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What monasteries are the hardest to visit?
What are the most reclusive monasteries that rarely get any tourists or are very hard for any tourists to go to?
Comments
They have quite a visitors center (centre) that was constructed under the auspices of Fr. Matta.
They generally do not let anyone in during the fast, but plenty do get in to the monastery (even during the fast).
As a matter of fact, and during the Advent Fast, they let in Muslim army personnel to the monastery to go give
homage at the relics of St. John the Baptist.
My grandmother used to tell me stories of how St. Macarious was colloquially known as "Hilton El-Sa7ara2" ("Hilton of the Desert") amongst the Copts who took church trips to visit - a comment on it's beauty, cleanliness and hospitality.
I did in fact manage to visit during the fast, but only because a family friend was the brother of one of the monks.
Does anyone know of any such monasteries? Monasteries that take days to get to by car or require travel by some alterntive method? Or ones that are very very strict about letting visitors come even when there is no fast?
They don't have to be in Egypt by the way.
Two years back we organised a week long trip out into Upper Egypt on a tour of these monasteries - we must have visited at least 50 monasteries, and there were many more we couldn't visit because of the time factor. We visited the Virgin's Monastery in Gabal El Tair (one of the sites of the Holy Families visit to Egypt), the Red and White Monasteries in Sohag (those of St. Shenouda the Archmanidrite and his uncle St. Pigol), Deir Dronka (another Holy Family site), the Muharraq Monastery at Mount Kuskam (where the Holy Family hid for over 6 months), the Deir El Malak Abou Khashaba (Archangel Gabriel's Monastery) near Fayoum, the martyrs of Fayoum (all massacred and burnt, their corpses and relics intact, some even growing hair miraculously), just to name a few, with countless ones besides. We virtually lived on the coach, travelling from place to place, (although we did find accomodation in a few hotels and in the Monasteries at Sohag).
It was quite a journey really - we visited some very impoverished places and found many, many churches and Monasteries with a really spiritual atmosphere, filled with simple people. When we visited the Monastery at Gabal El Tair - the Church was absolutely jam-packed. All of the congregation were poor farmers and their families, who till the land all week in order to sustain a living, but still find time to come to the church and pray. I personally benefited greatly from this trip.
Most monasteries are relatively easy to reach physically - this wasn't the case 30 years ago. But the ones in Upper Egypt are tough to get to.
I wonder what the Coptic church's relation with the St. Catherine's Greek Orthodox monastery in Sinai? Does anybody know if we have (Coptic) monasteries nearby St. Catherines? In my opinion, it would be very cool if the Coptic and the Greek monks could have two monasteries in 1 within the walls, but have their own quarters etc...but then come together for simple things such as work, and public (non-liturgical) prayer.
I believe the monks at St. Catherine's Monastery are really Greek, or at least a fairly good number of them. If you are familiar with Greek monks, you'll know how hostile they are towards the Coptic Church, and its sister churches. They still think we are Monophysites (believers in only the divine nature of Christ), and consider our church and its sacraments invalid. That would never work out at the present time...
However, I'd rather go to the monasteries of Sts Anthony and Paul along the Red Sea. Those are my two favorite monasteries in the Coptic Church. When you climb the mountain of St. Anthony and look at the Red Sea, the views are simply breathtaking. I love the ancient churches in those two monasteries-they are a treasure to not only the Coptic Church, but to the world really... I can't really describe the feeling that I get when I enter the church where St. Anthony is buried. Its normally silent in there and meditation there is so deep. Such a blessed place. It really is a shame how its nearly impossible to visit these holy sites in Egypt now :(
Pauli, is it possible to become a monk in one of those eritrean/ethiopian monasteries if you only speak english? Also, can you name a few specific monasteries that are particularly reclusive/isolated?
I don't know how Eritrean//Ethiopian monasteries accept people from abroad. Most monks don't speak english. many of them lived in monastries since they were young. (e.g Abune Antonuis entered a monastery at age 5.) Some reclusive monasteries in Eritrea : Debre Bizen, Debre Libanos, White Mount, Holy Trinity Monastery
I don't know enough about Ethiopian monasteries, I'm sure there are plent. Debre Damo, ZE WALDIBA monastery are Debre Libanos among wellknown monasteries
http://www.youtube.com/user/zethiopia?blend=22&ob=5#p/u/17/G9ntRaMiWiw
Also are St Athony and At Paul on Mt Sinai?
Also, can you please name a few upper egyptian monasteries that are especially reclusive?
If I can't find a good quiet monastery in Egypt, I may have to go to Mt Athos and get away from all these evil monophysite heretics.
The Red Sea monasteries are not particularly restrictive on guests visiting. They are absolutely beautiful though. St. Anthony's is the oldest monastery in the world.
There are many monasteries in Upper Egypt which are relatively reculsive, as they are quite small. There are a few around Fayoum (including Archangel Gabriel). You have the larger ones like Deir El Muharraq as well.
[quote author=Sudani link=topic=11704.msg140300#msg140300 date=1309182496]
If I can't find a good quiet monastery in Egypt, I may have to go to Mt Athos and get away from all these evil monophysite heretics.
This made me laugh ;D
I visited St Catherine's and they weren't very friendly at all. Indeed they were pointing and saying 'monophysite heretics'.
Yeah, I remember reading in Fr. Gruber's "Return to Eden" about the marked change in atmosphere when visiting St. Cathrine's versus visiting the Coptic monasteries. He seems to have had a rather unpleasant time there (perhaps because he is a Roman Catholic?), and did not paint the monks there in a very positive light at all. Having never been to either the Greek or Coptic desert monasteries, I can't really say how true that is, but just the same I know which ones I'd rather visit! :)
I wonder what the Coptic church's relation with the St. Catherine's Greek Orthodox monastery in Sinai? Does anybody know if we have (Coptic) monasteries nearby St. Catherines? In my opinion, it would be very cool if the Coptic and the Greek monks could have two monasteries in 1 within the walls, but have their own quarters etc...but then come together for simple things such as work, and public (non-liturgical) prayer.
That would be wonderful if they had the same mentality we do. But I too visited this monastery on my first trip to Egypt (about 10 years ago) and they were in fact pretty inhospitable and unwelcoming and very reluctantly let us visit the monastery and the burning bush.
I visited St Catherine's and they weren't very friendly at all. Indeed they were pointing and saying 'monophysite heretics'.
[quote author=+Marmar+ link=topic=11704.msg140339#msg140339 date=1309215147]
I even heard that a woman died because she fell in a abyss.
Wow! This St. Catherine's monastery sounds super-Orthodox. It's just what I'm looking for. I bet they're so strict, they don't believe anyone can go to heaven!
Alright, I'm off.
Goodbye, heretics!
Seriously?! What is your problem?
Since when is calling anyone a heretic on a forum anonymously a joke? How can any of you say that with a straight face? How many of you laughed, chuckled, or even smiled when they read that? Anyone? If not, then it's not a joke.
[quote author=Κηφᾶς link=topic=11704.msg140364#msg140364 date=1309238410]
+ Irini nem ehmot,
Since when is calling anyone a heretic on a forum anonymously a joke? How can any of you say that with a straight face? How many of you laughed, chuckled, or even smiled when they read that? Anyone? If not, then it's not a joke.
Just a quick FYI: Anathema and Sudani are the same person. They just changed their userID and picture.