At the bottom of a big mountain called Gebel Al Galala Al Qibliya, there is a special place called St. Anthony’s Monastery. This place has been around for more than a thousand years! It started a long time ago, in the 4th century, when some monks wanted a quiet place to live alone in the desert. Over the years, these monks came together to live in a safe community inside walls. Now, about 120 monks live there, and they spend their time praying and thinking quietly in the peaceful desert.
The story of the monastery shows how monks have changed over time. At first, they lived alone, but later they started living together in a big building with small rooms for each monk. Even though things have changed, the monks still remember and follow the teachings of important people from a long time ago you will find tours to these places at Egypt Day Tours, like St. Anthony and St. Paul, who lived almost 1,600 years ago.
When people visit the monastery, there's a lot to see! The Church of St. Anthony is the most important part of the place. It was built over the grave of St. Anthony and is very old. Inside, there are beautiful wall paintings from a long time ago, some even from the 13th century! You will find more information in Egypt Travel Guide. These colorful pictures have just been cleaned up and show us what art looked like back in medieval times, mixing styles from different cultures around it.
One really interesting thing about the monastery is its strong walls. The monks sometimes take visitors to see a part of these walls, where there's a big basket and a wooden pulley that used to lift supplies and people into the safe place during attacks. The monastery faced many tough times over the years, like when it was attacked by Bedouins a long time ago, and again in later years. From the top of the walls, you can also see a small mud-brick building where the monks used to hide, but visitors can't go there.
The monastery is not only important for its history and beliefs, but it’s also a really pretty place in nature. There’s a big spring in the desert that gives out lots of water every day, which helps the gardens there grow, you can see more about it in Egypt tours . These gardens are full of shady trees and green plants, making it a nice, calm spot in the middle of the dry desert.
St. Anthony’s Monastery is a place you can visit any time of the year, but there are some special times, like Advent, Lent, and Holy Week, when it might be harder to visit. To make sure you can go when you want, it's a good idea to call the main office in Cairo first.
If you like old stories, beautiful art, or a calm and peaceful place, visiting St. Anthony’s Monastery is a special opportunity. You can feel like you’re going back in time and learn about the important traditions of this quiet desert spot.
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