Monastery of Saint Anthony

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Monastery of Saint Anthony

The Monastery of Saint Anthony ( Arabic دير الأنبا أنطونيوس Dair al-Anbā Anṭūnīyūs ) is a Coptic Orthodox monastery in Egypt in an oasis in the Arabian desert in the south of the as-Suwais governorate . It is located at the foot of the 1464 m high Galala rock plateau in Wadi Araba .

The monastery is located around 334 km southeast of Cairo and is one of the oldest monasteries in the world. It was founded in 361 AD by the followers of St. Anthony , who, according to legend, died there in 356 and who is considered the father of Christian monasticism . The monastery is one of the most famous monasteries in Egypt. The sacred core of the Antonius Church dates back to the 6th century, although most of the building parts date from a later period. The frescoesdate from the 13th century, which is secured by an original inscription from 1232/33 in which the painter Theodor is named. Fragments of older layers of paint were also discovered. The picture program shows equestrian saints in the entrance area and monks, saints and great personalities of Coptic Christianity such as Pachom and Schenute in the main nave . In the area of ​​the altar there are pictures that tell stories from the Bible as well as the Mother of God Mary and Jesus. In this way, the image program leads into ever more sacred areas of the church.

The monks live in a village-like monastery complex, which consists of five churches, several common rooms as well as vegetable, fruit and vineyards, olive and palm groves as well as u. a. a mill and a bakery. The monastery, which only has a few guest rooms for male visitors, attracts hundreds of pilgrims every day .

Coptic Popes from the Monastery of Saint Anthony

Monks in the monastery

literature

  • Elizabeth S. Bolman: Monastic Visions. Wall Paintings in the Monastery of St. Antony at the Red Sea. Cairo 2002, ISBN 0-300-09224-5 .
  • Paul van Moorsel: Les peintures du monastère de Saint-Antoine près de la mer rouge. (MIFAO 112 / 1-2). Cairo 1995, 1997, ISBN 2-7247-0156-9 .
  • Stefan Timm: Christian Coptic Egypt in Arab times. Part 3. Wiesbaden 1985, pp. 1287-1330. ISBN 3-88226-210-9 .

Web links

Commons : Monastery of St. Anthony  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual proof

  1. ^ Siegfried G. Richter : The Coptic Egypt. Treasures in the shadow of the pharaohs (with photos by Jo Bischof). Scientific Book Society, Darmstadt 2019, pp. 78–83. ISBN 978-3-8053-5211-6 .

Coordinates: 28 ° 55 ′ 27.3 "  N , 32 ° 20 ′ 58.6"  E