Anniversary treasures
The annual ceremony commemorating the martyrdom of Saint Catherine -- one of Orthodox Christianity's most revered figures -- was held last week at the monastery bearing her name in Sinai, reports Samir Naoum.
Several never-before-seen treasures were revealed to the crowd that had gathered for the event. Amongst the valuable collections, manuscripts and icons, were the head and hand of St Catherine (top left), an ancient map of sacred Christian destinations across the world (above), and a bible lectionary case (top right).
At the ceremony, Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens spoke of St Catherine's life, martyrdom and status in both the Coptic and Greek Orthodox churches. Tony Kazamias, the Monastery's speaker, also took the opportunity to offer greetings to Muslims around the world for Eid Al-Fitr, which coincided with the ceremony.
The three-hour event was attended by delegates from Cyprus and Greece.
