In Saint Catherine, South Sinai—a place sacred to the three Abrahamic religions—the Egyptian government is nearing completion of the Great Transfiguration Project, a large-scale tourism development that includes an airport, a five-star hotel, and a cable car to the summit of Mount Sinai, where Prophet Moses is believed to have received the Tablets of the Law.

While presented as a vision for tourism and development, the project raises questions about heritage, land, and belonging. The local Bedouin community faces possible displacement and restrictions on their traditional livelihoods, while the historic Greek Orthodox monastery has challenged state efforts to nationalise parts of its land.

This story explores the tensions between development and preservation, and how communities, landscapes, and sacred spaces negotiate change.
 

Produced in collaboration with journalist Sami Zaïbi.

Published at;
L'Illustré magazine - Switzerland
 K magazine - Greece
Internazionale magazine - Italy
Réformés magazine - Switzerland
Kathimerini newspaper - Greece 
Libération newspaper - France