Monastery of Saint Paul the Anchorite

Welcome to the Monastery of Saint Paul the Anchorite, a place of profound spiritual history and isolation nestled deep within the Red Sea mountains of Egypt's Eastern Desert. This monastery, established in the 4th century,…

We begin our tour at the high walls of the monastery, where you can still see the remains of the 'foulia' or rope lift. For many centuries, the monastery had no ground-level gates or windows, a defensive design intended to make…

Deep within the monastery grounds, we find the spring of Saint Paul, the miraculous source of water that allowed the saint to survive for nine decades in the desert. According to tradition, God guided Saint Paul to this specific…

We now descend three meters below the current ground level to enter the Cave Church of Saint Paul, the oldest part of the monastery. This is the actual cave where the saint lived and prayed for most of his life. …

Above the ancient cave church lies the Church of Saint Michael the Archangel, the largest and most prominent church in the monastery. Rebuilt in 1727, this church is famous for its eight domes, which create a rhythmic, undulating…

Continuing our exploration of the monastery's daily life, we visit the ancient mill and the refectory. The monastery has two historic mills: one dating back to the 14th century and a second, more modern one donated in the 18th…

Our final stop within the walls is the 'Housn,' or the protective keep. Built in the 6th century by Emperor Justinian, this is a three-story, tower-like structure designed as a final place of refuge for the monks in the event…

As we conclude our journey through the Monastery of Saint Paul, I hope you carry with you a sense of the deep peace and timeless devotion that defines this sacred space. This is a place where the history of faith is not just…