Egypt

St. Catherine’s Monastery, located in the Sinai Desert in Egypt, has been a sacred Christian site since the 500s. Even after the Islamic Conquest, the monastery’s monks had warm relations with Mohammad, who wrote a letter granting protection to the monastery, which has helped maintain St. Catherine’s independence for many hundreds of years. But lately, that protection has eroded. A court has just ruled that the property should be owned by the state. This led to fears that the monks were going to be turned out and the site expropriated as a tourist attraction (as distinguished from a pilgrimage destination). From the Greek City Times: Ownership of the monastery and all its assets is now transferred to the Egyptian state. Read More ›