Monastery of Saint Macarius the Great

Additionally, the monastery includes monk cells (known as kelia), a communal dining hall attached to a kitchen, a small museum, a hospital, an power station, a printing press, and a library containing rare manuscripts.

Additional controversy arose following a separate discovery in Bulgaria in 2010, where relics claimed to belong to John the Baptist were unearthed beneath an ancient church.

[21] The name Macarius has ancient Egyptian roots, derived from the Demotic term Makhro, meaning "true of voice," signifying honesty and integrity.

[31] At the end of the 5th century AD, Emperor Zeno of the Eastern Roman Empire provided financial support for the monasteries of Wadi El-Natrun.

Zeno’s patronage facilitated renovations and expansions in the monasteries, including the construction of fortified towers, churches, and various monastic buildings with marble columns.

However, by the late 6th century, the monastery suffered extensive damage during the fourth Berber raid around 570 AD (approximately 1,454 years ago).

In 631 AD (approximately 1,393 years ago), during a visit by Pope Benjamin I, a new church was commissioned within the monastery, dedicated to the 49 Elders of Scetis.

[33] In 793 AD (approximately 1,231 years ago), during the patriarchate of Pope John IV, the relics of Saint Macarius the Great were transferred to the monastery in a wooden casket.

During the fifth Berber raid in 817 AD (approximately 1,207 years ago), the monastery suffered damage once again, highlighting the limitations of these modest fortifications.

Similarly, Pope Benjamin II visited in 1330 AD (694 years ago) en route to the Monastery of Saint Bishoy to oversee repairs following termite damage to its wooden structures.

Restoration efforts for the Monastery of Saint Macarius began in 1929 AD (95 years ago), marking the start of a revival in the region.

These monks had spent the previous ten years living together entirely isolated from the world, in the desert caves of Wadi El Rayyan, about 50 km (31 mi) south of Fayoum.

[1] Pope Cyril VI ordered this group of monks to leave Wadi El Rayyan and go to the Monastery of Saint Macarius the Great to restore it.

[50] The monastery owns additional land on Egypt’s north western coast along the Alexandria-Marsa Matruh road, further extending its agricultural and developmental projects.

This occurred during a period when the number of monks was relatively low, leading to the abandonment of the original space and the rebuilding of the northern and eastern walls in their current locations.

[56] This change is believed to have taken place before 1330, as referenced in the description of Pope Benjamin II's visit to the monastery, where he passed through the arched entrance, a remnant of the old structure.

During restoration work in 1969, the monk Matta El Meskeen discovered the original ancient door of the monastery in the northern section of the eastern wall, equipped with a brick arch.

Evidence supporting this timeline includes the fact that the last destruction of the fortifications of the Wadi El-Natrun monasteries occurred during a Berber raid in 1069.

The domes resemble those in Upper Egypt, specifically in the tombs of Al-Bajawat in the Kharga Oasis, and are also akin to those in the monastery of the Virgin Mary - Syrians in Wadi El-Natrun.

Although much of its entrance width has been reduced, the external boundary of the original arch is still visible, along with red and white painted brickwork framed in a rectangular outline with a square opening above it.

This dome rests on an octagonal wooden base, partially supported by two marble columns embedded in the eastern wall of the sanctuary.

This belief centered around a small, protruding column, in front of which incense was regularly offered as a mark of reverence, despite the burial site itself being obscured.

Father Matta El-Meskeen informed him of the discovery of a burial site traditionally believed to contain the relics of Prophets John the Baptist and Elisha.

He questioned why the discovery had not yet been made public, to which Father Matta responded that there was insufficient evidence to conclusively attribute the relics to the prophets.

Traditionally, baptistries or icons dedicated to John the Baptist are located south of the main altar, yet in this case, the relics prompted a notable liturgical adjustment.

[104][105] On July 28, 2010, an announcement was made regarding the discovery of relics believed to belong to John the Baptist on St. Ivan Island, located in the Black Sea near the town of Sozopol, Bulgaria.

One of the most notable sites associated with him is the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, Syria, which contains a shrine believed to house the head of Prophet Yahya.

[113] The Coptic Church published a statement to say that Pope Tawadros “mourned in Anba Epiphanius a true monk whose life was steeped in meekness and humbleness; also a scholar who possessed a wealth of knowledge that fruited research and publications in various branches of ecclesiastical studies.

The Pope prayed for peace for his soul, and comfort for the St Macarius monk assembly as well as all who loved the late Abbot [...] He was simple in his clothes, his house and his food.

[116] Anba Epiphanius was an ardent follower of Matthew the Poor and it is believed that this led to severe tension within his monastery particularly where the former monk and suspect in the abbot's killing, Wael Saad Tawadros, was concerned.

Monastery sign.
A marble plaque with the names of the forty-nine sheikhs killed by the Berbers in 444 (1580 years ago).
The cave of Anba Makar the Great, where he is believed to have worshipped.
An old photo of the monastery's exterior from 1935.
The gate leading to the monastery's three churches: Anba Maqar Church, Abascheron Church, and the Church of the Elders.
One of the monastery's publications. [ 47 ]
The monks' cellars are to the right of the monastery's hostess.
The eastern facade of the Modern Table, where the monks gather at 12 noon to eat the day's meal together.
The monastery wall with one of its gates.
The wall surrounding the monastery.
The monastery fortress where the monks took refuge from Berber raids. [ 59 ]
The drawbridge connected to the monastery fortress in 1935 (89 years ago). [ 63 ]
The monastery fortress where the monks took refuge from Berber raids. [ 64 ]
The veil of the northern temple called the Temple of John the Baptist in the church of Anba Makar.
The Temple of Bishop Benjamin, which is the center temple.
The dome of the Temple of Bishop Benjamin.
The exterior of the Basilica of Abascheron.
The marble sign of the Basilica of Abascheron.
The interior of the church.
The marble sign of the Church of the Elders.
The east and south facade of the church, with the entrance on the left and the bell tower in the center.
A fresco depicting Anba Abib on the right and Anba Maysael the tourist on the left.
A fresco depicting the angel Michael holding his spear at the Angel Michael Church.
The wooden compartment where the remains of John the Baptist and Elisha were deposited.
The icon of Christ's baptism at the hands of John the Baptist, which is located above the veil of the Temple of John the Baptist in Anba Makar Church.
The crypt found under the floor of the Anba Makkar Church, in front of the Temple of John the Baptist, contained the remains of the prophets Elisha and John the Baptist.
An old view of the pillar of the mast, likely the site of the church built to preserve the bodies of the prophets John the Baptist and Elisha.
The Icon of Intercession, with Christ in the center, John the Baptist in the upper right and the Virgin Mary in the upper left, is located in the Temple of John the Baptist in the church of Anba Makar.
The tomb of Prophet Yahya (John the Baptist) at the Great Umayyad Mosque in Damascus.