Romania’s own Sinai Monastery
By Idris Tawfiq
20/9/2012
Egypt’s magic down through the centuries has left its spell on many visitors, who return again and again. Many take home with them some souvenir of their visit, whilst others just leave with treasured memories of a lifetime’s experience.
One of Egypt’s most visited places is the Monastery of Saint Catherine in the Sinai Peninsula. Built in the sixth century at the foot of Mount Sinai by the Emperor Justinian on the spot where Moses allegedly encountered the Burning Bush, and on the site of an already existing monastery founded 300 years earlier, Saint Catherine’s has for centuries been home to a community of Greek Orthodox Monks, whose simply lifestyle speaks to a world so busy that it often forgets to think of its Creator.
The Romanian Prince Mihail Cantacuzino, second in command of Wallachian troops, visited the monastery in the 17th century and fell under its spell. He was so deeply moved by his experience there that on his return home he founded a monastery in its honour. The monastery took the form of both religious dwelling and fortified stronghold, defending the Prahova Valley and the road between Brasov and Bucharest.
The Sinaia Monastery, as it is called, and the nearby town of Sinaia, which bears the same name, are now an unusual living link between Romania and Egypt.
The monastery, which belongs to the Romanian Orthodox Patriarchate, whose Patriarch, Daniel I, celebrates the fifth anniversary of his election this month, is still home to a community of monks after more than 300 years, as well as being a monument of national importance containing treasures of world significance.
The plan of the monastery is very simple. There are two courtyards surrounded by low buildings, and in the centre of each courtyard there is a church. The first church, built between 1690 and 1695, is known as the Old Church. The second, called the Great Church, was begun in 1842 and completed in 1846. In 1892, a large bell-tower was added to the monastery walls containing a bell weighing 1,700 kilogrammes.
Built in a distinctly Romanian style, in a mix between the styles of Moldavia and Wallachia, there is a panel of three green enamel lines that run around the exterior of the church. Some suggest that these represent the Holy Trinity. Others suggest they symbolise the unification of the three Romanian kingdoms into one country.
In a beautiful alpine location, surrounded by pine trees and benefitting from the fresh mountain air, Sinaia Monastery is sometimes called the Cathedral of the Bucegi Mountains. The whole complex, in fact, was enlarged in 1864 to include a hospital and thermal baths, bringing visitors to the town to sample the thermal springs.
Sinaia Monastery was the first religious building in Romania to have electric lighting, which was installed during the reign of King Carol I. The buildings were restored between 1951 and 1957 and underwent a more recent restoration, begun in 2006.
Inside the monastery itself, there is a rich collection of icons and of jewels belonging to the Cantacuzino family. Two icons, representing Saint Sergei and Saint Nicholas, were presented by Tsar Nicholas II in 1903 to celebrate the baptism of Prince Nicolae, the son of Romania’s King Ferdinand. The monastery library also contains the oldest Bible in the Romanian language, translated in 1668.
In another link with Romania’s past, the tomb of former prime minister, Tache Ionescu, can be found within the grounds. He played a part in the unification of the country in 1918 and expressed a desire in his will to be buried in the monastery.
Inside the Great Church, there is a painting of King Carol I with his hand on a rock pillar on which a piece is missing. This represented the still missing Romanian territories at the time.
So what of Romania’s link with Egypt?
Muslims read in the holy Quran:
“O Moses! Verily! It is I, Allah,
The All-Mighty, the All-Wise.”
27:9
Acknowledged by all three of the great Abrahamic faiths, the experience of Moses at the foot of Mount Sinai was to make him deeply aware of God’s presence. The monks of Saint Catherine’s Monastery and of the Sinaia Monastery in Romania still teach us, despite the busyness of our lives, that we forget the Almighty at our peril.
Since the Romanian revolution 22 years ago, the people of Romania have made great advances, joining both NATO and the European Union. Long under the hand of dictatorship, where even passports were denied to the citizens, its people are known for their openness and easy-going lifestyle. Egypt, too, whose people are similarly easy going, has now thrown off the mantle of an authoritarian regime and is looking to see great improvements in the life of her people.
nshallah, the people of both Egypt and Romania will learn from the men of God in their midst that an improved quality of lifestyle is not restricted to material things only. Revolutions come and go. Trade and investment between countries are important. But the Monastery of Sinaia teaches us that people who spare a thought for their Creator will not have too much to worry about, whatever the future might hold.
British Muslim writer, Idris Tawfiq, teaches at Al-Azhar University. The author of nine books about Islam, he divides his time between Egypt and the UK as a speaker, writer and broadcaster. You can visit his website at www.idristawfiq.com and join him on Facebook at Idris Tawfiq Page.
