Court Ruling Sparks Tensions Between Cairo and Athens: What’s Happening at St. Catherine’s Monastery?

Standing proudly at the heart of the Sinai desert, at the foot of Mount Moses, Saint Catherine’s Monastery has witnessed centuries of Christian history, its ancient walls bearing silent testimony to one of the oldest religious narratives in the world. 

Yet today, this revered site is no longer just a symbol of faith but has become the centre of a tense political battle. 

A recent ruling by an Egyptian court has opened the door to an unprecedented diplomatic crisis between Cairo and Athens over the ownership of the land.

On the morning of May 28, 2025, the Court of Appeal in Ismailia delivered a verdict that might initially seem a purely local matter: affirming the full ownership rights of the Egyptian state over the lands of Saint Catherine’s Monastery, while granting the monks the right to use the property but not to own it.

Questions quickly followed: what lies behind Greece’s anger over the ruling? What is the story of the monastery at the heart of this dispute?

And will this crisis open a new chapter of escalation between the two countries, or will broader strategic interests manage to contain the fallout, as has happened in previous disputes?

The Impact of the Ruling

The impact of the ruling did not remain confined to the courtroom; it swiftly crossed the Mediterranean to Athens, where the decision was condemned as a "religious scandal" and a provocation against one of the most sacred institutions of Greek Orthodoxy.

In Athens, Archbishop Ieronymos II did not hide his outrage, describing the ruling as a grave threat to the monastery’s status and a return to dark chapters of history, branding the Egyptian court’s decision as a historical erasure.

He pointed out that the Egyptian government had decided to seize and confiscate the properties of St Catherine’s Monastery, despite commitments made by the Egyptian head of the regime Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis during his recent visit to Athens.

Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis swiftly contacted his Egyptian counterpart, Badr Abdel Aati, warning of the ruling’s potential to undermine the agreements safeguarding the monastery’s status, and arguing that it threatens the historic understanding between the two nations.

The Egyptian court’s decision was also met with sharp condemnation from the Greek Orthodox patriarchates in the region, including those in Jerusalem and Istanbul.

In a statement issued on May 30, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem expressed deep concern over the ruling, reaffirming its historic religious jurisdiction over St Catherine’s Monastery and its responsibility to protect its unique spiritual character.

The statement also highlighted the monastery’s historic protections, tracing back to the pledge of safety granted by the Prophet Muhammad in the seventh century, later reaffirmed by Ottoman Sultan Selim II in the sixteenth century.

The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, based in Istanbul, expressed deep disappointment and regret over the ruling, urging the Egyptian government to honour long standing traditions and historic agreements that guarantee the monastery’s unique status and its spiritual and administrative independence.

Meanwhile, Cairo stood firmly against the storm brewing in Athens, insisting that the ruling neither infringes upon the monks’ freedoms nor diminishes the monastery’s standing, but rather reinforces Egyptian sovereignty over its lands and safeguards its religious heritage.

The Egyptian presidency issued an official statement affirming that Egypt is fully committed to protecting St. Catherine’s Monastery, considering it ‘one of the most important Christian landmarks in Egypt,’ while reiterating its dedication to maintaining fraternal relations with Greece despite the dispute.

Meanwhile, Tamim Khallaf, spokesperson for the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said, “the Monastery of Saint Catherine, its affiliated archaeological sites, its spiritual value, religious significance, and the monastery’s associated cemeteries aren't infringed.” 

According to the State Information Service, “The Spokesperson highlighted the necessity of verifying information and refraining from issuing erroneous and premature judgments before reviewing the full text of the judicial ruling.”

Greek Anger

Greek anger lies deep in the nature of St. Catherine’s Monastery itself. The monks who manage it belong to the Eastern Orthodox Church under the Greek-rooted Patriarchate of the Greek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem.

Founded by the Roman Emperor Justinian in 560 AD to honor his wife Theodora, the monastery has stood for over fifteen centuries as a sacred religious sanctuary for monks and pilgrims from across the Orthodox world — particularly Greece.

For many Greeks, it is far more than a monastery situated in a foreign land; it is a vital part of their spiritual and cultural heritage.

The monastery is the final resting place of Saint Catherine and houses one of the world’s oldest religious libraries. 

It has long been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, comprising a range of historic structures including the Church of the Transfiguration, which contains the Chapel of the Burning Bush, alongside nine smaller side chapels.

The complex also includes ten subsidiary churches, monks’ cells, service areas, a skull gallery, and the Fatimid Mosque.

Its library holds some 4,500 manuscripts, including 600 in Arabic, as well as texts in Greek, Ethiopian, Coptic, Armenian, and Syriac—making it a priceless repository of religious and cultural history.

The manuscripts encompass religious, historical, and geographical texts, the oldest dating back to the fourth century AD. 

The library also holds a number of decrees issued by Muslim caliphs, aimed at protecting the rights of the People of the Book.

As a result, the outrage has not been confined to political and religious circles alone but has spread to popular groups and environmental activists, amid suspicions of government intentions to transform the monastery’s surroundings into a commercial tourist zone — a move seen as threatening its rare spiritual and ecological character.

In recent years, the Egyptian government’s “Saint Catherine Development” project has sparked concern among many stakeholders, who warn that expanding hotels and tourist roads could damage the region’s unique ecosystem and erode the monastery’s identity as a sacred and mystical refuge.

The Great Manifestation

Behind this diplomatic and religious crisis looms a massive development plan launched by the Egyptian government called “The Greatest Transfiguration on the Land of Peace,” a project the state has hailed as the beginning of a “historic day” for the development of the Saint Catherine reserve and city.

According to an on-the-ground investigation conducted by Mada Masr on August 24, 2022, the project is being implemented under the supervision of the Ministry of Housing, represented by the Central Agency for Reconstruction, the Sinai Reconstruction Authority, and the South Sinai Governorate, alongside the primary body in charge—the Engineering Authority of the Armed Forces.

The actual execution of the project is being carried out by several contracting companies, most notably the Arjani Group, owned by the prominent tribal Sheikh Ibrahim al-Arjani of the Tarabin tribe in North Sinai.

Despite the official celebratory tone surrounding the project, concerns are mounting over its environmental and social impact. 

The plan aims to increase the city’s population from around 8,000 to 12,000 residents, yet offers no clear solutions to the region’s worsening water crisis, which currently relies on groundwater wells and water trucks transporting supplies from the nearby city of al-Tur.

One local resident told the investigators, “They’re building hotels, chalets, and houses. Where are they going to get water for all these people? They’re even making swimming pools, yet people still rely on water trucks every week.”

The deeper environmental crisis stems from the fact that the project lies within the boundaries of a nature reserve with a fragile ecosystem. 

This has prompted some former workers in the area to voice concerns about the impact that urban expansion could have on this unique environmental system.

According to Al-Estiklal, a former environmental researcher at the Saint Catherine reserve told the site, “Managing reserves is extremely sensitive. Change is risky, and every step must be carefully calculated. This place holds a special status because the town lies within the reserve’s boundaries.”

Tensions between the implementing authorities and the reserve management became clear when the Engineering Authority of the Armed Forces began clearing a new road as part of the development plan. 

This was met with objections from the reserve administration and the monastery’s monks, leading to a temporary halt in the work.

However, local sources spoke of even greater confusion in the planning process, noting that the road’s route coincidentally passes through the site of a new police station constructed as part of the same project, resulting in repeated changes to the project’s course.

The investigation concluded that the “Great Transfiguration” project is shifting from an ambitious government attempt to transform Saint Catherine into a global destination for religious tourism, into a new point of confusion that deepens disputes and escalates environmental and demographic risks in an area ill-suited for reckless planning adventures.

Sovereignty or Identity?

Cairo maintains that the ruling represents a protection of its national sovereignty over its lands.

In this context, Abdel Rahim Rehan, a member of the History and Antiquities Committee at Egypt’s Supreme Council of Culture, told the Middle East News Agency on June 1, 2025, that “the ruling does not provoke any crisis whatsoever; rather, it is a victory for the value of antiquities and the profession of Egyptian archaeologists.”

Rehan explained that the ruling affirmed that the monastery and its surrounding lands fall under the Law for the Protection of Antiquities, as they are registered as Egyptian antiquities supervised by the Supreme Council of Antiquities, while the monks continue to enjoy usufruct rights under the religious administration of the Greek Orthodox Church.

He added that this legal status “completely refutes any claims that the Egyptian authorities intend to evacuate the monastery for development projects; legally, no changes may be made to properties registered as World Heritage sites.”

Meanwhile, Athens views the matter as an infringement on a “sacred ecclesiastical identity” it considers a natural extension of its Orthodox heritage.

In recent years, Egyptian-Greek relations have flourished, with extensive cooperation on highly strategic issues such as maritime boundary demarcation, energy, and countering Turkish influence in the Eastern Mediterranean.

However, this development serves as a stark reminder that the roots of historical and religious disputes remain capable of igniting unexpected crises at any moment.

So far, both countries have sought to contain the crisis politically, exchanging reassuring messages on one hand, and sharp statements on the other.

But behind closed doors, both sides recognize that the battle over Saint Catherine’s Monastery goes beyond a mere piece of land in the Sinai desert — touching on deeper questions about the boundaries between national sovereignty and religious ties that transcend borders.

Commenting on the crisis, Egyptian journalist Amer Hassan insisted that “Egypt is exercising its full and legitimate right to affirm its legal and historical sovereignty over Saint Catherine’s Monastery, as an integral part of the state’s territory, which bears the responsibility of protecting this religious landmark and preserving its heritage and spiritual character.”

He told Al-Estiklal that the court ruling “does not infringe upon religious sanctities nor touch the spiritual and historical essence of the monastery. Rather, it falls within the framework of managing and safeguarding state property as part of the national heritage governed by Egyptian law.”

“Egypt is home to dozens of churches and monasteries belonging to Greek, Italian, and other churches, all of which freely practice their religious activities under the umbrella of Egyptian law, without anyone questioning the state’s sovereignty over its land.” 

“Therefore, any external objection that might be interpreted as a challenge to Egypt’s sovereign right over its own territory is essentially meaningless,” Hassan added.

He also pointed out that Egypt is currently grappling with “far more sensitive national security concerns, amid repeated attempts to undermine its eastern borders and ongoing demographic tampering in the vicinity of Gaza and Sinai by Israel — particularly regarding the issue of forced displacement and related maneuvers.”

“This, in his view, necessitates the state affirming its sovereignty over the entirety of its national territory, ensuring that its geographic unity is not compromised under any religious or historical pretext.”

“The issue goes far beyond a mere legal dispute over land ownership — it’s about preserving the spiritual legacy of Saint Catherine’s Monastery while upholding Egypt’s undeniable sovereign rights,” Hassan concluded.