Deir el-Meimun - Deir el-Meimūn

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Deir el-Meimun · ‏دير الميمون‎
GovernorateBeni Suef
Residents
1.966 (2006)
height
34 m
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Deir el-Meimun

Deir el-Meimun, Arabic:دير الميمون‎, Dair al-Maimun, a village in Middle Egypt in the GovernorateBeni Suef on the east bank of the Nils. The village was built on the site of the first monastery foundation Anthony the Great.

background

Deir el-Meimun's plan

location

Deir el-Meimūn is located on the eastern side of the Nile. The village is about 93 kilometers south of Cairo and 21 kilometers north-northeast of Beni Suef.

The local village got its name from the village 1 el-Meimun on the western side of the Nile. The monastery churches are in the west of the village.

history

The village is very closely related to St. Anthony the Great, ‏أنطونيوس الكبير(251–356), the patriarch of Coptic monasticism. His student Athanasius the great (around 300–373) wrote the biography of his teacher, the Vita Antonii. It shows that Antony the Great founded two monasteries. At the beginning of his monastic life, Antonius lived secluded here with wild animals for twenty years in a dilapidated castrum. The place was called "outer (st) er mountain" or "outer desert"[1] designated. Athanasius describes in detail Antony's fight against demons. Even after he opened his second monastery, the Anthony Monastery in the vicinity of the Red sea, in the vita "inner (st) er mountain"[2] called, founded, he kept coming back here. After his death he was buried in the monastery near the Red Sea. The use of a dilapidated castrum indicates that the area of ​​today's Deir el-Meimūn has been used for military purposes at least since Roman times.

The first references to the local monastery date from the second half of the 4th and first half of the 5th century. So reported the monk and historian Sulpicius Severus (363–420 / 425) around 420 AD that his friend Postumianus (2nd half of the 4th century) two monasteries of St. Anthony had visited, in which Antonius's students still lived.[3] The monk and historian Palladius of Helenopolis (364 – around 430) as well as the monk and historian Rufinus of Aquileia (about 344/345 to 411/412), who had visited the monastery around 375, name in the Historia Lausiaca[4] or in the Historia monachorum[5] the Greek name of the place Pispir, Πίσπιρ. Rufinus also equated Pispir with the local monastery of St. Antony.

However, further reports are missing until the Middle Ages. Describes at the beginning of the 13th century Abū el-Makārim (* before 1160; † after 1190) the monastery that he Deir el-Ǧummeiza, Monastery of the Sycamore, ‏دير الجميزة, Calls as follows:

“The monastery called al-Ǧummaiza monastery is located on the bank of the blessed Nile. There is also a residential tower, a garden, a mill and a wine press. It is located near Dahrūṭ[6] and contains thirty monks up to our time. ”He also reports on the monk and heretic Balūṭus from this monastery of Anbā Andūna, St. Antony.[7]

Also from the Arab historian el-Maqrīzī (1364–1442) there is a description of the local monastery in his monastery list under No. 6:

“The monastery of el-Jommeiza is also known as the monastery el-Jûd [monastery of generosity] and the boatmen call the place Jazâir el-deir the monastery islands, el-Meimun opposite and west of the monastery of el-’Araba; it is built in the name of Antony, who is also called Antona; he came from Came and when the days of Diocletianus were over and martyrdom was over, he wanted to have a divine service instead, which would be offered for an equal or similar wage [d. H. martyrdom] led. So he consecrated himself to the service of God and was the first to introduce monasticism among Christians in place of martyrdom; he fasted 40 days and nights without taking any food or drink, while still waking up the nights, and he did this in the great fast every year. "(translation after Wüstenfeld)[7][8]

However, nothing is learned about possible churches in the monastery. From the beginning of the 16th century, various Europeans traveled to this monastery and published brief reports. They included the French head of the monastery, Ogier d’Anglure (d. 1506)[9], the French traveler Jean Coppin (1615–1690), who toured Egypt between 1638 and 1646,[10] the Dominican Johann Michael Wansleben (1635–1679), who passed this place on September 28th [1672], coming from Cairo,[11] the French Jesuit Claude Sicard (1677–1726)[12], the English travel writer Richard Pococke (1704–1765), who toured the Middle East including Egypt 1737–1741,[13] and the Danish naval officer and explorer Frederic Louis North (1708–1742)[14].

Only since the second half of the 19th century have there been descriptions of the churches by John Louis Petit[15] and by Greville J. Chester[16]. They are important because the Antonius Church in particular was extensively rebuilt in the 20th century. Gabriele Giamberardini presented the most detailed description so far in 1957. In 1980 Sameh Adli also published the floor plan of the churches.[17]

Adoration of saints

In addition to St. Antonios the Great also becomes the equestrian saint here Philopater Merkurius worshiped by the Egyptians too Abū Seifein, ‏أبو سيفين‎, „the father of two swords", is called. Mercury was born around AD 225 in Cappadocia born in Asia Minor. His father, a Roman civil servant, came from the Sketic desert. His parents became Christians and also had their son baptized. At the age of 17 he joined the Roman army. As a mounted swordsman, he distinguished himself especially in the fight against the Persians. It is said that the Archangel Michael presented him with a second, divine, sword for his fight against an army of Berbers in excess, with which he could defend Rome. This caught both the attention of the Roman emperor Decius (Reigns 249-251), but also the envy of others. Mercury was exposed as a Christian, and since he refused to sacrifice to the goddess Artemis, he was tortured in Caesarea in Cappadocia and beheaded on December 4, 250. According to tradition, Mercury is said to have come from heaven after his death and the Roman emperor Flavius ​​Claudius Iulianus (Iulianus Apostata) killed with a lance while fighting the Persians.

Relics of this saint are also found in the Monastery of St. Mercury in Old Cairo kept. The saint is commemorated annually on the 25th Hathor (December 4th), the day of his martyrdom.

getting there

In the street

There are several ways of getting here. For one, you can go directly over Beni Suef arrive. You cross the Nile over the Beni-Suef-Nile bridge and after 1.5 kilometers in a south-westerly direction you come to a roundabout, from which you go north-east at 1 29 ° 2 ′ 39 ″ N.31 ° 6 ′ 32 ″ E branches off. After 25 kilometers you will reach Deir el-Meimūn.

Alternatively, you can use the 2 Nile bridge at El-Wāsṭā cross. Three kilometers behind the bridge one branches off 3 29 ° 20 ′ 27 ″ N.31 ° 14 ′ 40 ″ E to the south and after another 15 kilometers reaches Deir el-Meimūn.

An arrival is also over Cairo conceivable. One can over el-Maʿādī and Helwan or the outer ring road and those arriving by the desert highway. At 4 29 ° 17 ′ 0 ″ N.31 ° 16 ′ 10 ″ E if you turn west from the autobahn and continue to Cairo-Aswan Agricultural Road, trunk road 21, via el-Kureimāt,الكريمات, And then about ten kilometers further south.

By boat

There are no official landing stages on the banks of the Nile. However, slopes about 600 meters north of the village lead directly to the Nile.

mobility

The churches are mostly locked. With the help of the villagers, the guard with the keys can be found.

The streets are wide enough to drive to the monastery by car. The small village can be explored on a walk.

Tourist Attractions

Only the churches remain of the former monastery, both of which were probably built around the same time in Ottoman times (from 1517).[18] There is no evidence of any previous buildings. Meinardus mentioned that the old wooden screen in the Church of St. Anthony the year 1264 AT THE, around 1529/1530 AD, wore.

  • 1  Monastery of St. Antony. On the western edge of the village, close to the Nile. The entrance to the monastery is on the east side. There are two churches on the monastery grounds, the administration building with the bell tower on the north side and a basin for washing feet in a lane to the west outside the site in the north. To the north and south of the churches there is a courtyard with trees and shelters. North-west of the larger church of St. Anthony is the Church of St. Mercury, also called Abu Seifein. The church building can be reached via the common forecourt of both churches.(29 ° 13 '39 "N.31 ° 13 '7 "E)
  • 2  Church of St. Antony (‏كنيسة القديس العظيم الأنبا انطونيوس‎). Via the entrance on the north side of the three-aisled church one reaches the vestibule, the narthex, and then the church interior. The naves are separated from each other by two brick pillars and a pillar in the east. In the north-west of the church a staircase leads to the gallery. The church was built over the cave of St. Anthony, in which St. Antonius lived before the monastery was founded and which is now located in the south aisle and is surrounded by a modern wooden railing. An earlier grave was probably used for this cave. It is 0.8 meters wide, 1.75 meters long and about 2 meters deep. An icon for this saint was placed on the south wall in the area of ​​this cave. The Church has two hotspots, namely in the north for the Archangel Michael and in the middle for St. Antony. The baptismal font is on the right. Today's screen wall is modern. Immediately in front of it is a transverse hall, the Chūruṣ. Earlier screen walls were set up on the south and west walls. The screen wall from 1264 AT THE but is not included. The church has a surrounding wooden gallery. In the middle of the nave there is an undecorated dome.(29 ° 13 '39 "N.31 ° 13 '7 "E)
  • 3  Abu Seifein Church (‏كنيسة أبو سيفين‎, Church of St. Mercury). The entrance to this church is on the east side. The masonry of the facade is unplastered. Before entering the actual church on the south side, one encounters an earlier gate with an iron door knocker in a vestibule. The church looks older than that of St. Anthony, although they were both probably erected around the same time. However, the church of Abu Seifein is still largely in its original state. The stone screen, in front of which there is another wooden one, separates the three-aisled church interior from the Holy of Holies. A massive pillar and a massive column separate the ships. In front of the sanctuary there is a dome with several cross representations into which windows are let. The baptistery is in the right aisle.(29 ° 13 '40 "N.31 ° 13 '7 "E)
  • 4  Basin for washing feet. The pool is located on the north side of the monastery and is fenced in with a metal grille.(29 ° 13 '40 "N.31 ° 13 '8 "E)

activities

In the church of St. Anthony, church services are carried out.

shop

kitchen

Restaurants can be found in Beni Suef.

accommodation

Accommodation can be found in Beni Suef.

trips

Visiting this monastery can be done with the Nunnery of St. Virgin at Beni Suef connect. Also a visit to the city Nāṣir, formerly Būsch, fits thematically because the branches of the two Red Sea monasteries are located here.

literature

  • Vita Antonius the great:
    • Athanasius ; Stegmann Anton [translator]; Mertel, Hans [transl.]: Selected writings of St. Athanasius Alexandrinus; Vol. 2: Against the Gentiles; About the Incarnation; Life of Saint Anthony ; Life of Saint Pachomius. Kempten [and others]: Kösel, 1917, Library of the Church Fathers: [Row 1]; 31, Pp. 687-776.
  • Reference books:
    • Timm, Stefan: Dēr al-Mēmūn. In:Christian Coptic Egypt in Arab times; Vol. 2: D - F. Wiesbaden: Reichert, 1984, Supplements to the Tübingen Atlas of the Middle East: Series B, Geisteswissenschaften; 41.2, ISBN 978-3-88226-209-4 , Pp. 742-749.
    • Meinardus, Otto F. A.: Christian Egypt, ancient and modern. Cairo: American University at Cairo Press, 1977 (2nd edition), ISBN 978-977-201-496-5 , P. 356 f.
    • Coquin, René-Georges; Maurice Martin, S. J.; Grossmann, Peter: Dayr Al-Maymun. In:Atiya, Aziz Suryal (Ed.): The Coptic Encyclopedia; Vol. 3: Cros - Ethi. new York: Macmillan, 1991, ISBN 978-0-02-897026-4 , P. 838 f.
  • Church description:
    • Giamberardini, Gabriele: S. Antonio Abate: astro del deserto. Cairo: Centro francescano di studi orientali, 1957, Studia orientalia Christiana: Ser. 2; 2. Reprint 2000.
    • Grossmann, Peter: Medieval Longhouse Dome Churches and Related Types in Upper Egypt: a Study of Medieval Church Construction in Egypt. Glückstadt: Augustine, 1982, Treatises of the German Archaeological Institute, Cairo / Coptic Series; 3, ISBN 978-3-87030-090-6 , Pp. 178-180.
    • Adli, Sameh: Several Churches in Upper Egypt. In:Communications from the German Archaeological Institute, Cairo Department (MDAIK), ISSN0342-1279, Vol.36 (1980), Pp. 1–14, panels 1–9, especially pp. 5–7, panels 5.a, 7 f. With the floor plan of the churches.

Web links

  • Coptic Synaxarium (Martyrologium) for 25. Hathor (Coptic Orthodox Church Network)

Individual evidence

  1. ↑Athanasius, Vita Antonii, Chapters 12-14, 51, 61, 73, 89 and 91.
  2. ↑Athanasius, Vita Antonii, Chapter 49 f.
  3. ↑Sulpicius Severus, Dialogi, Dialogue I, § XVII. E.g. Sulpicius  ; Bardenhewer, Otto (Ed.): Sulpicius Severus' writings on St. Martinus ; St. Vincent de Lerin's Commonitorium; Saint Benedict's monastic rule. Kempten [and others]: Kösel, 1914, Library of the Church Fathers: [Row 1]; 20th. Chapter 17.
  4. ↑Historia Lausiaca, Chapter 21. E.g. Palladius ; Krottenthaler, Stephan [transl.]: Palladius of Helenopolis Life of the Holy Fathers. Kempten [and others]: Kösel, 1912, Library of the Church Fathers; 5. Chapter 21: Eulogius and the Cripple.
  5. ↑Historia monachorum, Historia ecclesiastica (Church history), Book 11, § 8. E.g. Rufinus ; Mommsen, Theodor [transl.] ; Schwartz, Eduard (Ed.): Eusebius works; Church history. Leipzig: Hinrichs, 1908, The Greek Christian Writers of the First Three Centuries; 9.2. Rufinus names the monks Poemen and Joseph in Pispir on Mount Antony.
  6. ↑The location may be incorrect because the village is on the west side of the Nile near el-Bahnasā.
  7. ↑ 7,07,1[Abū al-Makārim]; Evetts, B [asil] T [homas] A [lfred] (ed., Transl.); Butler, Alfred J [oshua]: The churches and monasteries of Egypt and some neighboring countries attributed to Abû Sâliḥ, the Armenian. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1895, P. 163 f., 306 (monastery directory of el-Maqrīzī). Various reprints, e.g. B. Piscataway: Gorgias Press, 2001, ISBN 978-0-9715986-7-6 . Fol. 55.b, 56.a.
  8. ↑Maqrīzī, Aḥmad Ibn-ʿAlī al-; Wüstenfeld, Ferdinand [transl.]: Macrizi's story of the copts: from the manuscripts on Gotha and Vienna. Goettingen: Dieterich, 1845, P. 87.
  9. ↑Anglure, Ogier, d ’ ; Bonnardot, François; Longnon, Auguste (Ed.): Le saint voyage de Jherusalem du Seigneur d’Anglure. Paris: Didot, 1878, P. 68 f., § 255.
  10. ↑Coppin, Jean ; Sauneron, Serge (Ed.): Voyage en Égypte de Jean Coppin: 1638-1639, 1643-1646. Le Caire: Institut français d’archéologie orientale du Caire, 1971, Collection des voyageurs occidentaux en Egypte; 4th, P. 204.
  11. ↑P [ère] Vansleb [Wansleben, Johann Michael]: Nouvélle Relation En forme de Iournal, D’Vn Voyage Fait En Egypte: En 1672. & 1673. Paris: Estienne Michallet, 1677, P. 294. — Vansleb, F [ather]: The present state of Egypt: or, A new relation of a late voyage into the kingdom, performed in the years 1672 and 1673. London: John Starkey, 1678, P. 178.
  12. ↑Sicard, Claude ; Sauneron, S.; Martin, M. (Ed.): Oeuvres; 1: Lettres et relations inédites. Le Caire: Inst. Français d’archéologie orientale, 1982, Bibliothèque d'étude; 83, P. 75.
  13. ↑Pococke, Richard: A description of the east and some other countries; Volume the First: Observations on Egypt. London: W. Bowyer, 1743, P. 70.
  14. ↑North, Frédéric-Louis ; Langlès, L. (Ed.): Voyage d’Egypte et de Nubie: nouvelle édition; tome 2. Paris: Didot, 1795, P. 31, panel LXIX.
  15. ↑Petit, John Louis: Remarks on Mediaeval Architecture in the East. In:The Archeological Journal, ISSN0066-5983, Vol.23 (1866), Pp. 1–20, 243–260, especially pp. 18 f, doi:10.1080/00665983.1866.10851335, PDF.
  16. ↑Chester, Greville J.: Notes on the Coptic Dayrs of the Wady Natrûn and on Dayr Antonios in the Eastern Desert. In:The Archeological Journal, ISSN0066-5983, Vol.30 (1873), Pp. 105–116, especially from p. 112, doi:10.1080/00665983.1873.10851590, PDF.
  17. ↑See literature.
  18. ↑Grossmann, Longhouse domed churches, loc. cit., P. 180.
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