Description of the attraction
The Monastery of St. Anthony is the oldest Coptic monastery in Egypt. According to legend, Saint Anthony, being orphaned at the age of 18, went to the mountains to become a hermit and serve God. After his death in the 4th century, this monastery was founded on his grave. The monastery has been repeatedly attacked by Bedouins and Muslims.
The monastery includes not only a temple and cells for 25 monks, but also several chapels, a bakery, a mill, a library, a refectory and utility rooms. The church of St. Antonia is decorated with magnificent 13th century frescoes.
80 km from the monastery of St. Anthony is the monastery of St. Paul. According to legend, Paul was born into a wealthy Alexandrian family, but at the age of 16 he went into the desert and became a hermit. For several decades he lived in a cave, like St. Anthony, around which the monastery later grew.
The main church of the monastery of St. Paul is decorated with frescoes depicting the Virgin Mary with the Child and the archangels. On the territory of the monastery, a high tower has been preserved, where water from a hidden source was kept, which saved the monks from death during the attack of the Bedouins.
Reviews
| All reviews 5 Nonna 2013-03-12 19:49:54
Monasteries of St. Anthony and St. Paul. November 2013. On November 20, 2013, my trip to the holy places of Egypt in the area of Hurghada took place. Departure was from Tets Tour at about 2 o'clock in the morning. We went by minibus in a group of up to 10 people. Thank God! Kind and good people got together, whoever does not go on such excursions. Anyway, you can call our trip a pilgrimage …
