By Peter Anderson
The Greek Orthodox Monastery of Saint Catherine, located in the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt.
The oldest continuously inhabited Christian monastery in the world is the Greek Orthodox Monastery of St. Catherine, located on the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt. It was built at the location of three extremely important Old Testament events.
According to tradition, it was here that Moses saw the burning bush and learned the name of God. (Exodus 3:1-15) Moses met his wife, Zipporah, the daughter of Jethro, at the water well located here. (Exodus 2:15-21) Finally, the Monastery is situated at the base of Mount Sinai, where Moses received the Ten Commandments. (Exodus 31:18) Both the bush and the well remain at the Monastery today.
It appears that the first building at the site was the Chapel of the Burning Bush, which was ordered to be constructed by St. Helena during the reign of her son, Constantine. From 542 to 551, the Basilica of the Transfiguration was constructed by the orders of Emperor Justinian. It incorporated the site of the original Chapel of the Burning Bush. Justinian also ordered the construction of massive walls to surround the monastery complex. Several centuries later, the relics of St. Catherine of Alexandria were found on a nearby mountain and brought to the Monastery.
The Monastery preserved some of the most important early Christian manuscripts. The foremost is the Codex Sinaiticus, dating to the mid-fourth century. It contains a majority of the Greek Old Testament and is the oldest complete copy of the New Testament. It is now in the British Museum. The Monastery presently contains the world’s largest collection of Byzantine icons which predate the destruction of icons during the iconoclasm heresy.
Although the Monastery has encountered challenges during the past fifteen centuries, it is now facing modern challenges that threaten its very nature. In 2021, Egyptian President Sisi launched a project, called “The Great Transfiguration,” to change the area around the Monastery into a luxury mega-resort. The project is centered approximately two kilometers from the Monastery itself. It includes a large hotel and other tourist facilities providing over 1,000 rooms. There is a large visitors center. A new enlarged “St. Catherine International Airport” has been constructed to accommodate 600 passengers per hour. The Monastery, which survived for centuries due to its isolation, will now be inundated by tourists.
There is a second threat which may change the character of the Monastery from a great spiritual center into a museum. On May 28, 2025, Egypt’s Ismailia Court of Appeals issued a decision which held that the properties of the Monastery are owned by Egypt and are subjected to the supervision of the ministries of antiquities and environment. This is amazing in view of the fact that the monks have possessed the property for 1,500 years. The government of Greece is now negotiating with Egypt to ensure that the Greek and religious nature of the Monastery is preserved.
Saint Catherine of Alexandria, whose relics were found on a nearby mountain and brought to the monastery.
A third threat is a dispute which recently occurred between the monks and their abbot. On July 30, 2025, fifteen of the twenty-two monks voted to depose Abbot Damianos, who also holds the title Archbishop of Sinai, Pharan and Raitho. A period of turmoil followed. Following mediation efforts by the Greek government, Abbot Damianos, who has held his position since 1974, agreed to resign. On September 14, 2025, the monks elected a new abbot, Archimandrite Symeon Papadopoulos. In an extremely encouraging sign of future unity, the vote was unanimous.
The Monastery clearly needs help from others to preserve its spiritual nature. Hopefully, public opinion will cause the Egyptian government to maintain the great spiritual tradition of this most holy place.
