A diplomatic situation with religious implications has unfolded in recent days between Athens and Cairo.
At the center of this issue is the Greek Orthodox Monastery of Sinai, founded in 546 AD by Emperor Justinian. It is the oldest continuously operating Christian monastery in the world and uniquely holds a special document from Muhammad himself, bearing his palm stamp, which mandates that Muslims must respect and protect it.
Since 2002, the Sinai Monastery has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Until now, its Greek Orthodox status had never been questioned, nor had its operation faced significant challenges.
The only exception occurred during the rule of the Muslim Brotherhood, when a targeted campaign against the monastery emerged, even casting doubt on its very existence. Although this hostility subsided with the Brotherhood’s fall, the repercussions of certain actions taken by Egyptian officials during that period have not entirely disappeared.
The problems
This is how problems began to emerge—issues that, however, were unrelated to the policy of the Egyptian government or the shared commitment of both states to close cooperation on matters of mutual interest. Though initially small, these issues gradually accumulated, increasing the risk of misunderstandings between the Holy Monastery and the Egyptian state.
The situation became more complicated following a series of reports on Egyptian websites, which falsely claimed that the monks were merely guests in buildings and on land that did not belong to them.
These reports cited past legal cases against the Holy Monastery, initiated by former Egyptian officials, as the basis for their arguments.
The Greek government responded promptly, with the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Education coordinating their actions. Ministers Giorgos Gerapetritis and Kyriakos Pierrakakis took the lead in planning the next steps to address the situation.
Last Thursday, a Greek delegation led by the Secretary General of Religious Affairs, G. Kalantzis, and accompanied by high-ranking officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, traveled to Egypt to meet with the Governor of South Sinai, Dr. Khaled Mubarak, who holds full responsibility for matters concerning the Sinai Monastery.
The discussions lasted three hours and took place in a positive atmosphere, with the Greek delegation emphasizing the pivotal role of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi as a guarantor of religious freedom in Egypt.
During the meeting, the Governor of South Sinai gave an extensive presentation of the ambitious Great Plan for the Transformation of Sinai, a project personally inspired by President Sisi. This initiative aims to turn the city of Saint Catherine into Egypt’s second-largest tourist destination while ensuring full respect for the historical significance and natural environment of the region— an objective strongly supported by the Greek side.
The meeting contributed to easing tensions, as reflected in the joint press releases issued by both the Egyptian and Greek delegations, which were carefully coordinated to present a unified message.
The final paragraph states: “The two sides agreed on the continuation of the preservation and support of the centuries-old regime and the cultural and religious heritage of the Holy Monastery of Sinai, as well as the ongoing facilitation and safeguarding of the monastic way of life of the Holy Brotherhood and its pilgrimage character.”
Both sides committed to taking immediate steps to deepen their cooperation, with a particular focus on the Holy Monastery, which has operated continuously and freely for 16 centuries with the support of Egypt. For Athens, the issue is of critical importance, as the Monastery serves as a bastion of Hellenism in Egypt. The Greek side strongly believes that Orthodoxy plays a significant role in diplomatic relations.
According to sources from Kathimerini, Kyriakos Pierrakakis and Giorgos Gerapetritis are already preparing the next steps. They are working on draft Memoranda of Understanding with the Egyptian authorities and the Holy Monastery of Sinai, covering areas such as religious tourism, culture, the preservation and protection of antiquities, and the Monastery’s legal status—ensuring its continued recognition as a Greek Orthodox institution.
Source: kathimerini.gr
