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 Born in the Upper Egypt town of Coma near Heracleopolis
in the year 251 A.D, St. Antonio 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, was two of the first
exponents of Christian monasticism, which originated in the Egyptian desert. He
is buried beneath one of the ancient churches (St. Antonio) of the monastery,
the bishop of Alexandria, thousands across Europe to follow the Hermit’s example.
St. Antonio’s Monastery (Deir Mar Antonio’s),
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. Antonio’s Monastery, which lies at the
foot of Al-Qalzam
Mountain near Al
Zaafarana, was founded in 356 AD just after the saint’s death and is the
oldest active monastery in the world. We do know that St. Antonio 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. Antonio’s. However, 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. Antonio’s
Church. Egypt
monasteries are experiencing a revival, and the monk population of St. Antonio’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. A Coptic master named Theodore, while the other appears to be
done by team with Byzantine influence attributes one set of the paintings to
a team lead. 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. Antonio’s Church was also restored.
There is also a library with over 1,700
handwritten manuscripts, but the Bedouin servants who plundered the monastery
used many manuscripts for cooking fuel. At one time, there must have been a
much more extensive library.
St. Antonio’s Cave (magharah), where he lived
as a hermit, is a 2 km hike from the monastery and 680 m. above the Red Sea. It offers stunning views of the mountains and
the sea, and the chance to see a wide range of bird life.
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