The future of St. Catherine's Sinai Monastery in question: negotiations and tourism projects affect its status

The status and future of the historic St. Catherine’s Monastery, located at the foot of Mount Moses in Sinai, remains unresolved. The delay in officially recognizing the new Archbishop of Sinai and plans to develop a large-scale tourism project in the region are causing serious concerns and are the subject of active negotiations between Egypt and Greece. This is reported by Orthodoxia News Agency.

The Monastery of St. Catherine, founded in the VI century, is one of the oldest active Christian monasteries in the world and has a special autonomous status. In order to preserve its historical privileges, property rights and autonomy, it is critical that the abbot be officially recognized by the Egyptian state.

As Orthodoxia News Agency notes, citing sources in the Greek Foreign Ministry, Athens and Cairo continue consultations, maintaining “guarded optimism” about a peace settlement. However, the final solution also depends largely on the unity of the monastic brotherhood, which experienced an internal crisis last summer.

Of additional concern is a recent report by the French newspaper Libération about plans for a large-scale tourism project in the Mount Moses area. Infrastructure development and a significant increase in tourist traffic could affect the traditional Bedouin way of life and undermine the autonomy of the monastery, which according to biblical tradition is the site of the Place of the Neopalimaya.

The new Archbishop Simeon of Sinai emphasized in an interview with To Vima that the monastery is sensitive to Egypt’s economic interests and the importance of tourism for the country. At the same time, he emphasized the need for the development of the region to take place “within reasonable limits” and not to threaten the very existence of monastic life. The archbishop expressed hope for diplomatic negotiations and the expected “renewal of privileges” of the monastery after the issuance of the presidential decree, rather than litigation.

Earlier, a court in Ismailia issued a ruling that questioned the monastery’s property rights. The monastery has appealed the decision to Egypt’s highest court, but as the monastery’s representatives emphasize, it is the diplomatic and political resolution of the issue that takes priority.

Considering that St. Catherine’s Monastery is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, the current situation is of international significance. Experts agree that the key task in the coming months will be to find a balance between state policy, economic development of the region and preservation of the unique spiritual and cultural heritage of Sinai.

Recall, Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem announced the successful resolution of recent pastoral and organizational difficulties in the life of the Orthodox community on Mount Sinai. The statement was made on November 19, 2025 during a meeting with representatives of the Inter-Parliamentary Committee on Orthodoxy, who are in the Holy Land on a pilgrimage visit.