Egyptian monasteries deluged

COPTIC (ETC.) WATCH: Antiquities ministry protects monasteries of Wadi El-Natroun from rain storms. The monasteries of Saint Macarius and Saint Pishoy are still in a well-preserved condition and are safe after the rain (Nevine El-Aref, Ahram Online).

On Wednesday Mohamed Abdel Latif, head of the Islamic and Coptic Antiquities Department, told Ahram Online that the heavy rain that hit the country yesterday had a negative impact on Coptic Monasteries in the Wadi El-Natroun area.

He continued to say that the dome that covered the ceiling on the side chamber neighbouring the Virgin Church at Deir Al-Surian fell down. This dome, Abdel Latif asserted, does not have any decoration, adding that the rest of the monastery and its side buildings, such as churches, the tours, and the monks’ cells are in a well-preserved condition and were not affected by the rain.

More on the monasteries of Wadi Natrun is here. More on the architecture of the Deir Al-Surian Monastery is here. The latter has come up often on PaleoJudaica with reference to its precious repository of manuscripts in Coptic, Syriac, Ethiopic, and Arabic. Follow the link at the end of the latter post for many past posts.