Born in the Upper Egypt town of Coma near
Heracleopolis in the year 251 A.D, St. Antony the Great, when orphaned at the
age of 18, became a hermit and thus lived to 105 years old. He lived as an
Anchorite, as still exists in Egypt, and it is said that he was tormented his
entire life by flatteries and temptations of the devil. He, along with St.
Pachomius, were two of the first exponents of Christian monasticism, which
originated in the Egyptian desert. He is buried beneath one of the ancient
churches (St. Antony) of the monastery.
St. Antony's Monastery (Deir Mar Antonios), and its
neighbor St. Paul's, are both Coptic
Christian and are the oldest inhabited monasteries in
Egypt. Hidden deep in the Red Sea Mountains and relying on springs for their
water supply, both still observe rituals that have hardly changed in 16
centuries. They are accessible by special tours from Cairo, Suez or Hurghada
and a stay in either monastery can be arranged in advance.
St. Antony's Monastery, which lies at the foot of
Al-Qalzam Mountain near Al Zaafarana, was founded in 356 AD just after the
saints death and is the oldest active monastery in the world.. We do know that
St. Antony founded several monasteries during his life (though they would not
have been recognizable in the modern use of the term), but alas they are no
more. We know little of the monastery's very early period. However, during the
sixth and seventh centuries many monks from Wadi Natroun who were under
frequent attacks by Bedouins migrated to St. Antony's. But this monastery was
plundered on many occasions also, being partly destroyed in the 11th century.
Between the 12th and 15th centuries, the monastery flourished but was plundered
again in 1454 by Bedouin servants. Due to such attacks, this is a fortress
style monastery. Though Coptic today, over its many years the monastery was
often multi-faith, housing monks of several different Christian religions.
Today it is a self-contained village with gardens, a
mill, a bakery and five churches, the best of which is St. Antony's Church.
Egypt monasteries are experiencing a revival, and the monk population of St.
Antony's has grown considerably in recent years.
The Monastery has exceptional wall paintings of holy
knights in bright colors and the hermit founders of the monastery in subdued
colors and icons. These wall paintings, widely know to monks and art
historians, were obscured by soot, candle grease, oil and dust, but recently,
in a collaborated effort between the Supreme Council of Antiquities and the
American Research Center in Egypt, these unique painting were restored. One set
of the paintings is attributed to a team lead by a Coptic master named
Theodore, while the other appears to be done by team with Byzantine influence.
The oldest paintings date to the seventh and eighth centuries, while the newest
are from the thirteenth century. In addition to the paintings, woodwork inside
At. Antony's Church was also restored.