The sixth-century monastery, tucked beneath Egypt’s highest mountain range, is a place of immense religious, historical and cultural significance — and the centre of a legal battle that has quietly unfolded—largely unknown to the Egyptian public—over more than a decade.
What sparked the row?
The immediate cause is a recent ruling by Egypt’s Ismailia Administrative Appeal Court, which affirmed the state’s ownership of the land on which the Greek Orthodox monastery sits while upholding the monks’ right to worship and use the site.
Though Egyptian officials have repeatedly reassured Greek counterparts that the court’s decision will not impact the monastery’s religious standing or autonomy, the ruling has raised alarm in Athens and among the Greek Orthodox Church hierarchy, prompting diplomatic engagement at the highest level.
In comments to Greek media, government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis said an official delegation would travel to Cairo this week for final talks, expressing optimism about a “positive outcome” and the “uninterrupted continuation” of the monastery’s activities.
Initially scheduled for Monday, the visit was delayed due to the Egyptian foreign minister’s meetings with his Iranian counterpart.
What did the court actually say?
Ahram Online asked MP Ehab Ramzy, who has served for years as the legal representative of St. Catherine’s Monastery, to explain the court ruling—praised by Egyptian officials but criticized by both Greek Orthodox Church leaders and Greek government representatives.
“The court ruling divided the St. Catherine Monastery area into four zones,” Ramzy stated.
He explained that:
- Zone one includes the monastery itself and its religious sites. Monks retain full rights to worship and administer the area, but the court reaffirmed that the site is public property under Egyptian and international law.
- Zone two comprises land acquired by the Church through contracts with local authorities. The court rejected claims of illegal encroachment on these plots.
- Zone three, however, proved more contentious. It consists of 21 parcels of land near the monastery that monks have cultivated for centuries but never formally registered under modern Egyptian law. Some are believed to be burial sites of canonized monks. Despite presenting historic documents—including Ottoman-era decrees—the monks’ claim to the land was rejected. The court labelled their presence “unlawful encroachment” and ordered them to vacate.
- Zone four includes rugged terrain within a natural reserve. Here too, the court ruled against the monks, declaring the land state property.
How did this escalate?
The dispute's roots trace back to 2012, when a now-deceased Ahmed Ragai Attiya, filed 71 demolition orders against structures on monastery grounds, alleging they were illegally built after 2006.
Ramzy said the claims were baseless. The orders remained active even after the fall of Mohamed Morsi’s Islamist government in 2013.
Despite Attiya's death in 2021, the legal battles with the monks did not end.
That same year, the South Sinai Governorate filed a new case against the monastery, which led to the recent court ruling.
“There is deep worry among the Greeks — who are deeply religious — that St Catherine’s Monastery could meet the same fate as Hagia Sophia,” Ramzy said, referring to the conversion of the iconic Istanbul church into a mosque.
"There is deep concern among the Greeks—who are deeply religious—and the Greek Orthodox Church that St. Catherine’s Monastery, which they consider a holy site, could meet the same fate as the Hagia Sophia and be turned into a mosque," he said.
He referenced the Hagia Sophia conversion following the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in the 15th century. The historic building was a mosque for nearly 500 years, until 1935, when Mustafa Kemal Atatürk secularized it and turned it into a museum.
In 2020, it was re-converted into an active mosque, though still open to visitors.
What's the diplomatic fallout?
Egyptian officials have moved quickly to contain the backlash.
Last Thursday, the presidency issued a statement reaffirming the monastery's “unique and sacred” status.
The next day, President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi personally assured Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in a phone call that the ruling would not undermine the monastery’s sanctity.
El-Sisi had addressed the issue earlier in May during a visit to Athens, where he signed a strategic partnership agreement with Greece and publicly dismissed rumours of Egyptian interference in the monastery’s affairs as “malicious”.
“I will not allow false claims to damage our relations with Greece,” he said at a press conference.
Nevertheless, recent reports in Greek media have claimed the monastery may be transformed into an open-air museum under Egypt’s “Great Transfiguration” tourism project — and that monks have closed the site to visitors in protest.
Egyptian authorities have denied any such plans, insisting that development efforts target the surrounding city, not the monastery itself.
“You cannot turn a living monastery into an open museum,” Ramzy said. “It is a covenant, a place of solitude and prayer. That sacred rhythm cannot be disrupted.”
Could a settlement be reached?
According to Greek reports, a draft settlement was finalized in December between the South Sinai governor and the monastery’s legal team.
The agreement would have acknowledged the Church’s right to manage its buildings, churches, and some contested land. It remains unclear why the deal was never signed.
Greek also claimed that the monks in the monastery decided to close it in front of visitors in the past few days to protest the Egyptian court’s ruling.
For Ramzy, Egypt can resolve this issue by acknowledging the concerns of the Greek Orthodox Church.
“The Egyptian government can legalize the plots of land the monastery seeks to acquire, officially resolving the controversy,” he said, adding that granting the land outright would send a powerful message from the Egyptian government to the world.
Why does St. Catherine's matter so much?
St. Catherine City holds exceptional historical and religious significance. Founded around AD 548 by order of Byzantine Emperor Justinian I, it is home to St. Catherine’s Monastery—one of the world’s oldest continuously operating Christian institutions.
The monastery, located at the foot of Mount Sinai, houses the Chapel of the Burning Bush and is revered by Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike. It also contains a vast collection of ancient manuscripts and icons, second in importance only to those in the Vatican.
Named after Saint Catherine of Alexandria—martyred in the early 4th century AD—the city is linked to the legend of her body being miraculously transported by angels to Mount St. Catherine, where it was discovered by monks in the 9th century.
Religiously, the city is uniquely sacred. It is believed to be the only place on earth where the transfiguration of God occurred during the revelation of the Ten Commandments to Moses, as described in the Old and New Testaments, in addition to the Quran.
St. Catherine is also recognized as one of the three holiest locations where divine messages were revealed, alongside Mecca, Saudi Arabia and Jerusalem, Palestine.
Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2002, it remains the only site in the Sinai Peninsula with that designation, symbolizing Egypt’s deep-rooted and multifaceted religious heritage.
In October 2024, St. Catherine City received the High International Committee of the African-Asian Union (AFASU) Awards' title of the World’s Best Capital of Religions, Tolerance, Peace, and Tourism Award.
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