US EditionEgyptian Court Decision Puts Status of Oldest Monastery in World at Risk
- An Egyptian court ruled on May 28, 2025, concerning the legal status of St Catherine’s Monastery located on Mount Sinai in southern Sinai Peninsula.
- The ruling arose from a decade-long dispute between the monastery and South Sinai Governorate amid conflicting reports about property rights and monk eviction.
- The court affirmed the monks’ rights to use monastery lands but declared some remote natural reserve areas as state property lacking ownership documentation.
- Egypt’s presidency said the ruling safeguards the monastery's sacred status, while Greek Orthodox leaders expressed deep concern over possible impacts.
- Around 20 resident monks closed the monastery in protest, planning a global awareness campaign as diplomatic talks between Greece and Egypt continue.
11 Articles
11 Articles
What’s happening at Egypt’s St Catherine’s Monastery?
An Egyptian court ruling last week triggered an outcry across the Christian world.St. Catherine’s Monastery, located at the foot of Egypt’s Mount Sinai. Joonas Plaan/wikimedia CC BY 2.0.The May 28 ruling concerned the ownership of the land of the ancient St. Catherine’s Monastery, nestled at the foot of Mount Sinai.Rumors circulated on social media that the Egyptian judiciary had ordered the monastery’s closure, the confiscation of its property,…
At the foot of the Mount of Moses everything remains with the old: Egypt rejects reports about the closure of the Katharin monastery.
Confusion over status of Sinai monastery continues after Egyptian court ruling
GREEK political and ecclesiastical authorities have defended the ancient rights of the Greek Orthodox St Catherine’s Monastery on Mount Sinai, after an Egyptian court ruled on its legal status last week. The UNESCO-protected site, constructed betw...
"The crucial point is, someone gives something for exploitation or for cultic use, if they are the owner. As the decision is written, it does not say so explicitly, but it appears that the Egyptian state is the owner, because it is an archaeological site and it grants the right for cultic use or exploitation to the Monastery," pointed out Angelos Syrigos, professor of International Law and Foreign Policy at Panteion and New Democracy MP, speakin…
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