Deir el-Muʿallaq - Deir el-Muʿallaq

Ed-Deir el-Mu'allaq (also Deir el-Muallaq, Deir el-Moallaq, Arabic:الدير المعلق‎, ad-Dair al-Muʿallaq, „the hanging monastery") Or Monastery of St. Menas (Arabic:دير الشهيد العظيم مار مينا العجائبي‎, Dair al-Shahid al-ʿaẓīm Mār Mīnā al-ʿaǧāʾibī, „the monastery of the great martyr, St. Menas the Wonderworker“) Is a monastery northeast of Asyūṭ on the eastern bank of the Nile about 2.5 kilometers northwest of the village of el-Maʿābda (Arabic:المعابدة‎).

background

location

The monastery is located about 2.5 kilometers northwest of the village of el-Maʿābda in the Abnūb district on the eastern bank of the Nile. Located northwest of the monastery is on the western Nile bank the city Banī Shuqeir (Arabic:بني شقير), Southwest of the city Manfalūṭ (Arabic:منفلوط). The shortest distance from the monastery to the Nile is about 3 kilometers.

The monastery is located at the southern end and on the western side of the 20-kilometer-long limestone mountain range (Gebel) Abū Fūda at an altitude of about 170 meters. The place of the monastery is also called Gebel Abnūb or Gebel Ḥarrāra.

Today the monastery belongs to the diocese of Abnūb and Fatḥ, which until the middle of the 14th century was named after the village of el-Chuṣūṣ (Arabic:الخصوص), Today's el-Hammām.

Naming

The most common names these days are ed-Deir el-Muʿallaq (Arabic:الدير المعلق‎, „the hanging monastery") and Deir Mār Mīnā (Arabic:دير مار مينا‎, „Monastery of St. Menas"). The name is also from the 17th - 19th centuries Deir el-Bakara (Arabic:دير البكرة‎, Dair al-Bakara, „Monastery of the Winch“)^[1] and the name from the early 15th century Deir el-Maghara (Arabic:دير المغارة‎, Dair al-Maghara, „the cave monastery“) Handed down.

The monastery is after St. Menas named (his biography can be found in the article "Deir Abū Mīnā“).

history

Little is known about the history of the monastery. As in the case of many other monasteries, the foundation is on the empress Helena (248 / 50–330), mother of Constantine the Great, for which there is no evidence. But there are indications that the monastery at the time of the 20th Patriarch of Alexandria, Athanasius the great (298–373), could have already existed and Athanasius is therefore considered to be the founder.^[2]

Athanasius the Elder let the St. Menas bury the miraculous in the Mareotis desert (the area by Lake Mariut southwest of Alexandria) at the site of the camel miracle. Later he had a church built in his honor and it was built on 1 Abib^[3] (July 8th) consecrate. The knowledge about the tomb was lost. After the body of St. Menas left Ba'ūna on June 22nd Theophilus of Alexandria († 412), 23rd Patriarch of Alexandria, also a church for St. Establish Menas and from now on celebrate this consecration day, the 15th Ba'ūna, instead of the 1st Abīb. The 1st Abib remained in the local hanging monastery as a feast day. There is also the assumption that Athanasius stayed in this monastery. At the behest of the emperor Julian (331–363) Athanasius was banished from Alexandria and sailed from October 23, 362 to June 26, 363 (i.e. the anniversary of Julian's death) Thebais and probably stayed in this monastery during this time.

In the 4th century there were certainly only the monk cells at the foot of the mountain and the rock-hewn churches. The Arabic inscriptions on the defense tower suggest that it was only built after the Arab conquest, probably between the 8th and 10th centuries. For the smaller of the two churches, a grave or a chapel from Pharaonic times was reused.

According to the local monks, the monastery was abandoned between the 12th and the middle of the 20th century.

The (probably) first description of the monastery comes from the historian el-Maqrīzī (1364–1442), who in the overview of the monasteries and churches of Egypt in his famous historical work al-ḫiṭaṭ writes:

“The Shaqalqīl Cave Monastery (Shiqilqīl) is a small monastery that hangs in the mountain and is carved out of the stone, on a rock under which there is a steep cliff so that it cannot be reached from above or below. There are no stairs, but there are step holes cut into the mountainside. If someone wants to climb up, a long rod (or rope?) Is handed down to him, which he grabs with both hands in order to be able to step up by putting his feet in the step holes. The monastery has a mill that is driven by a donkey. The monastery, which rises above the Nile towards Manfalūṭ and Umm el-Quṣūr, is located opposite an island called Shaqalqīl, which is surrounded by water and on which there are two villages, one being Shaqalqīl, the other Banī Shaqīr (Banī Shuqeir ) called.^[4] The monastery maintains a festival where Christians gather and bears the name of St. Menas, one of the soldiers who were persecuted under Diocletian, that he should renounce Christianity and worship idols. But he remained steadfast in his faith. Diocletian had him killed on the 10th of the īazīrān or the 16th of the Bāba. "^[5]

Some earlier travelers name the monastery without describing it, such as Johann Michael Wansleben (1635–1679)^[6], Claude Sicard (1677-1726)^[7],Richard Pococke (1704–1765)^[8], John Gardner Wilkinson (1797–1875)^[9] and Karl Richard Lepsius (1810–1884)^[10].

Only in the 20th century there are more extensive descriptions of the monastery again, for example by Somers Clarke (1841-1926)^[11] and Otto Meinardus (1925-2005). At the time of Clarke the monastery was uninhabited.

The monastery has been expanded since the 1960s and also serves as the place of activity of the Bishop of Abnūb and Fatḥ. In 1998 the defense tower was restored. On June 2, 2001, the Holy Synod of the Coptic Church gave it the status of a legitimate monastery.

getting there

The monastery can only be reached by car. Since the end of the 1990s, all sections have been paved, so that no special demands have to be made on the type of vehicle.

Usually one travels from or over Asyūṭ at. From here it is about 40 kilometers to the monastery. The eastern bank of the Nile can be reached via the dam in the north of the city. The onward journey leads over Abnūb (Arabic:أبنوب) And Banī Muḥammad (Arabic:بني محمد). About 16 kilometers after the last-named city, you pass a police station on the eastern side of the road and a short distance behind it 27.33177931.0036531 Intersection(27 ° 19 ′ 54 ″ N.31 ° 0 ′ 13 ″ E), at which one continues to the west, i.e. to the left. The road to the right continues to the village of el-Maʿābda (Arabic:المعابدة), From which there is no connection to the monastery. After another four kilometers you will reach one again 27.33982730.9823512 Junction(27 ° 20 ′ 23 ″ N.30 ° 58 ′ 57 ″ E), where you now turn right (northeast). After three kilometers you reach the village ʿIzbat esch-Sheikh Saʿīd (Arabic:عزبة الشيخ سعيد) By clicking on the 27.36185530.9979453 Road to the monastery(27 ° 21 '43 "N.30 ° 59 ′ 52 ″ E) branches off to the east. The monastery can be reached after just under two kilometers.

The paths in the monastery have to be covered on foot.

Tourist Attractions

The main attractions are the ancient fortified tower and the two rock-hewn churches above the fortified tower.

The 27.35842531.0107831 Defense tower(27 ° 21 '30 "N.31 ° 0 ′ 39 ″ E) is located in the north of the monastery and is about 20 meters high. If one looks at parables from other monasteries, one can assume that it was built between the 8th and 10th centuries. The defense tower was only used during the times of the Bedouin siege of the monastery.

Six to seven layers of large stone bricks form the lower part, above which air-dried bricks were used. The front decoration with seven crosses was made with fired bricks. The original entrance is now closed. Three stones were walled up over the arch. The top one shows a cross-shaped leaf pattern. The two stones below and next to each other bear Arabic inscriptions. The shorter inscription (right) reads in translation: “Lord, think of your son Hanna (Johannes)”, the longer “Lord, think of your son Semawen in your heavenly kingdom.” Today's entrance is on the right around the corner.

Nowadays a staircase in the lowest room leads to the actual interior of the defense tower. A spiral staircase connects the three floors, each with three chambers, some of which have been driven into the rock, and the platform that leads to the two rock churches. On the ascent you first come across the four-meter-deep cemetery cave with the bones of the monks who died during the siege, which was only discovered during the renovation in the 1990s.

You can then reach the chapel for St. Athanasius and St. Arsanius. On the next floor there is a small museum, in which old icons, wooden doors, utensils for the liturgy, ceramic and water vessels, a press as well as stoves and kitchen utensils are exhibited. The oldest icon dates from the 15th century, the younger ones from the 18th century.

From the tower you can also reach the buildings attached to the side and here you will also find the place where a donkey could pull up a rope with supplies.

The platform at the top of the defense tower leads to the two churches. The northern big one Felsenkirche is dedicated to St. Menas consecrated. The rock cave is a blackened limestone cave and faces north, so it is not surprising that the heikal (the holy of holies) is on the right wall, near the entrance. A wooden icon wall with Coptic ornaments shields the altar. On this wall you can read the names of the donors in Arabic and Coptic script. Behind this wall there is a small rock chamber with the altar. Icons and the image of Christ were placed in small niches. To the right of the Heikal is an old baptismal font.

The southern one can also be reached from the platform Church of St. Virgin and Archangel Michael is consecrated. For this church, as can still be seen from the throat, a pharaonic tomb or a chapel was used. The church consists only of an irregular square room with several niches on the side walls and on the back wall.

Don't forget to enjoy the view of the landscape from this platform over its parapet.

Since the 1960s have been in the south of the defense tower other buildings built. At the foot of the stairs to the defense tower there are workshops such as a carpenter's workshop, which offer young people the opportunity to earn a wage.

Immediately south of the defense tower is the smaller building, the ground floor of which is a pilgrimage site for St. Menas and a supply store.

The larger building further south has three floors. On the lowest floor there is a chapel for St. Athanasius and the library. The relics bequeathed to the monastery can be seen in the hall with the relics. On the second floor there are 24 rooms, including twelve monk cells and twelve guest rooms, two halls and a large guest kitchen in which meals and food offerings can be prepared. The third floor has three wings. One wing is reserved for the bishop and monastery ruler, the next has rooms for special guests and the third has a guest lounge.

The monastery only became five important ones in the 1990s Relics bequeathed. Three of the relics are a gift from Bishop Marcos, Metropolitan (Coptic Orthodox) Metropolitan of Toulon and All-France, in 1994.

For one thing, this is one Relic of St. Menas the miracle worker. The bone from the right hand originally came from Venice. They also come from Venice Relic of St. Athanasius, a piece of his skin, and the Relic of St. (Empress) Helena.

From the monastery Deir el-ʿAzab comes the Relic of St. Mercurius Abu Seifeinwhich was brought here in 1992. In the same year and also from the Faiyūm got the Relic of St. martyr to the local monastery.

About 500 meters south of the monastery are the remains of adobe buildings 27.3545931.015081 Coptic settlement(27 ° 21 '17 "N.31 ° 0 ′ 54 ″ E)which was only abandoned in the 20th century.

activities

In honor of St. Menas three festivals are celebrated here every year:

• On the 15th of Hathor (November 24th) the martyrdom of St. Menas thought.
• On 15th Ba'ūna (June 22nd) the discovery of the body of St. Menas and the consecration of the Church of St. Menaus commemorated by Patriarch Theophilus of Alexandria.
• The consecration of the Church of St. Menaus was commemorated by Patriarch Athanasius the Great.

About three quarters of the Christian population of Abnūb and Manfalūṭ have their children baptized here. The festival, which begins on the 1st Abib, therefore lasts for a month.

respect

Gender segregation prevails in Coptic churches. Women go to mass in the right (southern) part, men or their families accompanied by men in the left part of the church (s).

kitchen

As mentioned above, there is a guest kitchen on the second floor of the large building, in which you can prepare your own food.

accommodation

The monastery has a few guest rooms, but they do only from male guests can be used. It is planned to open another hostel for male Erect youngsters.

There are also several hotels in Asyūṭ.

Practical advice

The monastery can be reached by phone at 20 (0) 88 496 6160.

trips

The trip to the monastery can be combined with a visit to the monastery of Prince Tadros (about 5 kilometers north in Banī Shuqeir) and / or the churches in and around Abnūb connect.

literature

• Dous, Roshdi W.B.: St. Mina Monastery (Dair El-Moallaq) at mount Abnoub. [Cairo]: Dar el-Tefaa el-kawmia, 2001, ISBN 978-977-334-013-1 . Brochure can be purchased in the monastery.
• Clarke, Somers: Christian antiquities in the Nile Valley: a contribution towards the study of the ancient churches. Oxford: Clarendon Pr., 1912, Pp. 178-181.
• 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. 385 f.
• Timm, Stefan: Dēr Maġāra. 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. 729-731.

Web links

• Coptic Synaxarium (Martyrologium) for 15. Hathor and 15. Ba'ūna (Coptic Orthodox Church Network)

Individual evidence