Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelaaty has told his Greek counterpart Giorgos Gerapetritis that the sovereignty of is assured.
Gerapetritis travelled to Cairo on Wednesday to discuss Saint Catherine’s after an Egyptian court ruling sparked alarm among Orthodox Christian leaders over the fate of the historic monastery.
Greek Orthodox patriarchates in Jerusalem, Istanbul and Athens feared that the land the monastery sits on could be confiscated by the state after the court last week rejected the monastery’s ownership claims to it.
The court ruled that the monastery sits on public land but affirmed the monks’ right to use the monastery and the religious sites in the area.
“The ruling affirmed the continued permission for the monastery’s monks to benefit from it and from the religious and archaeological areas in the region,” the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Greece concerned over court ruling
During Wednesday’s meeting, Abdelatty told Gerapetritis the court ruling does not affect the site and that it “preserves the monastery’s esteemed spiritual value and religious standing.”
That’s according to a statement from Egypt’s foreign ministry.
Greece’s Gerapetritis said he and Abdelatty had agreed to work “to protect the monastery’s rights and legal status” going forward.
Speaking in a televised address, he added that both and wished “to move forward on the basis of the monastery’s established traditions and enduring value as a place of Greek Orthodox worship.”
Why is Saint Catherine’s Monastery so important?
Established in the sixth century at the base of Mount Sinai, Saint Catherine’s Monastery holds immense religious and historical significance.
It is the world’s oldest continually inhabited monastery and holds an large and important collection of rare and ancient manuscripts.
It is also said to house the biblical burning bush from which God first revealed himself to Moses.
According to Egypt Independent, an English-language news site, the crisis concerning the monastery began months ago. It said rumors had been circulating on social media since last year that the regional South Sinai governate threatened to evacuate the monastery.
Edited by: Zac Crellin
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