8/12/2019 The Monastery of the Syrins in Wadi Natrun

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/the-monastery-of-the-syrins-in-wadi-natrun 1/18

The Monastery of the Syrins in Wadi Natrun

The Monastery of the Syrins in Wadi Natrun

by Jimmy Dunn

This monastery,   one of the four well known of its kind in Wadi al-Natrun,   was probably

founded in the sixth century, though some might date it later. It is located about five hundred

meters northwest of the onastery of !aint "ishoi.  It#s establishment is closely connected

with $ulian#s heretical doctrine which spread throughout %gypt under the patriarchate of

Timothy III &'()-'*'+. The $ulianist &aianists, after rchdeacon aianus, a supporter of

$ulianist theology who was a bishop in lexandria c.

'' was an even more extreme approach to $ulianist+ heresy, which owes its name to itsprincipal exponent $ulian, a theologian and bishop of /alicarnassus &/alicarnarsus+ in Ionia,

is also called phtartodocetism &phthartcdocetae or 0hantasiastae+. $ulian was exiled to

%gypt for having defined the doctrine of the incorruptibility of 1hrist#s body. $ulianist basically

believe in an extreme view that the body of the 2ord $esus 1hrist was incapable of corruption.

They held that 1hrist#s body was so inseparably united with the /oly 3ather that its natural

attributes made it sinless and incorruptible. To the 4rthodox 1hurch, however, 1hrist had

taken human flesh that prevented him from being ideal and abstract and therefore corruptible.

Thus, the 4rthodox 1hurch reaffirmed and clarified the idea of the real human nature of

1hrist. 5et, in the monasteries at Wadi al-Naturn &!cetis+, the monks embraced the doctrine

of $ulian.

8/12/2019 The Monastery of the Syrins in Wadi Natrun

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/the-monastery-of-the-syrins-in-wadi-natrun 2/18

  ma6ority of the monks became followers of phtartodocetism, while those who refused the

doctrine obtained permission from the governor ristomachus to erect new churches and

monasteries so that they could settle apart from the $ulianists. These new facilities were often

built along side the old ones, even keeping the same name but adding to it Theotokos

&other of od, or od-bearer+. In this way, they recogni7ed the significance of the

incarnation, which phtartodocetism seemed to minimi7e, and thus reaffirmed the charismatic

dignity of the /oly 8irgin.

The Monasteries of St. Pshoi and the Syrians as illustrated in Description de l'Egypte

!"#$%

8/12/2019 The Monastery of the Syrins in Wadi Natrun

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/the-monastery-of-the-syrins-in-wadi-natrun 3/18

The onastery of the !yrians was thus established by those of the !t. "ishoi &0ishoi+

monastery who were opposed to $ulianist doctrines. /ence, it was originally the onastery of

the /oly 8irgin Theotokos, but by the beginning of the eighth century, the problems between

the 4rthodox 1hristians and the $ulianists died out and there was no longer any necessity to

maintain two distinct monasteries. Therefore, it was sold to a group of wealthy !yrian

merchants originally from Tekrit in esopotamia for the sum of (9, dinars. They had

settled in al-3ustat in 4ld 1airo, and a certain arutha from Takrit in eastern !yria converted

it for use by !yrian monks who renamed it the onastery of the /oly 8irgin of the !yrians.

/owever, some manuscripts refer to it as the onastery of the other of od of the !yrians

at that point. There had actually been !yrian monks at Wadi al-Natrun since the end of thefourth century, living amongst the other monks. 0erhaps, the !yrians wished to live in a

monastic community that would be ethnically and culturally homogeneous.

&erall Plan of the Monastery

 ll of the onasteries in the Wadi al-Natrun were sub6ected to horrible attacks by desert

tribes, and the fifth of these by "erbers in :() ; was particularly disastrous to this

monastery. fterwards in :', it was rebuilt thanks primarily to the persistent labor of two

monks, atthew and braham. fter having traveled to "aghdad to ask the caliph al-u<tadir

bi#llah to grant tax exemption to the monasteries, in =9) ;, a learned and cultured hegumen&hegomenos, a title given to priests and monks to emphasi7e their leading roles+ named

8/12/2019 The Monastery of the Syrins in Wadi Natrun

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/the-monastery-of-the-syrins-in-wadi-natrun 4/18

oses of Nisibis &c. =)-=>* ;+ traveled to !yria and esopotamia in search of

manuscripts. fter having spent three years gathering material, he returned to %gypt, bringing

with him 9' !yrian manuscripts. !oon, the monastery became an a prosperous and

important facility, possessing many artistic treasures and a library rich in !yrian texts, making

it a fundamental source of history and culture of !yria.

We know, from a census taken by awhub ibn ansur, the co-author of the /istory of the

0atriarchs of the 1optic 1hurch, that the monastery was populated by some sixty monks at

the end of the eleventh century &(::+. t that time it was the third largest in the wadi, after

those of !t. acarius and !t. $ohn the 2ittle. We are told that sometime in the middle of thetwelfth century, it must have witnessed a period of trouble for a period of ten years when ?no

!yrian priests was present there?. In the fourteenth century, as with other monasteries here, it

was once again decimated, but this time by the scourge of the plague. Thus, when a monk

named oses from the monastery of ar abriel in Tur bdin called on this monastery in

(>(*, he found 6ust one remaining !yrian monk. This time, it was the 0atriarch of ntioch,

Ignatius @I, who visited the monastery at the end of the fifteenth century and granted to it

privileges and donations in order to restore it to its former glory. /owever, by now, %gyptians

were once again beginning to inhabit the monastery and by ('(A, only eighteen of the forty-

three monks were !yrian. The trend of %gyptian replacing the !yrians continued as the

prosperity of the monastery increased.

8/12/2019 The Monastery of the Syrins in Wadi Natrun

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/the-monastery-of-the-syrins-in-wadi-natrun 5/18

"y the time of the patriarchate of abriel 8II &('9A-('A=+, who himself had been a monk at

the onastery of the !yrians, it was able to supply ten monks to the onastery of !t. 0aul

and twenty to that of !t. nthony in the %astern ;esert when those two communities were

damaged by "edouin raids. In the seventeenth century, western travelers from 3rance,

ermany and %ngland visited the monastery and reported that there were two churches, one

for the !yrians and the other for the 1optic 1hristian monks. They also mention a miraculous

?!t. %phrem#s tree?. Interestingly, according to tradition, %phrem was a fourth century !yriantheologian and ascetic from Nisibis. /e sought to meet the holy monk 0shoi, and thus came

to the monastic centers of the wadi.

We are told that he visited 0shoi#s hermitage that was located on the future site of the

monastery of the !yrians. /owever, when the two men met, they were unable to

communicate because %phrem spoke only !yrian. 5et, suddenly and miraculously, 0shoi

began to express himself in that language, enabling his visitor to understand him. ;uring this

exchange, it is said that %phrem leaned his staff against the door of the hermitage and all at

once it became rooted and even sprouted foliage. Near the church of the /oly 8irgin, monkswill continue to point out even today this tamarind, miraculously born from %phrem#s staff.

8/12/2019 The Monastery of the Syrins in Wadi Natrun

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/the-monastery-of-the-syrins-in-wadi-natrun 6/18

"y the middle of the seventeenth century, there is no evidence that !yrian monks still

inhabited the monastery, as evidenced by the visit of 0eter /eyling, the 2utheran missionary

of 2ubeck in (A*>. This fact may have surprised the 2evanese $oseph !imeonis

&5usuf#!im#an+ ssemani, who was sent to %gypt by 0ope 1lement @I to seek ancient texts in

()(' and ()*'. When he visited the onastery of the !yrians, he found not a single !yrian

monk. Nevertheless, he did manage to visit the monastery library and ac<uire forty precious

manuscripts that today are kept in the 8atican 2ibrary. 2ater, between (:*= and (:'(, the

"ritish useum in 2ondon was also able to procure about five hundred !yrian manuscripts

from the monastery library, concerned not only with religious topics, but also with philosophy

and literature. ctually, in ()*, ranger was refused entry to the library and "rowne found it

impossible to obtain any manuscripts in ()=9. /owever, in ()== ndreossy removed some

manuscripts and 2ord 1ur7on actually purchased a considerable <uantity in (:*). Tattam

secured many manuscripts for the "ritish useum in (:*=, while Tischendorf obtained only a

few parchment sheets in (:>>. The "ritish useum secured over two hundred items from

0acho in (:>), though in (:'9, "rugsch was unable to purchase any. 4ther visitors to the

monastery included 2ansing &(:A9+, 1hester &(:)*+, $unkers &(:)'+, $ullien &(::(+ and "utler

&(::*+.

8/12/2019 The Monastery of the Syrins in Wadi Natrun

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/the-monastery-of-the-syrins-in-wadi-natrun 7/18

 fterwards, these very manuscripts inspired intense research on the !yriac language and

culture, for until that time, many classical texts from ristotle, %uclid, rchimedes,

/ippocrates and alen were known to Western scholars only in their thirteenth century 2atin

translations. %ven these were often translations from earlier rabic sources. %ven though

many of the manuscripts from the onastery of the !yrians have reached us in a fragmented

state, these documents are the oldest copies of important reek classical texts, with some

dating back to the fifth century. 4nly two 1optic patriarchs came from the onastery of the

!yrians. They were abriel 8II the modern 0ope, !henouda III. "oth patriarchs shared a

common interest in restoring and repopulating abandoned monasteries. The monastery of the

!yrians provides a great opportunity to study the development of 1optic wall painting."etween (==( and (===, several segments of wall paintings layered on top of each other

were uncovered in the 1hurch of the /oly 8irgin and the 1hapel of he 3orty-nine artyrs,

dating from between the seventh and the thirteenth centuries. Bndoubtedly, the ongoing

pro6ect to uncover, restore and conserve wall paintingswithin this monastery will increase our

knowledge about 1hristian rt in %gypt.

The Monastery (uildings

The %nclosure Walls The walls of the monastery enclose a rather unusual plan in relationship

to others in the Wadi al-Naturn. They form an almost rectangular <uadrilateral with the short

sides measuring *A meters at one end and '> meters at the other. The two longer sides

measure some (A meters. The height of the walls varies between nine and a half and eleven

and a half meters. Traditionally, the monks explain this abnormal plan in an unlikely way.

 ccording to them, the monastery was built on a model of Noah#s ark. These walls most likelydate to the end of the ninth century. The entrance to the monastery is located at the west end

of the northern side of this enclosure wall. The Ceep &Tower+ The mammoth keep &<asr+ is

situated west of the north entrance to the monastery.

8/12/2019 The Monastery of the Syrins in Wadi Natrun

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/the-monastery-of-the-syrins-in-wadi-natrun 8/18

We believe it was built in the middle of the ninth century, but at any rate it was built after theenclosure walls. It belongs to a less well developed type of tower, of which the oldest

examples may be found at Cellia. It consists of four stories, with access granted by a wooden

drawbridge to the second floor. This is a somewhat typical configuration, where the bottom

floor was used for storage of food supplied as well as the production of flour, oil and wine in

order to assure supplies during a siege. In order to further insure the complete autonomy

during times of trouble, there was also a water well. The second floor was, for centuries, used

to house the precious library of manuscripts that were gradually surrendered, mostly to

experts from the West, who sought out these volumes to enrich the collections of the 8atican

2ibrary and the "ritish useum. !ome of the niches that once held the manuscripts are still

visible. The third story, consisting of a corridor with four vaulted rooms to one side and two on

the other, probably provided housing to the monks during time of danger. 2ike very many of

the %gyptian monasteries, the fourth floor of the keep was reserved as a chapel dedicated to

the rchangel ichael. /ere, one finds a nave and a choir separated by the traditional

wooden screen. The sanctuary is surmounted by a brick cupola supported by

four pendentives that are adorned with stalactite motifs that might date back as early as the

fifteenth century.

The chapel has a barrel vaulted roof. The 1hurch of the /oly 8irgin &el-dra+ The 1hurch of

the /oly 8irgin within this monastery is very ancient, dating to probably A>' ; &though some

references date it as about =' ;+ and was constructed in the basilican style originally with

a wooden roof. Were it not for the court and a side chapel that is dedicated to the forty-nine

martyrs of !ebaste, its plan would be almost perfectly rectangular, measuring twenty-eightmeters long by twelve meters wide. This church has an entrance on its north side through a

court which is s<uare and surmounted by a cupola. It opens into the monastery courtyard.

8/12/2019 The Monastery of the Syrins in Wadi Natrun

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/the-monastery-of-the-syrins-in-wadi-natrun 9/18

The principal building of this church is clearly divided between the nave, the khurus &choir+

and the triple sanctuary. The nave is completely roofed with a barrel vault and flanked by two

small side aisles, which 6oin on the west, an arrangement that is typical in %gypt. There is a

masonry balustrade somewhat over one meter in height that divides the nave into two

sections. There is, almost in the middle of the nave#s floor, a laggan, a marble basin that was

used for washing feet on aundy Thursday &and on the feast of !t. 0eter and 0aul+.

Decent restorations have also revealed a composition on the southern wall of the nave. This

is a tableau depicting three patriarchs, including braham, Isaac and $acob. /ere, they are

enthroned in paradise with the souls of the blessed on their laps. Their facial features and hair

are schematically treated. They where brown tunics and pallia &a cloak, plural of pallium+. The

one in the center wears a white pallium. !mall, naked figures held on the laps of the

patriarchs represent the souls. This scene gives expression to the prayers found on 1optic

gravestones from the eighth and ninth centuries, which read, ?ay od repose his soul Ethat

the dead individualF in the bosom of braham, Isaac and $acob. This scene, which is also the

sub6ect of a daily evening prayer for the dead of the 1optic 1hurch, is the oldest of its kind in

%gypt, and can probably be attributed to the eleventh century.

8/12/2019 The Monastery of the Syrins in Wadi Natrun

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/the-monastery-of-the-syrins-in-wadi-natrun 10/18

0rior to the restoration, a painting that has been preserved from the western half cupola

depicted the scension of 1hrist. It dated to about (99' ;. In the lower register we find the

8irgin orans &with hands extended in prayer+ flanked by the twelve apostles, who are depicted

conversing with one another or looking upwards towards 1hrist in the mandorla held by two

angels in the upper register. Within this upper register, 1hrist is enthroned and holds a book

in his left hand while raising his right in blessing. To his right is the moon and to his left, the

sun. ll of the elements of this scene are labeled in !yriac, while the names of 1hrist, the sun

and the moon are repeated in 1optic.

 fter the removal of this scene, another beautiful wall painting dating back to the time of the

church#s construction or a period immediately following was discovered, though this is a

matter of scholarly controversy. It has been suggested by art historians that it dates either to

the early eighth century, shortly after = ;, the time of oses Nisibis during the first half of

the tenth century, the late twelfth century, the (()s or early ((:s and the beginning of the

thirteenth century. The lettering of the inscriptions in 1optic and reek can be dated to the

ninth and tenth centuries. It is very likely that they date to the period of oses Nisibis. There

is no doubt that this painting of the is uni<ue in %gypt. It#s style differs completely from

medieval 1optic painting. It depicts the annunciation in the traditional way with the /oly 8irgin

and the archangel abriel. /ere, the angle abriel, who is the bringer of glad tidings,

approaches the /oly 8irgin from the left. /e holds his cross-staff, and looks at the 8irgin withhis message written in reek, which reads, ?/ail, you full of graceG The 2ord is with youG?. The

enthroned 8irgin is turned slightly towards abriel, with her left hand supporting her chin and

her right hand outwards.

8/12/2019 The Monastery of the Syrins in Wadi Natrun

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/the-monastery-of-the-syrins-in-wadi-natrun 11/18

In the middle of this scene is a censer with blue flame placed on a column. This imagery of

incense is exceptional in medieval 1optic wall painting. This painting is enhanced by thepresence of four prophets, including oses and Isaiah on the left and %7ekiel and ;aniel on

the right. oses and %7ekiel wear red tunics and bluish pallia. Isaiah#s tunic is beige and his

pallium is red, while ;aniel on the extreme right wears 0hrygian costume with a short tunic

and peaked cap. There names are written in reek. These are the prophets who foretold of

the incarnation, and they carry the text of their prophecies, written in "oharic 1optic on an

opened scroll. The text of oses reads, ?I saw the bush while the fire was bla7ing in it, without

being consumed.? This text was adapted from %xodus *H9, referring to the common title of the

8irgin Theotokos as ?the "urning "ush? in 4rthodox hymns. The text of Isaiah is the better

known prophecy, ?"ehold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name

%mmanuel? &Isaiah )H(>+. The prophecy of %7ekiel reads, ?Then said the 2ord unto meH this

gate shall be shut and no man shall enter in by it save the 2ord, the od of Israel? &cf. %7ekiel

>>H9+. The last text is a variant of ;aniel 9H*>, and reads, ?I saw a stone cut out from the

mountain without being touched by hands.? In the background one sees Na7areth,represented as a walled town with gates, a church, tower, other buildings and gardens. "y

 6uxtaposing the ancient prophecies and their fulfillment, the artist has expressed the fulfillment

of the divine plan through the intimate union of the 4ld and New Testaments.

4n the west end of the south aisle is a door that, according to tradition, leads to a cell where

!t. "ishoi lived. /e should be distinguished from the famous !t. 0shoi, who lived in the fourth

century, long before the establishment of this church. The shape and position of this room

corresponds roughly with the narthex of 1optic churches, though on the east wall stands an

altar. There is also a hook screwed into the ceiling that we are told was used by the saint to

attach his hair in order to avoid falling asleep during his many hours of prayer.

8/12/2019 The Monastery of the Syrins in Wadi Natrun

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/the-monastery-of-the-syrins-in-wadi-natrun 12/18

The staircase leading to the roof lies to the south of this room. There is a grand, wooden

portal that separates the center nave from the khurus, upon which a !yrian inscription marks

that date, =9A. The portal has ebony panels that are richly inlaid with ivory. The upper section

of the portal is adorned with the figures of !t. 0eter, the /oly 8irgin, 1hrist and !t. ark. The

choir itself is transverse in relationship to the nave, and is the oldest of its kind in %gypt. It is

typically !yrian and somewhat similar to that in the /oly 8irgin of /ah in Tur bdin. The

middle part of the choir is caped by a cupola some twelve meters high. It is flanked on the

north and south by two half-cupolas that are embellished with fine wall paintings that date to

the thirteenth century &c. (99'+. The style of these paintings is linear and incisive. The colors

are pure and warm and the inscriptions are in both !yrian and reek lettering.

Within the south half-cupola there is a depiction of the annunciation on the left and the nativity

on the right. This iconography is "y7antine in style. In the painting of the annunciation, the

/oly 8irgin is seated, and we see within her expression surprise at abriel#s announcement.

!he has her hand raised to her chin, while the angle abriel approaches he from the right,

extending his right arm in greeting and carrying the herald#s staff. In reek and repeated in!yrian, the angle greets ary with, ?/ail, you who are full of graceG The 2ord is with youG?.

!he sits before a house with a small dome and an arched doorway. There is a wide variety of

8/12/2019 The Monastery of the Syrins in Wadi Natrun

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/the-monastery-of-the-syrins-in-wadi-natrun 13/18

colors including red, purple, brown and ochre against a blue and green background in this

painting. In the nativity, ary dominates the scene. !he is in a lying within a cave, resting her

left hand upon her knee, while her right is on her breast. The infant $esus, wrapped in

swaddling clothes, lies in a manger constructed of masonry. bove the rocky hill, angels

proclaim the good news before a blue sky dotted with white stars. 4ne of the !yriac

inscriptions read, ?lory be to od on high, and on earth peace, goodwill among men.? "elow

her we find !t. $oseph, and to the far right, the agi approach the cave bringing their gifts. ccording to the very ancient convention of 1hristian iconography, they represent the three

ages of life, which include old age, maturity and youth. In the lower left corner of the scene

are the shepherds, one of whom is playing a flute.

The dormition scene in the north half)cupola of the choir 

The "y7antine painting in the north half-cupola depicts the dormition &as the 8irgin ?falls

asleep?+ of the /oly 8irgin. /ere, ary is lying on the bed of her transitus &a draped bier+ with

her hands crossing over her breasts. t her head is 0eter, while $ohn is at her feet. "oth

apostles weep for her, and on either side stand five apostles communicating with on another.

"ehind the bed, $esus stands holding in his arms ary#s soul in the form of a baby in

swaddling white clothing, a symbol of her rebirth. bove his head, inscribed in !yriac, is the

name of 1hrist. 1hrist is flanked by two medallions, each enclosing an angel holding a

flabellum. In the upper register there is a mandorla carried by two angles. /ere also the blue

sky is dotted with stars.

8/12/2019 The Monastery of the Syrins in Wadi Natrun

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/the-monastery-of-the-syrins-in-wadi-natrun 14/18

There can bee seen on the west wall of the choir an inscription which represents the epigraph

of the tomb of !t. $ohn Cama. /is body was most likely moved to this monastery after the one

dedicated to him fell into ruins. ;uring the restoration work of this church that began in (==(

after a fire in (=::, a number of layers of plaster were partially removed, revealing many more

wall paintings of different periods. Within the khurus on the half column to the right of the

entrance of the sanctuary, one such scene is of the enthroned 8irgin suckling the infant $esus&aria 2actans or alactotrophousa+. !he is wearing a blue tunic and bluish green mophorion

&a mantle+, which is decorated with crosses. 4n her hap she holds the baby $esus with her

right hand while presenting her breast to him with her left. The <uality of this depiction is such

that it must have been the work of a master artist. 4ne of the most beautiful of all such

paintings in %gypt, it probably dates to about the seventh century. ore recent restoration and

preservation work in this area of the church has, and will continue to reveal other ancient

paintings. Work on the northern wall, which was completely covered with plaster during the

eighteenth century, has revealed a number of reasonably well preserved paintings. They

belong to the second layer of painting and are probably to be dated to the first half of the eight

century.

8/12/2019 The Monastery of the Syrins in Wadi Natrun

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/the-monastery-of-the-syrins-in-wadi-natrun 15/18

 s most of the other paintings on this layer, they were executed in the encaustic techni<ue

&using a paint consisting of pigment mixed with heated fluid bee-wax+. /ere, one painting

depicts !t. 0isentios, bishop of Coptos, and !t. pakir. 0isentos is dressed as a traditional

sixth century 1optic bishop, while pakir takes on the attire of a doctor. Then, in the middle of

the wall and separated from the other paintings by two blocked windows, there is a figure of a

standing patriarch who is possibly !t. ;amianos, the *'th patriarch of lexandria. 4n the far

end of the same wall is a depiction of !t. 2uke and !t. "arnabas.

There are two large steps that lead into the main sanctuary, called a haykal from the /ebrew

hekal. The door that separates the choir from the sanctuary, which was the work of oses ofNisibis, is simply a wonderful piece of artwork with extraordinary inlays. This door is made of

forty-two panels arranged in seven hori7ontal and six vertical rows. In the panels of the

uppermost row, depicted, from left to right, are !t. ;ioscorus, patriarch of lexandria, !t. ark

who the %vangelist and first bishop of lexandria, 1hrist, the /oly 8irgin, !t. !everus I,

patriarch ntioch, and !t. Ignatius who was a bishop of ntioch. !ignificantly, the

representations indicate respect for both the 1optic and !yrian patriarchates. "elow, the

second row of panels shows a repeated pattern of circles interlaced to form crosses. In each

of the six fields of the third row, six linked circles are arranged in pairs, each circle containing

a cross. The fourth row, though somewhat damaged, has in each panel a cross enclosed in a

four-leafed shamrock with a trefoil at the 6unction of each leaf. The fifth row has in each panel

six swastikas, each enclosed in a circle. The sixth row is a dark grille based on linked circles

on a white background. pattern of a plan cross in a double-stepped frame, the design of the

cross thus filling the whole of each panel, takes of the seventh row. This door dates to the

beginning of the tenth century, evidenced by a !yrian inscription written on the door itself and

indicating that it was made during the patriarchates of nba abriel I, the fifty-seventh

patriarch of lexandria &=(-=9( ;+ and nba 5uannis I8 , the twenty-fifth patriarch of

 ntioch &=9-=99 ;+.

The principal sanctuary itself is s<uare and surmounted by a high cupola. 1entered under a

canopy that dates from the nineteenth century is an altar from the tenth century. It is made of

black stone rather than white marble, which was the usual choice of the 1opts. There are

interesting stucco frie7es, dating as far back as the tenth century, that adorn the walls that

bear a striking resemblance to the stucco reliefs of uslim workmanship. In fact, at !amarra,

the bbasid capital located north of "aghdad, there can be found very similar stucco

decorations. It was probably Ibn Tulun, the governor sent to %gypt in :A:, who brought this

type of decoration to 1airo, which may also be seen in his mos<ue in 1airo. There is alsosimilar work in the 1hapel of the 3orty-Nine artyrs attached to this church.

8/12/2019 The Monastery of the Syrins in Wadi Natrun

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/the-monastery-of-the-syrins-in-wadi-natrun 16/18

The 1hapel of the 3orty-Nine artyrs

 ttached to the north side of the 1hurch of the /oly 8irgin is the 1hapel of the 3orty-Nine

artyrs. oses of Nisibis was probably also responsible for this building. It is entered through

the court at the north entrance of this church. In >>>, forty-nine martyrs were massacred

during a bloody raid by the "erbers who plundered the monasteries of Wadi al-Naturn. It is to

them that the chapel is dedicated. "uried within the chapel is nba 1hristodulus, the abun of%thiopia at the beginning of the seventeenth century.

Decent restorations have also revealed ancient paintings in this chapel. Work in the eastern

wall of the sanctuary, where three niches are surrounded by the rich, decorative stucco work

similar to that in the central sanctuary of the 1hurch of the /oly 8irgin, revealed several

scenes. In the central niche is a scene of the /oly 8irgin holding 1hrist before her. The niche

to the right is adorned by a standing figure with a !yriac inscription identifying him as ?!t.

ark EtheF %vangelist.? Though the figure in the left niche is not identified by text, he might be

the 0atriarch thanasius. similar composition is found in the old 1hurch of !t. ntony

&monastery+ at the Ded !ea. These paintings, however, are newer than the tenth century

stucco decorations that surround them.

The 1hurch of !t. ary &al-!itt ariam or aryam, 1hurch of the 2ady ary+

;edicated to the /oly 8irgin, as is the principal church, this structure dates from the ninth

century, according to some references, or to the eleventh century, according to others, and,

with the exception of the cupola over the main sanctuary, precisely reproduces

the Typology of monastic churches in Tur bdin. It is also made up of a naos, khurus and

triple sanctuary that may have been built in the fourteenth or fifteenth century.

The nave is entered through a portico on the south side. The level of the entrance is some

three steps lower than the present grounds of the monastery courtyard. There are three more

steps that connect this portico with the nave of the church. 1ontrary to other 1optic churches,

the nave, on a rectangular plan, is transverse in relationship to the main east-west axis. This

is a characteristic feature of churches in esopotamia.

8/12/2019 The Monastery of the Syrins in Wadi Natrun

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/the-monastery-of-the-syrins-in-wadi-natrun 17/18

It has a barrel vaulted roof, divided into three bays by arches resting on consoles, another

esopotamian feature. In the west end within the floor is the marble laggan &also called a

lakan+. there is a central large door and two smaller side doors that lead into the choir. Thecentral door is of inlaid woodwork and can be dated to the fourteenth or fifteenth centuries.

The choir is also rectangular and transverse in relation to the principal axis. It likewise has a

barrel vaulted roof which is divided into three parts. The iconostasis &screen separating the

choir from the sanctuary+ is made of dark, inlaid wood and probably dates from the fifteenth

century.

The 1hurch of !t. /onnos and arutha

This church, which is no longer in use, is attached to the east wall of the 1hurch of !t. ary. It

dates from the beginning of the fifteenth century, a period in which the monks from the ruined

monastery of !t. $ohn Cama took refuge in this monastery. !t. $ohn Cama, who#s remains

were transferred here, is therefore closely associated with this monastery. !aint $ohn Cama

was a native of $ebromounonson &!hubra anethou+ in the district of !ais. t an early age he

was forced into marriage, but persuaded his wife to consent to a life of virginity and permit

him to live the life of a monk. /e was inspired by a vision to enter the Wadi al-Natrun, where

he became a disciple of !aint Teroti, who inhabited a cell in the vicinity of the  onastery of

!aint acarius.

The 1hurch of !t. $ohn the 2ittle

The ruins of the 1hurch dedicated to !t. $ohn the 2ittle stand in the northeast corner of the

monastery enclosure wall. Bntil the nineteenth century, %thiopian monks occupied this church

after their own monastery had fallen into ruins. %thiopian monks lived in the monastic

communities of !cetis as early as the twelfth century and at one time occupied a monastery

dedicated to !t. %lisha. fter that monastery fell into ruins, they were received by the monks

of the onastery of the /oly 8irgin of !t. $ohn the 2ittle. /owever, that monastery also had to

be abandoned because of its precarious state, and the few remaining %thiopian monks werethen welcomed by the monks in the onastery of the !yrians.

The Defectory

West of the 1hurch of the /oly 8irgin is the ancient refectory, which is no longer in use. It is

mostly rectangular &the east wall is slightly longer than the west one+, with a masonry table

running down its axis.

8/12/2019 The Monastery of the Syrins in Wadi Natrun

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/the-monastery-of-the-syrins-in-wadi-natrun 18/18

This table is flanked by chairs that are also of masonry. The room is roofed with a vast cupola

in which small windows are opened to admit illumination. Near the east wall of the refectory is

a large stone pulpit from which the sacred texts were raid and the saints# lives were revealed

during the common meal.

 bove the monastery grounds are, of course, other buildings of various uses. The cells of the

monks and gardens occupy the eastern and southern parts of the monastery grounds.

water tower built between (='' and (='A in the eastern part of the monastery, now provides

it with running water. guest house including a library and museum built by ummusaksimus !alib in (=(> was replaced during the (=As with additional cells, a special library

building and a museum. Today, this library contains over three thousand volumes including

several hundred valuable manuscripts.