Some traveled from closer proximities of the Nile River in Egypt and Jordan. They navigated toward places all over Sinai with their belongings and animals and settled along valleys and oases where they can establish a feasible way of life.

There are about 8 tribes in Sinai now.  The Bedouins that we see all over Sharm El Sheikh are from a tribe called Muszeina who live to protect the nature in protected areas like Nabq and Abu Galum; from Nuweiba to Taba, there is the Tarabin tribe; in West Sinai is a small tribe called Aleigat; within the territory of El Tor to the mountainous regions of Wadi Feiran and Sarabit El Khadem are the Qararsha, Awarma and Awlad Said, which collectively compose the Sawalha tribe; from the valleys and high mountains of St. Katherine, the Gebaleya have settled since the 6^th AD as the protectors of its natural resources; and along the Gulf of Aqaba from Jordan is the Masayeed tribe.

Once the Bedouins settle in their respective territories, they begin establishing their sources for survival; planting crops, breeding animals like goat, sheep and camels, and earning income from trade. From these basic sources, they have managed to keep a healthy diet of vegetables, fruits, goats, and chicken cooked in a traditional way with herbs and olive oil.

Bedouins base their whole life with respect on traditional honor codes of hospitality, courage and purity of women.  They have a Tribal council whose authority has been passed down to him from his predecessors in order to execute the Bedouin system of justice true to these codes.

During the Israelis, the Bedouins were treated under occupation. Though they were treated well, they could not have passports, and therefore they didn’t have identity.  Whereas when Egypt recovered Sinai, the Bedouins gained their passports and identity, which opened the doors for traveling elsewhere outside of Sinai.

They are rich in traditions.  They have hospitality, poetry, music, and respect for nature.  A common man can go to the desert and find more hospitality from the Bedouins than in the town and in all the cities.  They are very peaceful. They like to meet new people, go out with them and show them around.

Their poetry is as defined as well as their systemize lifestyle.  It deals on subjects of desert life, battles, philosophy, weather, nature, love and hospitality.  It is quite difficult to understand for the common man, as the structure of such personal composition alters profoundly within the poem.

Nature is very important to them.  Whenever they settle in a territory, they ensure the conservation of its natural resources as their culture is well established on it. They also love the rain because it doesn’t happen very often.  Whenever it rains they are very happy as a lot of vegetation grows, so the animals, especially the goats get to eat fresh food instead of garbage.

Now with the climate change and the progressing development of South Sinai, their age-old heritage is being threatened to oblivion.  Thus to strengthen their hold on this, a festival, called Characters of Egypt is held every October in Marsa Alam, where 8 tribes gather from all over Egypt to unite in a showcase of culture, music, Bedouin law, food tradition, and in traditional Bedouin games.

Shisha Pipe Dreams

At every bar frequented by Egyptian men, you’ll see her elegantly displayed at his side like a trophy set to clear his mind and relax his body as he pleases.  He lifts a part of her and sucks through her mouth the fragrant air that the water and fire within her creates.  Satiated, he holds her close to him for another relaxing puff that she so shamelessly emits.  She goes by the name of Shisha – a glass smoking water pipe commonly preferred by Arabs for its tobacco filtering function.

Shisha is truly akin to a woman; in particular to Delilah whose elegance and beauty has taunted Samson to submission and to the loss of his vigor.  Those who favor smoking shisha are actually yielding more than the nicotine intake of a pack of cigarettes, i.e. one shisha session equates to 60 cigarette sticks.

According to the World Health Organization, “Shisha smoke retains all the carcinogens of cigarette smoke while adding more carbon monoxide and a separate set of carcinogens from the use of burning coals to keep the nicotine flowing”.  In addition, Mostafa Kamal, of the Egyptian Smoking Prevention Research Institute, had concluded that a third of Egypt‘s 34,000 annual tobacco-related deaths, were due to smoking shisha.

Other hazards of smoking shisha are:

• Inhalation of high levels of toxic compounds, leading to heart diseases and lung and oral cancers.
• Infection with tuberculosis, herpes, hepatitis and gum diseases from shared mouthpieces.
• New toxins are added from artificially-flavoured tobacco
• Involves health risks to second-hand smokers
• Causes wrinkles and sexual impotence.

Smoking shisha may lead to a wondrous pipe dream for a mere moment.  It may give the impression of sophistication but when health is at risk, it is better to divert vices to something cooler like eating foods rich in zinc.

The Bedouin Man

A man of the desert spawns miles and miles across his vast land. In this existence he survives on pure happiness, isolated from modern complexities of the contemporary world, where life for him is rooted on age-old traditions deepened by family, honor, respect, and an immense passion for nature. This sets the Bedouin man distinct from the common man. The legacy of a Bedouin depends on the environment he is born in. A man born in the valley of mountains or near the sea will always settle in the same setting whichever place he chooses to dwell in. Starting at the age of four, he is introduced to essential means of survival; he is taught to make bread, to cook food for his family, to help his mother with her chores, to serve tea for guests, to look for water sources, to plant crops, to weave garments from camel hair, to ride and care for a camel, to herd goats, to climb mountains, to write poetry, to fish, and to live alone in the desert with keen awareness of signs delivered through his surroundings. When he reaches 18, he can marry the bride chosen by his father and apply his learned tradition to his own family.

Among tribesmen who are distant from civilization, like Bedouins living deep in the desert and in mountain valleys, their inbred traditions remain intact. Some have managed to cross to the mainstream in order to get higher education and live among Westerners, intermittently bouncing back to the peaceful desert life that they’re accustomed to. While there are those born in modernized cities like Sharm El Sheikh, Dahab, Nuweiba and El Tur, whose lives have become intertwined in the thriving system of tourism, working as taxi drivers, divers, and tour guides since the Israeli era. And as characters bred with hospitality, it is a pleasure for them to display their culture through Bedouin dinners, smoking a communal shisha, performing music around a bonfire, desert excursions, and camel rides.

At the heart of their renowned hospitability is a proverb: “Trust in Allah, but tie your camel first”. It means that they extend their heart to their guests with a vigilance of a warrior; thus they could be your best friend if you treat them with the same patience, respect and honor that they give you or your worst enemy if you break your word and betray their trust.

Visit www.desert-scout.com to learn more on Bedouins and their culture.

An Absolute Dining Experience at Rangoli, Sofitel Sharm

Taste the exotic flavor of authentic Indian cuisine at Rangoli.  Situated in the alluring cove of Sofitel Hotel and Resorts, one can dine in content with excellent quality of service and remarkable consistency of food on a romantic atmosphere overlooking the glittering Naama Bay promenade.

You can opt for the terrace dining area, a smoking area with cozy iron furniture softened by traditional Indian cushions, or inside the smoke-free section where paintings of Indian rituals complement the elegant furniture set in such a warm ambience.

Rangoli Indian Restaurant’s efficient staff will let your mind and body at ease, while they serve your preferred alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages along with subtly spiced appetizer of churned yogurt sauce and two types of onion delicacies with Naan bread slices to ignite your taste buds.

All of the food are enhanced with fragrant, pungent and warm spices and are meticulously prepared fresh by their proficient Indian chef based on his strict food heritage.

The Prawn Pakora, a starter of big shrimps deep-fried with Indian herbs is perfect to awaken your appetite; the same with Mulligatawny, spicy curried lentil soup garnished with rice or chicken; and Raita, a light dish of yogurt, cucumber and pineapple sprinkled with cumin.

As the delectable flavor immerse in your senses, fill yourself with their harmonizing Tandoori Preparations, cooked from the traditional clay oven.  They serve Tandoori Fish, a truly delectable dish of tender fish cubes marinated with yogurt, garlic and mustard seeds; Tandoori Murgh, a famous Indian chicken dish enhanced with yogurt and spices; and Khass Seekh Kebab, slightly spicy minced lamb coated with fresh coriander and mint onion.

For vegetarians, they offer Palak ki Subji, a flavorful bowl of fresh spinach with mushroom slices; Tandoori Subji, grilled vegetables with herbs; and Rangoli Dal, a creamy black lentil dish with butter.

They also have traditional curry dishes of fish, lamb and chicken, as well as hot and spicy specialties like Vindaloo, a Goan style meat curry with potato; Madras, a South Indian meat curry; Bhuna Gosht, tender lamb cooked with cloves, cardamom and thick masala sauce; and not too spicy ones like Murgh Corma, boneless chicken cooked in cashew and almond gravy, and Saagwala Gosht, fenugreek flavored lamb with fresh spinach.

You can pair your main course with palatable choices of bread and rice.  Aside from the famous Indian Naan bread, they have Aloo Paratha with potato and green peas stuffing, Cheese or Garlic Naan, Peshawari Naan with dried fruits and coconut, and Papadum, a crunchy, thin and tasty lentil bread.

While their choices of rice are just as flavorful, you can have the plain one or  with dried fruits and nuts along with your main course, or eat the rice toppings alone, either with lamb, chicken, shrimps, vegetables, or mushroom and onions.

At the end, sweeten your mouth with their distinct desserts like Kashmiri Phirni, light Indian rice pudding with dried fruits and saffron, Gulab-Jamum, milk dumpling soaked in sugar syrup, or a bowl of typical Indian ice cream.  Otherwise, just cap your meal with Massala Tea mixed with cardomom and ginger or Ilaichiwali Chay, Orthodox tea cooked in milk and cardamom.

The prices are reasonable for the quality of food, service and ambience you get.  I have eaten here thrice already and each time was a great value for my money.  In fact the entire setup is so impressive that I don’t mind coming back for more.

Opening hours are from 7:00-11:00 p.m.  For reservations, 069 3600 081 90

Om Sai Yoga and Ayurveda

In a town where traffic and pollution cease, and abundance of nature peaks, one easily attains optimum health, beauty and contentment in life.  Well, “life”, in the words of ancient Indian Ayurvedic physician Charaka Samhita, being a “combination of the body, sense organs, mind and soul, the factor responsible for preventing decay and death, which sustains the body over time, and guides the processes of rebirth”, should therefore be self-contained regardless of external factors.

However, in tough moments like the current global crisis, we find ourselves vulnerable to all kinds of decay; to a slow spiralling down to depression, overlooking our precious dreams and disregarding our health.  We succumb to vices for the sake of our quick yet brief upliftment, but then we instantly return to our abusive habits and wait for another upliftment to arise.  But what if we were given the chance for eternal upliftment and permanently overcome frustrating obstacles?

Should you accept this chance with open eyes, a pure heart and a willing soul, then Om Sai Yoga and Ayurveda is here to help you achieve all that.

Coming from a long lineage of Ayurveda practitioners or Ashtavaidyas, Praveen Saathi, Munna Sadanandan, and Manoj Nair founded Om Sai Yoga and Ayurveda to enlighten people in their native country India and other parts of Asia with the philosophy and discipline of Yoga and the ancient holistic healing of Ayurveda that were taught to them by their ancestors.

From left to right, Ashtavaidyas Praveen, Munna and Manoj

Praveen had been the first one among them to move to Sharm El Sheikh.  He came here mid-last year to teach a full-course of Raja Yoga (Royal Yoga) or yoga path of meditation, based on his studies of the Bhramakumari Yoga System, a system that assures a balanced life in a holistic and non-aesthetic approach. Through his grandmother he learned the application of Yoga, Indian martial arts (Kalari) and herbal knowledge to Ayurveda.  At which point, he discovered that the components of nature provides stronger solutions than modern techniques.

Thus, after months of teaching and getting acquainted with the desert tinsel town, he felt the need to open an authentic Ayurvedic center where people from here and Cairo can undergo an all-organic and low cost solution for health and beauty rejuvenation, done only by qualified Ayurvedic practitioners from Kerala (the leading Indian state of Ayurvedic medical system).

Consequently, he went back to his hometown, Kerala to relearn his Ayurvedic knowledge and to bring with him fellow Ashtavaidyas, Munna and Manoj to Sharm.

Munna and Nair, both degree holders of Ayurvedic healing system in Kerala, did not waste time in preparing the organic Ayurvedic medicaments (true to the strict Dhanvantari principle) as soon as they arrived here.

Om Sai Yoga & Ayurveda delivers a holistic lifestyle with soul and body exercises, as well as awareness and respect to nature by maximizing her abundant gifts.  Their name, on the other hand, represents their integrated beliefs and practices. Om, being the root of all mantras for deeper concentration of the mind; Sai, inspired by Indian guru and saint, Sai Baba of Shirdi, who tried to harmonize Hinduism and Islam with his philosophy; Yoga, an ancient discipline that unites the mind, body and soul; and Ayurveda, from the compound word Ayus, meaning life, and Veda, knowledge or science, which together forms the “knowledge of life” or more appropriately, “the science of long life” through the ancient Indian holistic way of healing.

They offer a long line of preventive treatments for health and beauty such as: Abhyanga (full-body therapeutic massage), Shirodhara (medicated oil drops on the head), Shirovasti (medicated oil drops with a cap), Njavara Khizi (herbal linen pouch body treatment), Panchakarma (3 or 7 days detoxification), Marma (vigorous massage with the use of hands and feet), Kativasti (medicated oil retained on the body), Pizhichil (medicated oil bath), Nasyam (sinusitis treatment), Mugha Abhyanga (herbal facial treatment). These Ayurvedic treatments coincide with session prescribed treatments like: Face Lift, Neck Lift, Breast Lift, Wrinkles Treatment, Eye Bag Removal, Mudpack, Skin Toning, Stress Buster (3-5 days), Weight Loss (5-7 days) E.E.N.T. Care (3 days), and Herbal Haircare.

Yogi Praveen advises current and future yogis to learn how to conserve their energy so they could properly channel it into self-attunement.  He also stresses that to understand the full-benefits of yoga, particularly Raja Yoga, yogis should first master The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. These are the 8 disciplinary limbs, which begin with Yama (social discipline), Niyama (individual discipline), Asana (posture), Pranayama (control of the life energy through breathing), Pratyahara (mind withrawal from the senses), Dharana (concentration), Dhyana (meditation), and Samadhi (enlightenment); By disregarding one limb a yogi cannot fully achieve Yoga’s full benefits.  Hence when it comes to meditation, a yogi has to religiously practice it daily at the same time, either in the early morning or in the dark night, so he/she could adopt proper control of thoughts and be mindful of his/her daily actions.

At the end of the day, it is only up to us whether we choose to realize our true selves and achieve eternal contentment or be caught in the chaos produced by others.

Follow them at http://www.omsaischoolofyoga.com and on facebook via Sharm-ayurveda Yoga Rajayoga.