Summary

• The Monastery of Saint Paul, also known as Deir Mar Boulos, was built in the 5th century in honor of the hermit St. Paul of Thebes. It is located in the wilderness, which earned it the nickname “the monastery of the tigers.” It is closely associated with the Monastery of St. Anthony in terms of history and location.
• The monastery is fortified with high defensive walls, with no original door but an ancient hoist used for transporting goods and visitors. The tower of St. Paul Monastery served as a defensive structure and housed monk cells, a cemetery, a storeroom, and a chapel. The monastery contains four churches, including the famous Cave Church of St. Paul, which features rock-excavated sanctuaries and wall paintings.
• The monastery reflects the communal living and daily life of the monks, with an ancient refectory dating back to medieval times, mills with stone millstones, and the Spring of St. Paul, which provided water for various uses.
• St. Paul’s Monastery is less known than St. Anthony’s but offers a glimpse into the life of solitude, asceticism, and worship in the Eastern Desert. It houses an impressive collection of Coptic artifacts and art forms.

The monastery of Saint Paul A.K.A “Deir Mar Boulos” is a Coptic Orthodox facility built in the 5th century to honor the hermit St. Paul of Thebes that became known as the monastery of the tigers because of its wilderness location. It has been associated with the Monastery of St. Anthony in both its history and location.

The monastery consists of three churches, but the heart is the church of Saint Paul, which was constructed around the cave where Paul lived; the church is filled with altars, candles, ostrich eggs (symbol of resurrection), and some murals representing saints, biblical stories and possesses various illustrated manuscripts.

History of Monastery of Saint Paul

Paul was born into a wealthy family from Alexandria in the mid-3rd century and he then fled to the Eastern Desert around 250 AD when he was 16 years old to escape Roman persecution, where he found shelter by living alone in a cave for more than 90 years where he became a hermit in the eastern desert, finding bodily sustenance in nearby spring water and a palm tree.

It is believed that in AD 343, the then-90-year-old Anthony had a vision of Paul’s demise and made a difficult passage through the mountains to visit Paul and then bury him. It was reconstructed under the command of Pope Gabriel the Seventh of Alexandria (1526-1569 AD), and then it was attacked and destroyed ONCE again towards the final days of the century for 119 years, afterward rebuilt all over and housed by the monks from St. Anthony’s Monastery under the rule of Pope John the sixteenth of Alexandria (1676-1718 AD).

Location of Monastery of Saint Paul

The monastery is located in the eastern desert of Egypt near the Red Sea mountains, at the foot of Kalam mountain near Al Zaafarana. It is about 155 km (96 mi) southeast of Cairo.

Architecture of Monastery of Saint Paul the Anchorite

The ancient St. Paul’s Monastery is fortified with high defensive walls that have a complex history spanning different periods, which were enlarged during the 18th century; the final walls were completed in the 19th century. There is no original door; instead, an ancient hoist on the east wall, which was used to transport food, goods, and visitors into the monastery. The tower of St Paul Monastery was a key structure that served as the last defensive bastion. It was accessed by a drawbridge, its ground floor functioned as a cemetery, the second floor as a storeroom, and the third floor housed a chapel dedicated to the Holy Virgin. The tower also accommodated monk cells, which reflected its multifunctional use in defense and daily life. The Monastery of St. Paul is known to have four churches which are The Church of St. Paul or the Cave Church is a famous spiritual center that features a unique design with rock-excavated sanctuaries, ancient wooden cupola, and wall paintings. The Church of St. Mercurius and the Church of St. Michael are known to have distinctive features that contribute to the religious and historical richness of the complex.

The ancient refectory of the monastery is known to date back to medieval times. It is no longer in use but showcases a heavy masonry table and a lectern. Two adjacent rooms once served as mills, featuring stone millstones powered by large wooden gears turned by draft animals. This part of the monastery reflects the communal dining and daily life of the monks. The north wing houses the ancient Spring of St. Paul, which was responsible for providing water at a rate of four cubic meters per day that was sourced from a mountain crevice and then stored in reservoir tanks for various uses, including drinking, cooking, washing, and irrigation. Within the area is another spring known as the Pool of Miriam which is named after the sister of Moses and Aaron, and tradition holds that she washed there during the Exodus.

Tourism in Monastery of Saint Paul

St Paul’s monastery is way calmer and less known than St Anthony’s, and unfortunately, is often forgotten in favor of its bigger neighbor, but a visit to St. Paul is able to give a glimpse into the life of solitude and silence, asceticism and worship, which has risen and spread in the Eastern Desert for about two millennia.

The monastery is surrounded by high walls, created during the 18th and 19th centuries, and contains a tower (keep), a mill, an ancient refectory, and a spring. Inside the church of St. Paul is an amazing collection of Coptic artifacts and art forms worthy of exploring.