The Monastery of Saint Paul
Sanctuary of Saint Paul the Anchorite
Tucked away the midst of the solemn desert is the Coptic Christian Monastery of Saint Paul the Anchorite. This monastery is an important site and also known to many as the Monastery of the Tigers.
History of the Monastery
Dating back to the 5th century AD, this monastery was founded upon the cave where the Saint Paul lived for 80 years.
Though this is the less famous than that of the Monastery of Saint Anthony, it is as important and as amazing. In a known story in history, Saint Anthony was a student of Saint Paul. It was described that during the burial of Saint Paul, Saint Anthony was present at the scene and was assisted by two lions.
Many monks have occupied the monastery; it is known that the first monks have been the Melkites. These were then followed shortly by Egyptian and Syrian monks, who had the lasting time occupying the monastery. There are many other interesting facts about this monastery, just like the historical listing based on a Ethiopian reference, the 70th Coptic Orthodox Pope, Pope Gabriel II was for three years banished to this monastery.
Not much has changed within the fortified walls of the Monastery of Saint Paul. In the centuries that passed it still contains three churches. The most problem that these monastery experiences were continuous raids and plundering by Bedouins and Berbers, the monks at that point constructed several towers and walls to fortify its defense.
The Monastery of Saint Paul suffered its most devastating lost in 1484, when many of the monks were murdered and its library was put to fire. It was then rebuilt led by Pope Gabriel VII only to be ransacked and destroyed once more this time forcing the monks to leave the monastery for good. About 120 years later under the guidance of Pope John XVI in 1700’s it was again reconstructed.
Modern Day Monastery
The Supreme Council of Antiquities in 2006 made their own renovations of the monastery and opened it for the public tours. Inside travelers are treated to a tour of the three churches inside, the first one is the church that the Saint Paul the Anchorite built himself the one that he dug into the cave, you can also see the churches of Saint Mercurius as well as of Archangel Michael.
There are many other things to discover and learn in this age old monastery. And 123EgyptTours.com will be happy to take you there, check the tours available today for the best Egyptian adventure that you can experience.
