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AUC Trip to Monastery of St. Macarius in Wadi Natrun

Last weekend, we took a trip through AUC to Wadi Natrun, to the Monastery of St. Macarius.

 

 

 

This weekend we went to Wadi Natrun (a depression or valley northwest of Cairo) to where there are four 4th century monasteries of the Coptic Church. We went to the Monastery of St. Macarius, and John Swanson from the History Department of AUC was our guide. He is very knowledgeable about Coptic history, and lectured on the bus most of the way there and most of the way back. The concept of monasticism began in Egypt, and then was transferred to the Cappadoccia region of Turkey and eventually to Palestine in the Middle East.

What surprised me the most about the monastery was it was so busy! There were families there, children running around, and bus loads/car loads of people coming and going. We were in the main church, and one of the monks was giving a lecture (in Arabic) on some aspect of applied Christianity to Coptic life.  I asked John why would families come out here, and why he said on the bus that in some ways the monasteries were more important as an in Coptic life than were the churches. He said that since these 4 monasteries were revived by Father Matta El Meskeen, who lived here from about 1968 through 2006, monastic life has been the pivot of Coptic Christianity. In fact, Father Meskeen rivaled Pope Shenuda in popularity and authority during his day. Families come out every weekend in order, he said, to be Coptic without having to worry about being a minority in a Muslim country. This space is theirs, and they can be themselves. St. Marcarius is not a 12the century Medieval institution, but fully 21st century and monks and laity interact regularly. The monk that guided us through the Monastery was a former pharmacist in Cairo. We bought a guide to the monasteries, and a CD set of the monks doing their 4am chanting.

 

On the way back to Cairo, we stopped at the Master Rest Stop along the Alexandria-Cairo Highway. There was a zoo, restaurants, gift shops, etc. We had pizza at the same restaurant that I ate with Sussan and Richard and Vagi and Jian on our trip to Alex. We had lunch with Jerry Leach from American Studies.

Here are some photos:

Ivy and Me on the Bus to Wadi Natrun

Ivy and Me on the Bus to Wadi Natrun

Maya and Katie on the Bus

Maya and Katie on the Bus

Bell Tower of Monastery

Bell Tower of Monastery

Me and Nazek Nosseir (Chair of AUC Sociology) in courtyard

Me and Nazek Nosseir (Chair of AUC Sociology) in courtyard

Arch above Altar from the 10th Century

Arch above Altar from the 10th Century

Altar in Monastery Chapel

Altar in Monastery Chapel

Dome of Main church at St. Macarius

Dome of Main church at St. Macarius

One of many icons in the Church

One of many icons in the Church

Wall panel leading into the altar, nearly 800 years old

Wall panel leading into the altar, nearly 800 years old

Prayer rail leading to altar

Prayer rail leading to altar

Main Church in Monastery

Main Church in Monastery

Tower to Church of 49 Martyrs

Tower to Church of 49 Martyrs

Church of the 49 Martyrs

Church of the 49 Martyrs

Courtyard of Monastery

Courtyard of Monastery

Entrance to altar in Church of the 49 Martyrs

Entrance to altar in Church of the 49 Martyrs

Tapestry depicting the 49 monk martyrs

Tapestry depicting the 49 monk martyrs

Roman column used to build church

Roman column used to build church

Cross on dome of 49 Martyr Church with each end having 2 branches, sybmolizing the 2 natures of Jesus

Cross on dome of 49 Martyr Church with each end having 2 branches, sybmolizing the 2 natures of Jesus

Ceiling of Church

Ceiling of Church

Monastery keep - where monks went to escape attack in Middle Ages (drawbridge pulled up)

Monastery keep - where monks went to escape attack in Middle Ages (drawbridge pulled up)

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