Saint Beshay and Begol The Red Monastery , 2009 Acknowledgements

The St. Mark Foundation Mrs. Youssria Sawris Dr. Fawzy Estafanous Bishop Yones Fr. Begol Abba Begol Rafik Gabriel Medhat Mosaad Gerges

Consultant: Gawdat Gabra Photography: Laura Watson Joseph F. Foss Fr. Athanasios El-Shenodi The of Sohag Sohag, Egypt

The district of the town of , formerly called Panopolis, is located about five hundred kilometers to the south of Cairo in and is found on the east bank of the Nile River. It is believed that Pachomius built many monasteries in the region around Akhmim in the first half of the fourth century.

There is no physical evidence of any of those monasteries still remaining. Of the monasteries that still exist, the most important monasteries are those connected to Saint Shenute in the late fourth and in the fifth centuries. Saint Shenute, with Saint Beshay, an older companion of Saint Shenute, and Begol, who was the maternal uncle of Saint Shenute, built cells in the mountains as well as a church, called al-Raghamah. It is believed that the church was located about three kilometers south of The Monastery of Saint Shenute (The ).

The White Monastery and The Monastery of Saint Beshay and Begol (The Red Monastery) are two of the most architecturally interesting monasteries in the region of Akhmim. Begol founded The White Monastery, where St. Shenute became a monk in 370 and an abbot in 385. The White Monastery is located eight kilometers west of Sohag. The Red Monastery is about three kilometers north of The White Monastery. It is not known whether Saint Beshay founded this monastery or whether it was simply built in his honor.

1 Saint Beshay and Begol Monastery The Red Monastery

The Red Monastery is located in the village of Nag’ Abu Azizah. The name The Red Monastery comes from the color of its exterior walls, which were built out of baked bricks. There are very few historical references to the monastery, including a Coptic manuscript showing that it was a working monastery in the 11th century, as well as a reference by Johann Wansleben in 1672 that the monastery itself, apart from the church, was in ruins when he visited. The set fire to the monastery in 1798.

Today, the monastery is surrounded by the village to the south and east of the church. Land to the west has been reclaimed and is presently in use by the monastery for a church and housing for the monks, farming, a cemetery and various service buildings. A large archaeological dig is located adjacent to the walls of the ancient monastery.

The church of the ancient monastery was built in the second half of the fifth century, and is much smaller than the church in The White Monastery, but has a strikingly similar floorplan and architectural perspective. The most striking attribute of the church is the triconch sanctuary which has been uniquely preserved. The walls have columns with niches in two rows, with domes above. A restoration process is underway that has resulted in the unearthing of very rare and spectacular wall paintings in the church, one of the few examples of such decoration dating from the fifth century.

2 Explanation of Figures And Photo Orientation.

This book has been structured to provide the reader with the opportunity to experience the monastery as if one were walking through it. Consequently, the maps on pages 4 and 5 should be used to provide an understanding of where the photos in this book were taken in relation to the monastery as a whole.

Page four, the Map of the Grounds, provides an aerial view of the overall monastery complex, showing the area within its walls as well as the area immediately surrounding the walls.

The majority of the photos in this book are provided with a key in the form of a letter, for example (A), to show the reader where the image is in relationship to the monastery as a whole. These letters correspond to the key on the Map of the Grounds on page 4.

Page 5 is a floor plan of the ancient monastery and the Church of Begol, with major features of the ancient monastery labelled. The ancient monastery floor plan uses a combination of the letter A (to correspond with its location on the Map of the Grounds on page 4) and a numbering system, to show where the photos are within the ancient monastery, for example (A1).

3 4 Map of the Grounds. Area A corresponds with the map of the ancient monastery of Saint Beshay and Begol on page 5. The key on the right corresponds with the photos on the following pages. Floor plan of the ancient monastery of Saint Beshay and Begol (Area A, page 5 4). Please use this for the identification of photos on the following pages. 6 Saint Beshay and Begol Monastery. Entrance Gate (Area B). Main Courtyard with Kerolus Church on the left and the gatehouse in the center, looking toward the cemetery (Area C). 7 Left: Detail, entrance gate (Area B). Right: West wall of ancient monastery (Area A).

8 West wall and north wall of the ancient monastery from the archeological ruins, with towers in background (Area A). 9 10 North wall of the ancient monastery from the excavation site (Area A). Main Courtyard looking west with Church of the Virgin Mary in the foreground (Area A). 11 12 Detail of ancient inscriptions/frescoes on west wall of ancient monastery (Area A). Detail of ancient inscriptions/frescoes on west wall of ancient monastery (Area A). 13 14 View into main courtyard looking north, from stairwell on south wall (Area A). Detail of north wall from stairwell as shown on previous page (Area A). 15 16 West wall of Church of Begol from courtyard of ancient monastery (Area A3). Door to Church of Begol on west wall of church, from main courtyard of 17 ancient monastery, looking east (Area A3). 18 Detail above door to Church of Begol on west wall of church, from main courtyard of ancient monastery, looking east (Area A3). The Church of Begol, column in entry (Area A3). 19

Preceding Page: View of the trefoil sanctuary with center altar and side 21 recesses, looking east (Areas A4-6).This Page: North wall (Area A4).

Preceding Page: View of the north wall, first and second tiers. 23 This Page: North wall, first tier. Church of Begol. (Area A4). 24 Detail, north wall, first tier. Church of Begol (Area A4). Niches, north wall, first tier. Church of Begol (Area A4). 25

Preceding Page: Niche detail, north wall, first tier. This Page Above Left: Doorway on east side of north wall, first tier. Apa Theophilus, holding a book and raising his hand in blessing. This Page Above Right: Detail of doorway. Church of Begol. (Area A4).

27 28 Niches, north wall, second tier. Below and on Following Pages: Detail of Niches. Left to Right: St. Besa, St. Shenute, an unknown saint, and St. Beshay. Church of Begol. (Area A4). Niche, north wall, second tier. St. Besa. Church of Begol (Area A4). 29 30 Niche, north wall, second tier. St. Shenute. Church of Begol (Area A4). Left: Column. North wall, second tier, detail. 31 Right: Niche, north wall, second tier. Unknown saint. Church of Begol. (Area A4). 32 This Page: Niche, north wall, second tier. St. Beshay. (Area A4). Following Page: Semi-dome, north wall, Virgin Mary nursing the Baby Jesus. (Area A4).

34 This Page and Following Page: Semi-dome, north wall, Virgin Mary nursing the Baby Jesus, dome and dome detail. Church of Begol. (Area A4).

Preceding Page and This Page: Detail, semi-dome, north wall. Church of Begol. (Area A4). 37 38 Detail, semi-dome, north wall. Church of Begol. (Area A4). Detail, semi-dome, north wall. Church of Begol. (Area A4). 39 Detail, semi-dome, north wall. Church of Begol. (Area A4).

40 Detail, semi-dome, north wall. Church of Begol. (Area A4).

41

Preceding Page: View of the center of the trefoil sanctuary with center altar, looking east. 43 This Page: East wall, first tier. Church of Begol. (Area A5). 44 Above Left: Detail, east wall, first tier. Above Right: Niche, east wall, first tier. Following Page: Niche, east wall, first tier. Church of Begol. (Area A5).

46 This Page: Niche, east wall, first tier. Next Page: Detail, east wall, first tier. Church of Begol. (Area A5).

48 Niches, east wall, second tier. Church of Begol (Area A5). Niche, east wall, second tier. Church of Begol. (Area A5). 49

Preceding Page: Niche, east wall, second tier detail. 51 This Page: Niche, east wall, second tier. Church of Begol. (Area A5). 52 This Page: Niche, east wall, second tier. Following Page: Detail, niche, east wall, second tier. Church of Begol. (Area A5).

54 This Page: Semi-dome, east wall (Area A5). Following Page: View of the south wall of the trefoil sanctuary (Area A6). Church of Begol.

56 This Page: View of the south wall, first and second tiers. Following Page: South wall, first tier. Church of Begol. (Area A6).

58 Doorway on east side of south wall, first tier. Church of Begol (Area A6). Niche, south wall, first tier. Church of Begol (Area A6). 59

Preceding Page: Niche detail, south wall, first tier. 61 Above: Niche, south wall, first tier. Church of Begol. (Area A6). 62 Above and Following Page: Column detail, south wall, first tier. Church of Begol. (Area A6).

64 Niche detail, south wall, first tier. Church of Begol. (Area A6). Niches, south wall, second tier. Below and on Following Pages: Detail of Niches. Church of Begol. (Area A6). 65 66 Niche, south wall, second tier. Church of Begol (Area A6). Niche, south wall, second tier. Church of Begol (Area A6). 67 68 Left: Column, south wall, second tier detail. Right: Niche, south wall, second tier. Church of Begol. (Area A6). Niche, south wall, second tier. Church of Begol (Area A6). 69 70 Jesus Christ enthroned, semi-dome, south wall. Church of Begol (Area A6). Following Three Pages: Detail, semi-dome, south wall. Church of Begol. (Area A6). 71

74 This Page: Detail, semi-dome, south wall. Church of Begol. (Area A6). Following Page: View of the semi-domes of the trefoil sanctuary. Church of Begol (Areas A4-6).

76 Church of the Virgin Mary (Area A7). Above Left: Altar screen for altar of the Church of the Virgin Mary. Above Right: Altar of the Church of the Virgin Mary (Area A7).

77

Preceding Page: Dome of the Church of Begol, looking west. This Page: Dome of the Church of Begol, tower in background, looking north. 79 (Area A). Following Two Pages: Courtyard, ancient monastery at sunset (Area A) and excavation to north of ancient monastery (Area D).

82 This Page: Tower on north side of Church of Begol. Following Page: Church of Kerolus (Area C).

84 Altar screen for altar of the Church of Kerolus. (Area C). Altar of the Church of Kerolus. (Area C). 85 86 Excavation to north of ancient monastery (Area D). Following Page: Church of Begol and Beshay, the Monks’ Church (Area F).

Preceding Page: Church of Begol and Beshay, the Monks’ Church. 89 This Page: Altar screen, Church of Begol and Beshay, the Monks’ Church. (Area F). 90 North altar, the Virgin Mary, altar screen. Church of Begol and Beshay, the Monks’ Church. (Area F). North altar, the Virgin Mary. 91 Church of Begol and Beshay, the Monks’ Church. (Area F). 92 Center altar, Begol and Beshay, altar screen. Church of Begol and Beshay, the Monks’ Church. (Area F). Center altar, Begol and Beshay. 93 Church of Begol and Beshay, the Monks’ Church. (Area F). 94 South altar, St. Shenute, altar screen. Church of Begol and Beshay, the Monks’ Church. (Area F). South altar, St. Shenute. 95 Church of Begol and Beshay, the Monks’ Church. (Area F). 96 Service building, containing a library, restaurant, kitchen and laundry. (Area F). Above Left: Service building detail (Area F). Below Left: Residency to east of ancient monastery. 97 Above Right: New tile factory. Below Right: Old tile factory, to east of excavations. 98 Monk’s cell (Area F). This Page: Detail Monk’s cell (Area F). 99 Following Page: Main Gate in evening light (Area B).

Saint Beshay and Begol Monastery (The Red Monastery)

Sohag, Egypt 2009