Project Description
The Monastery of the Sultan (Arabic: دير السلطان, translit. Deir Al-Sultan, lit. ‘Monastery of the Sultan’) is a monastery located on the roof of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. The Status Quo, a 250-year old understanding between religious communities, applies to the site.
Ownership of the monastery has been a source of contention between the Coptic Orthodox Church and the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, with both factions stating longstanding historical claims to the property. Deir El-Sultan is one of several holy sites in the area which are contested by various Christian denominations.
The current dispute arose in April 1970 when Ethiopian adherents entered the monastery while the Coptic followers were away for Easter rites, changing the locks to the stairs connecting it to the church below.
