Essential information about Egypt's Wadi El-Natrun
Where is the Wadi Natrun and what does it look like? In the Christian literature of past centuries, this place was known as the desert of Scetis or Scete, referring to the ascetics who took refuge there and the arid environment that surrounds it. But in reality, Wadi Natrun is a valley between the western desert and the Nile delta, where there are several lakes that dry out in summer.
Wadi Natrun is a district of the governorate of Behera and the exact location of its monasteries lies halfway between the cities of Cairo y Alexandria about 100 km from the first and about 120 km from the second. It is a dispersed habitat, with approximately 80,000 inhabitants, many of whom work on the area’s farms and cultivated land. The nearest town is Bir Hooker.
Only four monasteries have survived in the Wadi Natrun, which, besides being tourist destinations of great interest, retain their religious activity. Indeed, if most of the time they have a quiet appearance, on certain dates they are filled with pilgrims and faithful.
This religious activity and the isolation of the site have allowed us to preserve interesting works of art inside. The surrounding region is dominated by agriculture as an economic activity. The exploitation of natron has been greatly reduced, as other salts have replaced it on an industrial scale. The most ambitious project in this respect was probably the railway line of the Egyptian Salt and Soda Company, which connected these deposits to Al Khatatatbah and, from there, to Cairo.
The Monastery of St. Bishoy in Wadi Natrun is probably the most important of the four. It is so named because it was founded in the middle of the fourth century by this saint, Saint Bishoy the Great. Indeed, his body is kept in one of the churches of the enclosure, considered incorruptible, and is carried in procession every 15 July. He is revered by the Coptic and Orthodox churches under the name of Saint Paisios. there are also Syrian Monastery (or Deir El Sourian) Monastery of St Macarius (or Deir Abu Makar) and Monastery of Romanos (or Deir Al Baramouse)
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