By Ecumenical News –
Saint Catherine’s Monastery warmly received today (March, 31) Major General Dr. Ismail Mohamed Kamal Ismail, Governor of South Sinai, and his accompanying delegation, in a friendly visit to the monastery. This marks his first visit since assuming office in February 2026.
The visit began with a tour of the monastery’s grounds, including the historic church, the Sacred Wisdom Tree, and the Well of Prophet Moses. The Governor listened to the monks’ account of the life of Saint Catherine of Alexandria, the monastery’s patron saint, and expressed deep admiration for her spiritual life and her martyrdom for the faith.
The visit also included a rich dialogue between the Governor and the monastery’s monks regarding the status of Saint Catherine’s Monastery in Sinai and the world, its significant spiritual and cultural heritage, and its long-standing reputation as a symbol of Christian history and interfaith coexistence.
The monks also presented the Governor with an exact copy of the Prophetic Covenant preserved in the monastery, a historic charter granted by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) to the monks. Written in the seventh year of Hijra (628–629 AD) to protect the monks and their church, it was authored by Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib and sealed with the Prophet’s handprint.
The covenant guarantees the protection of the monks from taxation, prohibits the demolition of churches, and ensures freedom of worship, reflecting a unique model of religious coexistence and tolerance.
The Governor also inspected the Transfiguration Project and reviewed its latest developments, expressing appreciation for the efforts to preserve the monastery’s spiritual and architectural heritage and to promote the civilizational values embodied by this historic site.
The Governor was received by the monastery officials, including Vicar Father Simeon, Father Michael, Father Alexis, and Father Sophronius Agelom (the monastery’s storekeeper), as well as Mr. Tony Kazamias, the monastery’s advisor.
The visit concluded with all parties emphasizing the importance of Saint Catherine’s Monastery as a symbol of peace, coexistence, and civilization, a living testament to the Christian faith spanning centuries, and its role as a spiritual and scholarly beacon not only in Sinai but across the world.
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