Shrines of Christianity in Egypt

The trip to the Monasteries of St Paul and St Anthony will give you a unique opportunity to touch the ancient shrines, to visit the first ancient monasteries on the territory of Egypt. The Monastery of St Anthony was built after his death on the place of his burial, as he was left an orphan and devoted his whole life to serving God and healing sick people. The cave where St Anthony lived is reached by a staircase of 1158 steps, inside the monastery itself you will see the ancient church where the ashes of the saint are still kept; the Monastery of St Paul is about 30 km from St Anthony and is dedicated to a young man, the son of a merchant, who left his family at a young age and devoted himself to God. For a long period of his life he lived in a cave near which the monastery itself is located.

We will pick you up from your hotel at approximately 02.00 at night. The journey to the monastery will take approximately 3 — 3.5 hours. Arrive at St Anthony’s Monastery around 06.00, so that before the sun rises you can climb the steps to the cave where St Anthony lived. There you will be able to leave a note with your deepest wishes near the iconostasis. The ascent and descent takes about 2 hours. If someone can not overcome the ascent, at this time you can visit the church, which is located at the bottom. Next on the programme is a tour of St Anthony’s Monastery itself. The excursion is conducted by a monk, the guide acts on this excursion only as an interpreter. In the monastery you can put a candle, take water from the Holy Spring. Departure from the monastery of St Anthony tentatively at 10.00. The road to the monastery of St Paul will take about 40 minutes. A guided tour of St Paul’s Monastery, also led by the monks. At this monastery you will also have the opportunity to draw holy water from the spring. Departure to Hurghada around 13.00, return at 15.00-15.30.

The cost of the tour includes travel by comfortable minibus, services of a guide-historian.