Where is the World’s Oldest Coptic Monastery?

Set at the foot of the Red Sea Mountains of Egypt’s Eastern desert is the Monastery of St. Anthony: the oldest Coptic monastery in the world. 

Established in the 3rd century CE, the monastery was built by the followers of St. Anthony, an Egyptian monk and one of the founders of modern Christian monasticism.  

One of the monks of St. Anthony, Father Maximus, describes the monastery when he first arrived in the 1970s. 

The monastery is still one of the most important historical, religious, and artistic monuments in Egypt. These beautiful church paintings date back to the 13th century and were recently cleaned and restored as part of a conservation project by ARCE.

The complex still buzzes with the activities of monastic life and, after many centuries of isolation, the monastery now has thousands of pilgrims and tourists who visit each year to learn about the history, view the unique paintings, or deepen their connection with God.