Devout understanding
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A journey back in time
Astonishing inner change and respect for the desert, literature and mankind
A trip well worth taken
Now that I have started my journey as a blogger focusing on books among other topics, it was natural to want to visit this place. My eldest daughter was undoubtedly the best possible travel companion as she understands my fascination with the art of literature. No one could take her place. What we experienced together was unique and it created a new bond between mother and daughter.
The oldest library that is still in operation is the library of St Catherine’s Monastery, located in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula at the foot of Mount Sinai (Jebel Musa). It has been continuously running since about 565 AD.
This is so powerful that it is such awe that I feel for our journey. My husband and younger daughter stay at the hotel to snorkel. They have a great day, but I would say that what the eldest daughter and I experience is of a different kind.
The trip starts early one morning and we are in a small bus with tourists from other countries. We have many good laughs because one of our fellow travelers does not quite understand how she behaves. An older woman with braids rarely lets the tour guide speak to the point. There is always something she wants to ask or add. It interferes with us and our experience, but at the same time we are different. She could be perceived as inquisitive, but our assessment is rather that she does not really keep up with the flow of information.
Sand, sand and more sand. These are the roads that take us through the desert.
The time spent building these roads to reach this library is impressive. I’ve seen a lot of sand in my day, but never this amount. No scale could ever tell how much the sand weighs and how many cubic meters it contains. Interesting to reflect on this fact. Of course, the daughter and I talk about it.
The following information is striking;
The monastery library preserves the second largest collection of early codices and manuscripts in the world, outnumbered only by the Vatican Library. It contains around 6,000 manuscripts on various topics, including religion, history, geography, and philosophy, the oldest of which dates to the 4th century AD.
The art of book printing has evolved and changed over the centuries that have passed since then. Handmade with patience is not something that is done today. Now it is mass production that takes place. How about taking the time to see each book as a work of art of a rare kind? The value behind each word should have its weight in gold. Before you put your words on paper, you should think about what the words really mean.
Johannes Gutenberg is perhaps the person in world history who has had the greatest impact on the development of humanity. In the mid-15th century, in Mainz, Germany, he developed the technology to print and mass produce books. The art of printing quickly spread across the continent.
We get a guided tour of the area and it is a passionate and informed guide who takes us back in time. For our part, there is no problem understanding what he says, but for our fellow travellers who are neither fluent nor have a high knowledge of the English language that the guide speaks makes me wonder how much the others get out of the trip. My daughter and I take in everything that is conveyed and we listen with great interest.
Unfortunately, we do not get access to the library itself, it turns out, but having been right next to this is a nice experience. An experience that no one can take away from us. We have immortalized this day both in our memories and in photos, and I feel a respect for what books can give us. Without them, society would probably never have looked like it does today.
Conclusion: understand the history and the appeal of books.
It is almost a betrayal of the writers of that time not to understand what they have contributed.
Why visit this place
* Not only for book lovers, but for everyone to learn about history
* Get fascinated about this landscape and story behind this magnificent library and monastery
