Rock church
Around the saint's cave.
Theophorus.Ig — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Andrew A. Shenouda from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — CC BY 2.0 · LorisRomito at Italian Wikipedia — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Andrew A. Shenouda from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — CC BY 2.0 · 松照庵 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Theophorus.Ig — CC BY-SA 4.0
An ancient Coptic monastery deep in the Red Sea Mountains, built in the fourth century over the cave where Saint Paul the Anchorite, the first hermit, lived alone in the desert for more than eighty years; it is also known as the Monastery of the Tigers. Its heart is the Church of Saint Paul, cut into the rock around his cave and reached down a flight of steps, its walls and domes covered in old murals of saints, angels and horsemen, with a shrine believed to hold his relics. The monastery suffered many raids over the centuries, the worst in 1484, when many monks were killed and the library burned, before it was rebuilt. Today a strong wall surrounds it, enclosing modern churches, a garden and a spring that has watered the monks since ancient times. Entry is free in modest dress, and a monk may show visitors around. It is usually paired with the nearby Monastery of Saint Anthony on a day trip from Hurghada or Cairo, and hours may change during Coptic fasts and feasts.
Around the saint's cave.
Saints and angels.
Water in the desert.
Red Sea Mountains, south of Zafarana, Red Sea Governorate
Saint Anthony's is larger with a mountain cave above it; Saint Paul's is smaller and quieter, its highlight the church carved into the rock.