Hurghada Trip Overview
The oldest Christianity monastery in Egypt, the holiest place for Egyptian orthodox Copts. Cultural and historical heritage. Nowadays it houses more than 100 monks. Here you will find an old Coptic church where the holy man (St Anthony) is buried and well-preserved medieval paintings. His library contains valuable ancient manuscripts. Opposite standing St. Paul’s Monastery was built over the cave of Saint Paul, a Christian hermit who lived in the 4th Century AD. He preferred an ascetic life in the desert to the comfort of a city and devoted his life to worship God. According to legend, God himself sent bread from ravens to his faithful servant to save him from starvation, and his grave is said to have been dug by lions after Paul’s death at the age of 105. This is definitely a place to see. Old Egyptian heritage in the Islamic Republic of today.
Additional Info
Duration: 8 to 10 hours
Starts: Hurghada, Egypt
Trip Category: Cultural & Theme Tours >> Historical & Heritage Tours
Explore Hurghada Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Hurghada, Red Sea and Sinai, Egypt
The oldest Christianity monastery in Egypt, the holiest place for Egyptian orthodox Copts. Cultural and historical heritage. Nowadays it houses more than 100 monks. Here you will find an old Coptic church where the holy man (St Anthony) is buried and well-preserved medieval paintings. His library contains valuable ancient manuscripts. Opposite standing St. Paul’s Monastery was built over the cave of Saint Paul, a Christian hermit who lived in the 4th Century AD. He preferred an ascetic life in the desert to the comfort of a city and devoted his life to worship God. According to legend, God himself sent bread from ravens to his faithful servant to save him from starvation, and his grave is said to have been dug by lions after Paul’s death at the age of 105. This is definitely a place to see. Old Egyptian heritage in the Islamic Republic of today.
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: St. Paul Monastery, طريق دير الانبا بولا، Ras Gharib, Red Sea Governorate, Egypt
First we take you to St. Paul’s Monastery. It was built over the cave of Saint Paul, a Christian hermit who lived in the 4th Century AD. He preferred an ascetic life in the desert to the comfort of a city and devoted his life to worshiping God. According to legend, God himself sent bread from ravens to his faithful servant to save him from starvation, and his grave is said to have been dug by lions after Paul’s death at the age of 105.
Crypt under the tomb
Visit the beautiful crypt located deep under the tomb. Level of the monastery, decorated with many colorful frescoes. In addition to sacred objects, you will also find everyday items such as an old chain block and an olive press. You will also be surprised to find a freshwater well in the middle of the desert.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: St. Anthony’s Monastery (Deir Mar Antonios), Red Sea Mountains Egypt
On the other side of the hill from St Paul monastery there is a cave where the hermit Antonius lived more than 1600 years ago. The cave is 680 meters above sea level; A staircase with around 1,000 steps leads to this hollow. As you climb up to the cell of the saint, you can see scriptures and drawings – and when you look outside, you have a fantastic view of the mountains and the desert.
Immediately after the death of the ascetic in 356 AD, Christian monks founded the monastery of St. Antonius at the foot of Antonius Mountain. This monastery is considered the beginning of Christian monasticism because it served as a model for believers throughout the Christian world.
Nowadays it houses more than 100 monks. It covers a huge area of 6 hectares, which is surrounded by a wall that is around 1,200 meters long and 12 meters high. Here you will find an old Coptic church where the holy man is buried and well-preserved medieval paintings. His library contains valuable ancient manuscripts.
Duration: 2 hours
