Source: Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate The news from Egypt in late May was frankly shocking. The Times of London reported on May 29, 2025 that “Egypt could be set to close the world’s oldest continuously functioning Christian monastery after almost 15 centuries, igniting international concern and fury from the Greek Orthodox community.” Saint Catherine’s Monastery in Mount Sinai was established in the sixth century by the order of the Roman Emperor Justinian, and has functioned continuously as a Greek Orthodox Christian monastery since then. The idea that it could be suddenly closed on the order of the Egyptian government was a…
Browsing: St. Catherine’s monastery
Source: Religion News Service Initial reports that the centuries-old St. Catherine’s Monastery would be closed were denied, but Orthodox leaders remain concerned that the monastery’s new status will interfere with the monks’ lives. By David I. Klein ISTANBUL (RNS) — As news filtered out of Egypt on Thursday (May 29) that a court ruling had called for nationalizing an ancient Orthodox Christian Monastery in the Sinai Desert and the eviction of its monks to make way for a museum, disbelief turned to outrage, from the Middle East to Greece, where politicians blasted the decision. St. Catherine’s Monastery, which is inhabited…
Source: Jihad Watch by Robert Spencer UPDATE October 22: It seems that the report below from Pravoslavie is inaccurate. I have just received this from Moustafa Elqabbany, Assistant Director of the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre in Amman, Jordan: I am in communication with people who personally know the monks in Sinai. Fr. Justin writes: “Thank you for your e-mail. Many have written us about the recent reports that have been appearing in the news. Everything remains peaceful here. No monks have been kidnapped and held for ransom. No one has broken through the monastery door. At the same time, there…
Source: The Guardian Patrick Kingsley and Marwa Awad in Cairo Closure of St Catherine’s monastery due to security concerns has devastated tourist trade of nearby town named after it One of the world’s oldest monasteries has been forced to close its doors because of the deteriorating security situation in Egypt, devastating the economy of the remote surrounding area, it has emerged. St Catherine’s monastery was built by order of the Emperor Justinian I, who reigned from 527 to 565, on the site beneath Mount Sinai where, according to scripture, God spoke to the prophet Moses from a burning bush. But in July,…
Source: The Financial Times By Clive Cookson A scientific effort is under way to reveal and record palimpsests at the world’s oldest continuously operating library The Greek Orthodox monks of St Catherine’s monastery in Sinai have been accumulating manuscripts and books since the sixth century, making their library the world’s greatest repository of early medieval writing after the Vatican. The collection is even richer than it first appears, because many of the 3,300 ancient manuscripts contain hidden text and illustrations older than their visible contents – and a large scientific effort is under way to reveal and record them. The…