Egypt Nationalizes Lands of Ancient St. Catherine’s Monastery, Straining Athens-Cairo Relations

A recent Egyptian court ruling nationalizing the lands of St. Catherine’s Monastery, the world’s oldest continuously operating Christian monastery in the Sinai Desert, has ignited tensions between Egypt and Greece. Initial reports falsely suggested the monastery would be closed and its Greek Orthodox monks evicted to make way for a museum, prompting swift denials from Egypt’s presidency.

However, the decision to transfer the monastery’s surrounding agricultural lands to the state has raised concerns about the monks’ autonomy and the site’s historical status.

Founded in the 6th century by Byzantine Emperor Justinian I, St. Catherine’s Monastery lies at the foot of what many Christians believe to be the biblical Mount Sinai. Renowned for its vast library of priceless manuscripts and icons, the monastery has symbolized interfaith tolerance, with its right to operate undisturbed reportedly granted by the Prophet Muhammad.

Egypt’s presidency clarified that the court ruling allows the monks to continue their religious duties, but the nationalization of the monastery’s lands has alarmed Orthodox Christian leaders and Greek officials. Archbishop Ieronymos II of Athens condemned the decision as “an act of violent infringement upon human and religious rights,” urging the Greek government to intervene. Greece’s foreign minister demanded clarification, referencing prior assurances from Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi during his May visit to Athens. A Greek delegation is scheduled to visit Egypt on Monday to address the issue.

Although Egypt’s presidency stated that Sisi and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis reaffirmed their commitment to preserving the monastery’s sacred status in a Friday phone call, the nationalization disrupts a site whose legal ownership had remained ambiguous under modern Egyptian law. Archimandrite Porphyrios Fragkakos, the monastery’s spokesman, told Greek media that the monks, owners since the 5th century, are now “guests in their home,” with the state’s archaeological service controlling the lands.

The issue of the monastery’s ownership resurfaced during the Muslim Brotherhood’s brief rule in 2012 and continued under Sisi’s government, which has tightened control over religious institutions. Previous negotiations between Greece and Egypt appeared to have secured an out-of-court agreement, but the recent ruling has upended those efforts. The monastery’s legal representative, Christos Kompiliris, noted that while the monks’ gardens were excluded, the agricultural lands sustaining the monastery for centuries are now state property, leaving it “essentially without property.”

Orthodox leaders, including Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I and the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, under whose jurisdiction the monastery falls, have called on Egypt to honor its historical commitments to the monastery’s autonomy. Archbishop Elpidophoros of America warned that the ruling threatens religious freedoms and the monastery’s cultural significance. Despite Egypt’s assurances, the decision marks a significant shift for a site revered for its 15-century legacy of Christian witness and interfaith coexistence.