Whatever failed to achieve the passage of 15 centuries of continuous operation of the Sinai Monasterynot even the dozens of conquerors, is trying to do the Egyptian state now, with the court ruling by which It is essentially confiscated the property but also the historical building of the monasteryleading to her closure.
This is the Holy Monastery that is The only Christian monument that Mohammed himself wanted to protect himselfas his “heavy” (covenant), kept in the Library of the Monastery and bears the imprint of his palm as a stamp, attributes privileges to the Saint Catherine Monastery of Sinai.
The attempt to “exterminate” the monastery from Sinai has a history of at least 25 years oldas it was a target of the Muslim brothers, but also Egyptian nationalists who hosted the prestige and worldwide range of an Orthodox Christian Living Monument in the heart of the Sinai peninsula.
Yesterday’s development with the court ruling, which essentially removes all the property of the monastery, even the Temple and the Building itself, is a profound insult and challenge not only for the whole Christian world but also for the international community, as the Holy Monastery of Saint Catherine is one of the most prominent monuments of the UNESCO list.
At the same time, it is created and major issue in Greek -Egyptian relationsas President Sisi, during his visit to Athens, had welcomed with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis the agreement that had been reached to prevent this development and ending the judicial pendulum against the monastery since 2015.
According to reports, since the end of 2024, after consulting with Cairo at the political level, there has been a Greek mission to Egypt and The settlement of Archbishop Damianos and the Egyptian state was approved. According to him, the appeals would be suspended and the monastery’s ownership rights would be recognized, with the obligation to cooperate with the Egyptian archaeological service to protect the monuments.
The settlement this XMr. Mitsotakis and Sisi seized from Athenswith the Greek side awaiting the completion of the process by signing the settlement by the Egyptian Ministry of Justice. Instead, the court ruling was issued yesterday, which, in fact, was made. Cairo did not even bother to officially forward and inform Athens.
This move of Cairo must be addressed at a highest political level, with the simultaneous mobilization of UNESCO and the EU, and sent the message that it will negatively affect the two countries’ relations.
Of course, the response of the Egyptian side will be judged by its credibility, and Athens will draw useful conclusions Whether in the future may be based on assurances given by Cairo and other major issues in the eastern Mediterranean. The decision, according to unofficial ecclesiastical sources, stipulates that all of the monastery’s property belongs to the Egyptian State, while recognized to monks only the right … to stay in the monastery.
In this way, Egypt attempts to delete a 15 centuries history, treating the monastery as a mere “dead” monument, ignoring that it is not only a worldwide cultural heritage but an active space of religious worship.
2015 was the first challenge of monastery’s properties by the then commander of South Sinai, who was court against Archbishop Damianos, the abbot of the monastery, as the monastery was not legally recognized as a legal person. The case involved 31 buildings and 40 agricultural properties. These include the monastery’s facilities, the gardens, the hostels and its library.