Monastery of St. Paul

Paul of Thebes is described in tradition as the first Christian hermit, living alone in a desert cave for many decades before Anthony found him, and the monastery grew around that cave in a valley of the Eastern Desert. The cave church is the heart of the place, a low irregular rock chamber reached down steps and covered in wall paintings, with the saint's tomb inside; the paintings there and in the other churches span several centuries and have been conserved in recent decades. The compound is walled and fortified with a keep reached by drawbridge, built against raids, and includes mills, a refectory and a spring. It is smaller and quieter than St Anthony's and the setting, in a bare valley below high cliffs, is the more dramatic of the two.

History

The monastery dates from the 4th century and was founded over the cave where Paul the Anchorite lived for more than eighty years; its first monks were disciples of Anthony the Great, and the earliest account of it comes from Antoninus Martyr, who visited Paul's tomb between 560 and 570. Melkite, Egyptian and Syrian monks lived here at different times, and an Ethiopian source says Pope Gabriel II was banished here for three years in the 12th century. Like most Egyptian monasteries it suffered repeatedly from Bedouin raids, the worst in 1484, when its library was burned; Pope Gabriel VII had it rebuilt and sent ten monks from the Syrian Monastery, but further raids in the later 16th century forced the monks out, and it stood empty for 119 years until monks from the Monastery of Saint Anthony returned under Pope John XVI, who promoted an extensive reconstruction in 1701 (Wikipedia, Monastery of Saint Paul the Anchorite).

What to look for

• The cave church - a rock chamber painted floor to ceiling around the saint's tomb.
• A fortified keep - reached by drawbridge from the monastery wall.
• Conserved wall paintings - several centuries of work cleaned in recent projects.
• The desert valley setting - bare cliffs enclosing the compound.

When to go

October to April. Half a day, generally paired with St Anthony's in one long day from Hurghada, Ain Sokhna or Cairo. Closed to visitors through Coptic fasting periods; confirm before travelling.

Practical notes

Fasting-period closures are frequent and long. The cave church is low, cramped and dark, and can be uncomfortable for taller visitors or in a crowd. Modest dress required and photography restricted. There is no public transport and no facilities beyond a small shop.

Nearby

St Anthony's Monastery is north; the coast road is east, and Zafarana is north along it.

Key facts