The true scope, nature, and especially the actual value of the property owned by the Monastery of St. Catherine of Sinai appears to be an open secret, shrouded in a veneer of public awareness—at least in theory—following the release of the Ismailia Court of Appeal’s decision.
In reality, however, few have access to the text of this contentious ruling, which allows the Egyptian state to legally seize properties from the Monastery of Sinai’s holdings at its discretion. This portfolio consists of at least 71 properties.
Legal Context
The Court of Appeal’s decision raises significant legal questions, particularly regarding the monastery’s tenants and trustees, who effectively possess no ownership rights to lands that have belonged to the monastery for the last 1,500 years. This 160-page legal document, written in Arabic and translated into English, embodies the principles of Arabic law, which markedly diverges from Greek legal traditions.
This situation leads to pressing inquiries, such as whether the disputed properties include those located abroad—not just outside the Sinai Peninsula but also beyond Egyptian borders. The fate of these properties is crucial, as the monastery owns land not just in Egypt but also in Lebanon, Greece, and Cyprus, including significant sites like the St. Catherine church in Plaka.
Moreover, the question of value arises: How much is the combined worth of these 71 properties scattered across at least four countries, varying from secluded hermitages in the Sinai cliffs to coastal land and ancient monuments? How many of these sites are deemed attractive by the Egyptian government and potential investors for the development of luxury hotels with views of the monastery? Conversely, how many are essentially useless tracts of land, possibly isolated and rocky?
Key Locations
Even in the harsh terrain surrounding the historic monastery, there are vital natural resources, such as the Gardens of the Holy Sarandas, which provide essential water, and sizable orchards that supply food for monks in the area. The olive groves of Agioi Anargyroi are equally crucial to the monastery’s survival, alongside chapels and secluded spaces for hermitic contemplation.
These properties form a mosaic of small, fragmented lands that are integral to the Sinai Monastery. For instance, the men’s skete on Mount Saint Science houses an active monastic “seat,” featuring an ancient chapel dating back to the 3rd or 4th century AD. This site is an attraction for many pilgrims despite its challenging access, requiring a strenuous hike up to 1,800 meters.
If Egypt’s underlying motive in challenging the monastery’s ownership is the tourist development of the surrounding area, it raises questions as to why the state seeks the caves and ruins of ascetics scattered throughout the rugged Sinai mountains, particularly around Raitho, where the monastery meets the sea.
Extending the focus beyond the monastery and its immediate vicinity, a complex issue stemming from recent legal actions in Egypt is the fate of property shares situated in areas significant to St. Catherine’s Monastery, even those far removed from Sinai.
In most cases, these properties originated from donations by faithful individuals or rulers during earlier historical periods. Throughout its history, the Monastery of Sinai has acquired metochia globally, from France and southern Europe to Russia and India. Many of these sites, such as those in Lebanon, Cyprus, and Greece, still operate as small extensions of the main monastery.
These metochia serve to keep Sinaite monks engaged, embodying small monasteries, while also contributing economically through productive lands linked to each property.
Examples of metochia belonging to the Sinai Monastery can be found in Athens, including several temples and premises, as well as locations in Thessaloniki, Crete, and Ioannina.
Greek Reaction
This situation has fostered resentment, particularly in Greece, due to the historic ties connecting the Monastery of St. Catherine with the country. The deep-rooted connection is not merely symbolic; it carries substantial political and economic implications. The confiscation of monastery properties is likely to reignite discussions on the status of Egyptian, and broadly Muslim, waqfs in Greece.
Primarily, a waqf, derived from the Turkish term ‘vakf,’ refers to charitable initiatives and assets designated for the benefit of the community. A defining feature of a waqf is its alignment with divine will, making it challenging to sell or repurpose. Thus, waqfs are seen as divine rights by Muslims.
In Greece, several Turkish and Egyptian mosques represent this concept. The establishment of waqfs dates back to the early 19th century, when they were initially managed under Turkish-Egyptian governance during the Ottoman era. Egyptian involvement in Turkish military efforts against Greece further complicated these relationships. By the mid-19th century, a specific organization was created in Egypt to manage waqfs, which persisted for over fifty years until around 1912.
Eventually, Egypt and Greece reached an agreement recognizing the property rights of Egyptian waqfs, particularly in areas with notable waqf institutions, such as the iconic Imaret in Kavala, built by Muhammad Ali in 1821.
Imaret and Erdogan
However, the future of Egyptian waqfs in Greece has not been without difficulties. Over the decades, their status has faced numerous challenges amid Egypt’s shifting political landscape. A key moment occurred in 1948 when both countries agreed to compensate citizens for property damages incurred during conflicts, covering both Egyptian properties in Greece and Greek properties in Egypt.
Fast-forwarding to the modern era, when Gamal Abdel Nasser rose to power, negotiations over Egyptian borders with Greece included the sale of certain properties, even the mausoleum of Muhammad Ali’s mother, to Greece.
An additional pivotal change occurred in 1984 through another agreement requiring Greece to compensate Egypt for encroachments on certain buildings in northern Greece. Notably, it stipulated that Imaret and Muhammad Ali’s house would remain Egyptian properties due to their profound historical and symbolic significance. Nonetheless, neglect and decline have plagued these sites, particularly Imaret, which suffered from years of poor management.
Before the damage became irreversible, a private Greek initiative led by Anna Missirian, a prominent business figure from Kavala, intervened in 2001 to lease Imaret for 50 years from the Egyptian Waqf Organization, resulting in its extensive restoration using traditional materials and methods, transforming it into a monument-hotel and a center for the study of Islamic culture.
Despite praise from Turkish and Egyptian officials for the initiative, political maneuverings posed threats to Imaret and the broader bureaucratic landscape. Around 2012, during a time of dominance by the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and economic turmoil in Greece, Recep Tayyip Erdogan coaxed Egypt’s then-president, Mohamed Morsi, into discussing a potential exchange of waqfs: Turkey would offer certain mosques in Cairo in return for Imaret. Ultimately, this agreement did not materialize, but it highlighted the potential leverage Turkey could wield in Greece through a prominent waqf like Imaret—raising concerns about how such dynamics might play out regarding the Monastery of St. Catherine of Sinai.
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