St. Catherine's Monastery in Sinai Faces Key Decision

SINAI, EGYPT — Saint Catherine’s Monastery in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula faces a crucial deadline as negotiations with the Egyptian government over its historic properties have stalled before the upcoming court decision deadline on Oct. 24, 2026.

The sixth-century Greek Orthodox monastery, one of Christianity’s oldest operating monastic communities, has been in the midst of a legal dispute over the property rights and ownership of the site. On May 28, 2025, an Ismailia Court of Appeal ruled that the property is state-owned public property. The case has raised concerns among Orthodox Christians and Greek officials about the future of the monastery’s autonomy.

Since then, Egyptian and Greek officials have sought to find an agreement to resolve the dispute. Proposals would reportedly allow the monks to worship at the monastery while placing the territory under state ownership with some of the property available for use under lease agreements.

As reported by Parapolitika, the monastery is at risk of losing 10 properties, while an additional 28 religious properties could be subject for review. Any property not ruled to be of religious use would be transferred to the property of the state.

The immediate issue is not a confirmed closure of the monastery, but whether its community can preserve its historic property rights and legal independence under Egyptian law.

Previously, the UOJ reported that negotiations in September have reached a crucial point.