6th September 2013
West Bank Monasteries near Neqada
A travelogue of my trip to four Monasteries.
All these monasteries are to the West of inhabited areas and out towards the desert.
West Bank Monasteries near Neqada
A travelogue of my trip to four Monasteries.
All these monasteries are to the West of inhabited areas and out towards the desert.
St. Michael (Mechael) Monastery – Naqada.
(Monastery of the Arch Angels).
I came across this small monastery by chance while looking for St. George. I had gone a little too north. It was closed and I had to ring a bell for admittance. A Nun, the only person inside, greeted me and showed me around.
Called Deir Malak Mikha'il by the Coptic Christians. On the East side of the enclosed site is the domed roofed church dedicated to Saint Michael dating from the eighteenth or nineteenth century. There are the ruins of another church to the South of the enclosure.
St. George Monastery – Deir al-Magmaa
Called Deir Malak Mikha'il by the Coptic Christians. On the East side of the enclosed site is the domed roofed church dedicated to Saint Michael dating from the eighteenth or nineteenth century. There are the ruins of another church to the South of the enclosure.
St. George Monastery – Deir al-Magmaa
St. Boktor (Victor) Monastery – Naqada
This monastery was the most impressive from the outside but the least impressive inside. I was greeted with a little hostility from two guards outside with one of them asking me if I wanted to take photos, I said yes and he immediately said it was not allowed and that they were the two guards for the monastery. All about baksheesh.
Again I had to ring a bell for admittance by a not too happy person, He did let me look around but with him following me. There was nothing that I wanted to take pictures of.
This monastery was in total disarray, untidy and generally in a mess. Although we know there are no tourists, I get the impression they are simply not set up for it.
St. Basanty Monastery – Naqada
Again I had to ring a bell for admittance by a not too happy person, He did let me look around but with him following me. There was nothing that I wanted to take pictures of.
This monastery was in total disarray, untidy and generally in a mess. Although we know there are no tourists, I get the impression they are simply not set up for it.
St. Basanty Monastery – Naqada
By far, the best monastery today. The door was open and welcoming, there were friendly security guards and people inside and with workers going about their business. It had a souvenir shop and a refreshments shop and a place to sit and rest. The monastery door was open and I was free to roam the monastery at will. The monastery was very tidy and clean and so was the large car park outside. It was pretty evident that they were geared up for the tourists and it was noticeable from the road.
I can’t seem to find any information on this monastery and there were none from within that was not in Arabic.
This monastery was tidy and well kept.
I can’t seem to find any information on this monastery and there were none from within that was not in Arabic.
This monastery was tidy and well kept.