Al-Sultan Coptic Orthodox Monastery

Al-Sultan Coptic Orthodox Monastery, known in Arabic as Deir es-Sultan, translates to the "Monastery of the Sultan." This Oriental Orthodox monastery holds a unique and contentious position, situated not within its own grounds but directly on the roof of the Chapel of Saint Helena, an underground structure that forms part of the larger Church of the Holy Sepulchre complex in Jerusalem's Old City. The monastery itself covers an area of 1,800 square meters and features an entrance that leads down to the Parvis, the church's courtyard.

Historical Claims and Disputes

The history of Deir es-Sultan is marked by significant ownership disputes primarily between two denominations within the Oriental Orthodox communion: the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria and the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. The Coptic Church asserts that the site was originally granted to them by the Umayyad caliph Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan, who named it "Deir el-Malak" (Angel Monastery). This grant was reportedly later confirmed by Saladin after the Crusaders had confiscated it, and it was then renamed "Deir es-Sultan." A pivotal moment in the monastery's history occurred in 1654 when Ethiopian monks were hosted by the Copts, as their own churches in Jerusalem had been acquired by the Greek and Armenian Churches due to an inability to pay taxes.

Contested Territory and Modern Tensions

The Status Quo, an ancient understanding governing the rights and practices of various religious communities in the Holy Land, applies to this site. The ongoing ownership dispute has led to numerous interventions and tensions throughout history. In the early 17th century, a pretender to the Ethiopian throne, Ṣägga Krәstos, was hosted at the Ethiopian monastery on Dayr as-Sultan. Later, during the Ottoman era, Sultan Abdülhamid II granted the Ethiopians permission to erect a large tent on the roof of the Holy Sepulchre for Easter celebrations.

In more recent times, the Israeli government has become involved in the dispute. During the Easter Vigil on April 25, 1970, Israeli military forces were deployed to change the monastery's locks, ostensibly to facilitate Ethiopian monks' control. However, on March 16, 1971, the Israeli Supreme Court unanimously ruled for the restoration of the monastery to the Copts, a decision the government reportedly did not implement. This unresolved status continues to fuel friction. In October 2018, a Coptic priest was arrested following protests against restoration efforts undertaken without the Coptic Church's consent. More recently, in April 2021 and again in April 2022, "light clashes" have erupted between Egyptian and Ethiopian monks, with incidents involving the erection of tents and the raising of national flags inside the monastery. These events have led to symbolic counter-actions, such as Coptic monks painting the flag of Egypt on the main door leading to the monastery.