Sacred Space and Touristic Development At Jebel Musa (Mt Sinai), Egypt

Abstract

Tourism has affected adversely the spiritual welfare of the Greek Orthodox monks of the Monastery of St. Catherine in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula. The monastery occupies what the monks believe is sacred space around Mt. Sinai. They are obliged by tradition to host visitors who for many centuries were mainly pilgrims. Since 1967 increasingly large numbers of secular tourists have replaced pilgrims. Construction of tourist accommodations has violated sacred space around the monastery. Pressures of looking after tourists have reduced the monks' ability to perform religious duties. Recently-considered development plans would increase tourist visitation substantially. This study uses interviews with the monks to evaluate the importance of sacred places and the threat tourism poses to them. It proposes that touristic development in the area should consider the monks' place-related values, impose a ceiling on tourist visitation, and educate tourists on appropriate behavior in this environment.