Deir Mar Antonios, Saint Anthony's Monastery
Al-Zaafarana
Egypt
This active monastery is a box full of surprises as the restoration works have uncovered exquisite medieval paintings, mostly of Holy Knights and Saints. It is really worth the three-hour drive from Cairo to visit this piece of architecture, built as a fortress as a result of Bedouin 'activity' in the past.
According to Abuna ('our Father' in Arabic) Maximos, a resident monk and the brain behind the restoration works, Bedouins still come for food. They have a trap door at the monastery for these occasions.
As the new church was built on top of the old one, a plexiglass floor was installed so that visitors can see the ancient monastic cells, an oven to bake bread and more personal items down below.
The iconographic coptic artworks reveal the aggressive outlook of life back then. Animals, hell, battles, killings, demons all litter the painings, giving us a glimpse of how the battle between Good and Evil was viewed.
Saint Anthony lived as a hermit after distributing his wealth among the poor. His cave is 2km away from the monastery and in the past, people used to visit the saint asking for prayers and blessings.
The plaster has been freshly removed from the paintings, revealing the vibrancy and dynamism of the images which cover all areas of the walls and ceiling.
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