Coptic heritage · Red Sea
Monastery of Saint Paul the Anchorite
A venerable Coptic Orthodox monastery in the Eastern Desert, among the Red Sea mountains, built around the cave of Saint Paul, tradition's first Christian hermit.
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The story
The monastery goes back to early Christian times, traditionally dated to the fourth or fifth century AD, and grew up around the cave where Saint Paul of Thebes (Anba Paula) is said to have lived for more than eighty years; he is regarded as the first Christian hermit. Its earliest monks were disciples of Saint Anthony, followed by Egyptian and Syrian communities. Bedouin raids struck the monastery over the centuries, the most destructive in 1484, when the library was burned and many monks were killed; monks returned in the early eighteenth century, when it was rebuilt. Within its high walls stands the church of Saint Paul, built around the cave and decorated with icons and wall paintings, alongside further churches, a fortified keep and springs.
Good to know
- Saint Paul of Thebes is regarded in Christian tradition as the first hermit, said to have lived in Egypt's Eastern Desert for over eighty years.
- The main church of Saint Paul is built around the very cave where the saint lived, and part of it lies below ground.
- The worst Bedouin raid came in 1484, followed by a long abandonment before monks resettled the monastery in the early eighteenth century.
- High defensive walls enclose the churches and a defensive keep, at the foot of the mountain in the Eastern Desert near Zafarana.
Visiting tips
As generally published, the monastery receives visitors on most days of the year, but visits may be restricted during Lent and the Advent fast and it is closed during Holy Week. It is a living place of worship, so dress modestly and keep voices low, and check times before visiting. Many travellers pair it with the nearby Monastery of Saint Anthony.