The Monastery of Saint Pishoy (also spelled Bishoy, Pshoi, or Bishoi),The Retreat House at Anba Bishoy Monastery, Wadi al-Natrun. Anba Takla Himanot Abyssinian Church, Alexandria. Archived June 30, 2017, at the Wayback Machine. also known as Saint Pishoy Monastery,Somers Clark, Coptic Monuments in the Nile Valley – A Study in Ancient Churches, Translated by: Ibrahim Salama Ibrahim, Egyptian Book Authority, Cairo, 2010: Ibrahim Salama Ibrahim, Egyptian General Book Organization, Cairo, 2010, pp: 292–293. is a Coptic Orthodox monastery in Wadi El Natrun,Monastery | Monasteries. Church of the Abyssinian Abyssinian priest, Alexandria. Archived July 10, 2017, at the Wayback Machine.Egypt provided the entire Christian world with the foundations and systems of monasticism, says English orientalist. Al-Ahram newspaper, August 14, 2011. Archived May 11, 2020, at the Wayback Machine. west of the Nile Delta in northern Egypt.History of the monastery. The official website of the Monastery of the Great Saint Anba Bishoy in Wadi al-Natrun. Archived September 28, 2015, at the Wayback Machine. It is the largest active monastery in the region and is currently headed by Bishop Anba Agabius.Pope Shenouda visits the abbot of Anba Bishoy monastery in Al-Salam hospital, Al-Youm Al-Sabea newspaper, June 14, 2011. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on March 12, 2020. Accessed on September 16, 2020. Founded in the late 4th century AD by Saint Pishoy, a disciple of Saint Macarius, the monastery serves as a prominent religious and monastic site.
Spanning approximately two feddans, the monastery contains five churches, including the Church of Saint Pishoy, the largest church in Wadi El Natrun. Additional features include a guesthouse, expansive gardens, a library, an ancient refectory, and the Well of the Martyrs, as well as apartments where monks reside.Religious Tourism / Religious Monuments in Beheira. Kenana Online. Archived August 14, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Pope Shenouda III often visited the monastery for seclusion, sometimes as a form of symbolic protest against various issues.Po pe Shenouda retreats to Anba Bishoy Monastery to protest the “kidnapping” of Christian women. Al-Arabiya. Archived August 1, 2017, at the Wayback Machine.
History The Monastery of Saint Pishoy, initially established as a monastic community under Saint Pishoy in the late 4th century AD, is one of the oldest monastic settlements in Wadi El Natrun. Founded contemporaneously with Saint Macarius the Great, the monastery originally comprised a cluster of monks' apartments and a central church built around Saint Pishoy's cave, with no defensive walls.The Great St. Bishoy. Coptic Monasteries Network. Archived February 19, 2014, at the Wayback Machine.
In 407 AD, the church was destroyed in a raid by Libyan Bedouins, marking the first of several such incursions. Subsequent attacks in 434 and 444 AD caused further destruction,Mounir Shoukry, The Monasteries of Wadi al-Natroun, Mar Mina al-Ajabi Society, Alexandria, no date, p: 10. and a fourth Berber raid in the late 6th century severely damaged the church and the fortified tower. Restoration efforts were led by Pope Benjamin I in 645 AD, which included rebuilding both structures.Hijaji Ibrahim Mohammed, Introduction to Coptic Defense Architecture, Nahdet al-Sharq Library, Giza, 1984, pp: 106.
Another raid occurred in 817 AD, prompting further repairs by Pope Jacob I, while Pope Joseph I returned the relics of Saints Pishoy and Paul of Tammah to the site and oversaw the construction of the main church,History of the monastery. The official website of the Monastery of the Great Saint Anba Bishoy. Archived September 28, 2015, at the Wayback Machine. which dates back to 840 AD.Mark Smika, Guide to the Coptic Museum and the Most Important Egyptian Churches and Monasteries, c: 2, Cairo, 1932, p: 89. In 1069 AD, the Berber Luata tribe invaded the monastery, leading to additional reconstruction under Pope Benjamin II in 1319 AD, who was later interred in the main church. The monastery was noted by the historian Al-Maqrizi in the 15th century for its extensive grounds, despite being in a state of disrepair.Samuel Tawadros al-Syrian, The Egyptian Monasteries, first edition, 1968, p: 121.
During the papacy of Pope Shenouda III, the Monastery of Saint Pishoy underwent renovations. He initiated the restoration of the monks' apartments and repaired the water well where the Berbers had washed their swords after the massacre of the Forty-Nine Martyrs of Scetis. Additionally, Pope Shenouda allocated approximately 300 acres of surrounding desert for land reclamation, established a private papal retreat, and facilitated the introduction of electricity to the monastery.Nevin Abdel Gawad, The Monasteries of Wadi al-Natroun: An Archaeological and Tourism Study, Egyptian General Book Organization, Cairo, 2007, p: 64.
Notably, the holy oil of chrism (myron) was prepared at the monastery five times during his tenure, specifically in 1981, 1987, 1990, 1995, and 2008. This myron was distributed to Coptic churches both within Egypt and abroad, highlighting the monastery's role in the broader Coptic Orthodox community during his leadership.Chrismation work. The official website of the Monastery of the Great St. Bishoy. Archived June 24, 2016, at the Wayback Machine.
About monastery
The Monastery of Saint Pishoy, also known as the Beloved of Christ, is the largest monastery in Wadi Natrun by area, covering approximately two feddans and 16 qirats, excluding additional land. The monastery has a quadrilateral shape and is enclosed by surrounding walls.Marcus Simaika, op. cit. 2, p: 89. The entrance is located at the western end of the northern wall. Within the monastery complex, several important buildings can be found, notably a fortress situated in the northwest corner.Omar Tosun, Wadi al-Natrun, its monks and monasteries, and a brief history of the patriarchs, Egyptian General Book Organization, Cairo, 2009, p: 191.
The Church of Saint Pishoy is located in the southern part of the monastery, accompanied by various annexes, including "the Table" to the west, the altar of Saint Benjamin's Church to the north, the Church of Abu Sakhiron, the Church of Saint George, and a baptistery to the south.Monastery of the Great Saint Anba Bishoy. Coptic Monasteries Network in Egypt. Archived February 19, 2014, at the Wayback Machine. The central area features a garden surrounded by several buildings. To the north, there are relatively modern monks' apartments built approximately 60 years ago, topped with a roof structure. The southern side contains apartments dating back to the ninth century that are still in use, while newly constructed apartments are located on the eastern side. The western side overlooks the monks' cemetery, known as "the Taphos." Adjacent to the southern wall, there are older monk apartments covered by vaults.
In the southeastern corner of the monastery are the kitchen, an old mill, and an ancient bakery. To the north, a former second row of apartments has since collapsed and has been replaced by a new guesthouse built by the monastery's head, Father Peter, in 1926.Omar Tosun, op. cit: 195. The monastery also houses a library, considered one of the smallest among monasteries. Originally located in the fortress, the library was later moved to a dedicated building on the ground floor of the new guesthouse, and subsequently relocated to a room above the guesthouse adjacent to the northern wall. A larger library was established during the tenure of the current pope in 1989.Anba Samuel and Badie Habib, Ancient Churches and Monasteries of the Sea Face, Cairo and Sinai, Institute of Coptic Studies, Cairo, 1995, pp: 14.
Numerous expansions occurred during Pope Shenouda III's tenure, particularly on the southern side behind the ancient wall, where a retreat house for newly ordained priests was constructed, along with a four-story guesthouse. The monastery now features seven gates and towers topped with crosses, as well as a designated residence for the pope, adjacent to a museum store for preserving the monastery's artifacts. The walls, fortress, and Church of Saint Pishoy have been restored under the supervision of the Egyptian Antiquities Authority.Samuel Tawadros al-Syrian, op. cit: 76.
Alqalali
The apartment called Alqalali serve as the living quarters for monks and typically consist of two rooms, a bathroom, and a small reception area. The inner room, known as the "Mahbasa", functions as a retreat for the monk to engage in prayer and spiritual contemplation.Naim El-Baz, Christ in Egypt – The Journey of the Holy Family, Egyptian General Book Organizatio n, Cairo, 2007, p: 24. The windows of both the apartment and the Mahbasa are designed with southern openings to ensure proper ventilation during both winter and summer.
In addition to a few older apartments located near the southern wall of the monastery, modern apartments have been constructed along the northern and eastern walls. The apartments adjacent to the northern wall were built by Father Yohanna Michael, the head of the monastery, in 1934, replacing older apartments that previously occupied the site. Meanwhile, the apartments next to the eastern wall were established by Pope Shenouda III in 1978.Samuel Tawadros al-Syrian, op. cit: 128–130.
Notably, the older apartments, which each consisted of two rooms, were removed to make way for these modern constructions.Nevin Abdel Gawad, op. cit: 126. Previously, there was a row of apartments in the northern area of the monastery, another row along the southern edge of the enclosed area, and yet another row parallel to the dining area; however, these have since fallen into ruins.Anba Bishoy Monastery. Kanshirin Encyclopedia of Churches and Monasteries. Archived March 6, 2016, at the Wayback Machine.
The construction of the monks' apartments(known as Alqalali ) was completed in stages, culminating in 1983. By this time, the layout resembled the letter "U" and comprised two stories, accommodating approximately 60 apartments. This complex also included a communal dining area, an attached kitchen, food storage rooms, and bathrooms.
In addition, another building shaped like the letter "T" was constructed, featuring three floors that house around 45 apartments, each equipped with an attached bathroom. A water tank with a capacity of 89 cubic meters is also present, which includes recovery rooms for individuals requiring special medical care.
In 1980, a building shaped like the letter "I" was completed, consisting of two floors and containing approximately 26 apartments, each with an attached bathroom. Furthermore, in 1988, a three-story building was erected, featuring numerous apartments, all equipped with attached bathrooms.History of the monastery. The official website of the Monastery of the Great Saint Anba Bishoy. Archived September 28, 2015, at the Wayback Machine.
By 1989, a large wall was completed around these three buildings and the surrounding gardens to maintain the tranquility of the area where the monks worship. In addition to the communal apartments for monks living in community, there are also individual apartments for hermitic monks, each with a small garden. Some of these apartments are situated 2 to 5 kilometers away from the monastery, providing solitude for those seeking a more isolated monastic life.Evelyn White, History of the Monasteries of Nitria and Ischia c: 3, translated by: Paula Al-Barmoussi, Cairo, first edition, 1997, p: 146
The table