State Dept: US seeking to protect historic, religious significance of St Catherine’s in Sinai
The United States is seeking to protect the historical and religious significance of Saint Catherine’s Monastery in Sinai, the State Department emphasises.
Responding to a question by Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA-MPA), a spokesperson for the US State Department stressed that “ the United States recognizes the historical and religious significance of Saint Catherine’s Monastery, the world’s oldest continuously operating monastery, and seeks to protect it.”
Washington’s statement comes as the legal and ownership status of land and properties associated with the monastery remains unresolved, following a court ruling issued in Egypt on May 28, 2025.
In a similar vein, on July 18, Masad Boulos, a senior adviser to the US president for Arab and African affairs, met with Archbishop Simeon of Sinai at the monastery’s Cairo dependency.
According to the briefing, Boulos conveyed President Donald Trump’s personal interest, as well as his own, in preserving the monastery’s historic status quo. He also expressed his intention to support efforts to safeguard its historical and spiritual identity.
