Tensions have escalated at Saint Catherine’s Monastery in Sinai, where Archbishop Damianos faced a confrontation with dissenting monks upon his arrival on August 26. Accusing them of attempting to seize control, the Archbishop, supported by loyal monks and Bedouins, expelled the rebels, declaring that the monastery has “returned to legality and normalcy.” The ongoing dispute, rooted in a vote by 15 monks to remove Damianos, has prompted intervention from the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, with a delegation set to address the crisis.
Tag: Sinai
The Greek government has introduced a bill to grant legal status to St. Catherine’s Monastery of Sinai in Greece, marking a historic step after 15 centuries. The legislation preserves the monastery’s autonomy, supports church charitable work, and modernizes regulations for ecclesiastical education and worship licensing.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Abdel Fattah el-Sisi discussed regional security, migration, and the Holy Monastery of Saint Catherine in a phone call reaffirming Greece–Egypt cooperation.
The Greek government is introducing legislation to protect the legal status of St Catherine’s Monastery in Sinai, establishing a public legal entity to represent the monastery in Greece, manage its assets, and preserve its Greek Orthodox heritage, following concerns over an Egyptian court ruling.
President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi held a phone call on Monday with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to discuss escalating regional tensions, particularly the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel, as well as broader issues affecting the Eastern Mediterranean and North Africa.
Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis touched down in Cairo today, leading a delegation from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Education, and Culture to tackle the future of St. Catherine’s Monastery in Sinai. With the goal of securing an out-of-court deal, Greece seeks to lock in Egypt’s promise to preserve the monastery’s historic ownership. Back home, opposition voices, including Syriza’s Sokratis Famellos, demand a broader parliamentary mission, while PASOK’s Nikos Androulakis gears up for his own visit to Egypt this Friday. The talks signal a crucial step for the revered UNESCO site.
Egypt’s controversial court ruling has transferred ownership of St. Catherine Monastery to the state, integrating the historic site into the “Great Transfiguration Project,” a tourism-driven initiative critics call a “spiritual Disneyland.
Ancient Monastery’s Autonomy and Property Rights Hang in Balance
The oldest known depiction of the Crucifixion of Christ is housed in the Greek Orthodox Holy Monastery of St. Catherine on Mount Sinai. This rare icon blends Greco-Roman art traditions with early Christian iconography, offering a glimpse into the cultural and artistic heritage of the time. Its intricate details and symbolic composition continue to inspire scholars and believers, serving as a living witness to the dawn of Christianity.
Athens and Cairo have agreed to preserve the status of the historic St. Catherine’s Monastery in Sinai, the world’s oldest continuously operating Christian monastery. This decision follows negotiations to address recent media claims challenging the monastery’s ownership, resulting in a joint declaration to protect its Greek Orthodox identity and heritage. Both nations are committed to enhancing cooperation in cultural preservation and tourism, with plans to develop the surrounding region as a tourist destination under President El-Sisi’s Sinai Transformation Plan.
The Governor of South Sinai met the Bishop of Saint Catherine’s Monastery in Athens in…
The Sinai peninsula is home to St Catherine’s Greek Orthodox monastery, founded in the 6th century and located at the foot of Mount Sinai, and one of the oldest Greek Orthodox Christian monasteries in the world and a UNESCO world heritage site.
Egyptian archaeologists discovered the ruins of a temple dedicated to the Greek god Zeus Cassius at Tell el-Farma in North Sinai, highlighting Hellenistic influence in ancient Egyp
The oldest icon of the Crucifixion of Christ is located in the Greek Orthodox Holy…
