Religious leaders oppose construction of mega resort at sacred holy site

Mount Sinai, the place where God gave Moses the Ten Commandments, is slated to be the location of a mega resort.

The project "aims to turn the sacred mountainous area into a spiritual shrine and a destination for mountain, medical and environmental tourism," per Egypt's State Information Service (SIS).

Archbishop Ieronymos II of Athens, the current head of the Church of Greece, has reportedly denounced the project.

Members of the Jebeleya tribe, also known as the Guardians of St. Catherine's Monastery, told the BBC that their homes and eco-camps were demolished with minimal compensation, while some received nothing at all.

Ben Hoffler, a British travel writer working with Sinai tribes, told the BBC that an urban world is being built.

"This is not development as the Jebeleya see it or asked for it, but how it looks when imposed top-down to serve the interests of outsiders over those of the local community," he said. 

He added, "It's a world they have always chosen to remain detached from, to whose construction they did not consent, and one that will change their place in their homeland forever."

Fox News Digital reached out to UNSECO World Heritage and the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism for comment.