Greek, Egyptian foreign ministers huddle on status of ancient monastery
June 05, 2025
» Continue to this story on Ekathimerini
CWN Editor's Note: The foreign ministers of Greece and Egypt have met to discuss concerns about the legal status of the Orthodox monastery of St. Catherine on Mount Sinai.
An Egyptian court has ruled that the property of the ancient monastery—believed to be the oldest in the Orthodox world—is a national treasure. The court also ruled that some of the extensive acreage was properly owned by the state.
The court ruling set off a heated controversy over the religious freedom of the monks, with the Greek government taking a keen interest. Greek foreign minister George Gerapetritis said: “The intention of both Egypt and Greece is to move forward based on the centuries-old tradition and the already established status of an emblematic monastery, given its Greek Orthodox religious character.”
The above note supplements, highlights, or corrects details in the original source (link above). About CWN news coverage.
For all current news, visit our News home page.
All comments are moderated. To lighten our editing burden, only current donors are allowed to Sound Off. If you are a current donor, log in to see the comment form; otherwise please support our work, and Sound Off!
