[1] By 390, it had evolved from a loose collection of solitary monks to an organized settlement of multiple cenobitic monasteries, and included bankers, merchants, and sellers.
Christian pilgrims from the nearby city of Alexandria visited Nitria in large numbers, the monks servicing their needs.
[1] Other monks sought more remote areas, away from tourists and merchants, and established a monastic center in Kellia c. 338.
[1] Nitria should not be confused with the monasteries at Wadi El Natrun (formally known as Scetis), which are still in existence.
[1] The English and German word "natron" was first a French cognate which has its origin from the Spanish "natrón" through Latin "natrium" and Greek "nitron" (νίτρον).