What monasteries are the hardest to visit?

edited December 1969 in Coptic Orthodox Church
What are the most reclusive monasteries that rarely get any tourists or are very hard for any tourists to go to?

Comments

  • Abu Makar (St. Macarious) Monastery in Wadi-El Natroun in Egypt is notoriously difficult to enter. During the fast it is absolutely closed to all visitors.
  • St. Macarius is loaded with tourists (sorry to disagree) and even before the repose of Fr. Matta.
    They have quite a visitors center (centre) that was constructed under the auspices of Fr. Matta.

    They generally do not let anyone in during the fast, but plenty do get in to the monastery (even during the fast).
    As a matter of fact, and during the Advent Fast, they let in Muslim army personnel to the monastery to go give
    homage at the relics of St. John the Baptist.
  • Thanks for the info ILSM  :)

    My grandmother used to tell me stories of how St. Macarious was colloquially known as "Hilton El-Sa7ara2" ("Hilton of the Desert") amongst the Copts who took church trips to visit - a comment on it's beauty, cleanliness and hospitality.

    I did in fact manage to visit during the fast, but only because a family friend was the brother of one of the monks.
  • I think the most reclusive monasteries would have to be those that are physically hardest to visit (very long car ride, or maybe there are no roads, etc.).

    Does anyone know of any such monasteries? Monasteries that take days to get to by car or require travel by some alterntive method? Or ones that are very very strict about letting visitors come even when there is no fast?

    They don't have to be in Egypt by the way.
  • I can only really tell you about Egyptian monasteries I'm afraid. But there are many, many monasteries in Upper Egypt, too numerous to tackle really.

    Two years back we organised a week long trip out into Upper Egypt on a tour of these monasteries - we must have visited at least 50 monasteries, and there were many more we couldn't visit because of the time factor. We visited the Virgin's Monastery in Gabal El Tair (one of the sites of the Holy Families visit to Egypt), the Red and White Monasteries in Sohag (those of St. Shenouda the Archmanidrite and his uncle St. Pigol), Deir Dronka (another Holy Family site), the Muharraq Monastery at Mount Kuskam (where the Holy Family hid for over 6 months), the Deir El Malak Abou Khashaba (Archangel Gabriel's Monastery) near Fayoum, the martyrs of Fayoum (all massacred and burnt, their corpses and relics intact, some even growing hair miraculously),  just to name a few, with countless ones besides. We virtually lived on the coach, travelling from place to place, (although we did find accomodation in a few hotels and in the Monasteries at Sohag).

    It was quite a journey really - we visited some very impoverished places and found many, many churches and Monasteries with a really spiritual atmosphere, filled with simple people. When we visited the Monastery at Gabal El Tair - the Church was absolutely jam-packed. All of the congregation were poor farmers and their families, who till the land all week in order to sustain a living, but still find time to come to the church and pray. I personally benefited greatly from this trip.

    Most monasteries are relatively easy to reach physically - this wasn't the case 30 years ago. But the ones in Upper Egypt are tough to get to.
  • most of the monasteries in Ethiopia and Eritrea are very difficult to visit. There is no road to most of the monastries and are often located at the top of big mountains. In some monastries the  mountain is very steep that they use ropes to climb up.  They are rarely visited by people.
  • Pauli, is it possible to become a monk in one of those eritrean/ethiopian monasteries if you only speak english? Also, can you name a few specific monasteries that are particularly reclusive/isolated?

  • I wonder what the Coptic church's relation with the St. Catherine's Greek Orthodox monastery in Sinai? Does anybody know if we have (Coptic) monasteries nearby St. Catherines? In my opinion, it would be very cool if the Coptic and the Greek monks could have two monasteries in 1 within the walls, but have their own quarters etc...but then come together for simple things such as work, and public (non-liturgical) prayer.
  • [quote author=Timothym link=topic=11704.msg140260#msg140260 date=1309110704]
    I wonder what the Coptic church's relation with the St. Catherine's Greek Orthodox monastery in Sinai? Does anybody know if we have (Coptic) monasteries nearby St. Catherines? In my opinion, it would be very cool if the Coptic and the Greek monks could have two monasteries in 1 within the walls, but have their own quarters etc...but then come together for simple things such as work, and public (non-liturgical) prayer.


    I believe the monks at St. Catherine's Monastery are really Greek, or at least a fairly good number of them. If you are familiar with Greek monks, you'll know how hostile they are towards the Coptic Church, and its sister churches. They still think we are Monophysites (believers in only the divine nature of Christ), and consider our church and its sacraments invalid. That would never work out at the present time...

    However, I'd rather go to the monasteries of Sts Anthony and Paul along the Red Sea. Those are my two favorite monasteries in the Coptic Church. When you climb the mountain of St. Anthony and look at the Red Sea, the views are simply breathtaking. I love the ancient churches in those two monasteries-they are a treasure to not only the Coptic Church, but to the world really... I can't really describe the feeling that I get when I enter the church where St. Anthony is buried. Its normally silent in there and meditation there is so deep. Such a blessed place. It really is a shame how its nearly impossible to visit these holy sites in Egypt now :(
  • [quote author=Sudani link=topic=11704.msg140259#msg140259 date=1309110277]
    Pauli, is it possible to become a monk in one of those eritrean/ethiopian monasteries if you only speak english? Also, can you name a few specific monasteries that are particularly reclusive/isolated?




    I don't know how Eritrean//Ethiopian monasteries accept people from abroad. Most monks don't speak english. many of them lived in monastries since they were young. (e.g Abune Antonuis entered a monastery at age 5.)  Some reclusive monasteries in Eritrea : Debre Bizen, Debre Libanos, White Mount, Holy Trinity Monastery

    I don't know enough about Ethiopian monasteries, I'm sure there are plent. Debre Damo, ZE WALDIBA  monastery are Debre Libanos among  wellknown monasteries

    http://www.youtube.com/user/zethiopia?blend=22&ob=5#p/u/17/G9ntRaMiWiw
  • I visited St Catherine's and they weren't very friendly at all. Indeed they were pointing and saying 'monophysite heretics'.
  • Are any of these red sea monasteries (St. Paul, St. Anthony, St. Catherine) very restrictive to letting guests come visit?

    Also are St Athony and At Paul on Mt Sinai?
    Also, can you please name a few upper egyptian monasteries that are especially reclusive?

    If I can't find a good quiet monastery in Egypt, I may have to go to Mt Athos and get away from all these evil monophysite heretics.

  • St. Anthony and St. Paul's monasteries are on the Red Sea, but on the Egyptian mainland, not Sinai.

    The Red Sea monasteries are not particularly restrictive on guests visiting. They are absolutely beautiful though. St. Anthony's is the oldest monastery in the world.

    There are many monasteries in Upper Egypt which are relatively reculsive, as they are quite small. There are a few around Fayoum (including Archangel Gabriel). You have the larger ones like Deir El Muharraq as well.

    [quote author=Sudani link=topic=11704.msg140300#msg140300 date=1309182496]
    If I can't find a good quiet monastery in Egypt, I may have to go to Mt Athos and get away from all these evil monophysite heretics.


    This made me laugh  ;D
  • [quote author=Father Peter link=topic=11704.msg140291#msg140291 date=1309163243]
    I visited St Catherine's and they weren't very friendly at all. Indeed they were pointing and saying 'monophysite heretics'.


    Yeah, I remember reading in Fr. Gruber's "Return to Eden" about the marked change in atmosphere when visiting St. Cathrine's versus visiting the Coptic monasteries. He seems to have had a rather unpleasant time there (perhaps because he is a Roman Catholic?), and did not paint the monks there in a very positive light at all. Having never been to either the Greek or Coptic desert monasteries, I can't really say how true that is, but just the same I know which ones I'd rather visit!  :)
  • [quote author=Timothym link=topic=11704.msg140260#msg140260 date=1309110704]
    I wonder what the Coptic church's relation with the St. Catherine's Greek Orthodox monastery in Sinai? Does anybody know if we have (Coptic) monasteries nearby St. Catherines? In my opinion, it would be very cool if the Coptic and the Greek monks could have two monasteries in 1 within the walls, but have their own quarters etc...but then come together for simple things such as work, and public (non-liturgical) prayer.


    That would be wonderful if they had the same mentality we do. But I too visited this monastery on my first trip to Egypt (about 10 years ago) and they were in fact pretty inhospitable and unwelcoming and very reluctantly let us visit the monastery and the burning bush.
  • Oh yeah I am quite familiar with Greek monks...I went to a Greek seminary for 3 years and we had some old monks from Mt. Athos there...and they didn't have very positive (or true) things to say about us...thats why I said "it would be very cool"...I thought perhaps though that being Greek monks in Egypt, they would have slightly warmer relationship or less ignorance towards the Coptic church but I guess even this is not the case!
  • i know people who visited saint catherine monastery, and that its very hard to visit, cause u cant get there by car, u should walk a veryyyy long time in a very dangerous place of mountains and cliffs. the ways are so small there. I even heard that a woman died because she fell in a abyss.
  • [quote author=Father Peter link=topic=11704.msg140291#msg140291 date=1309163243]
    I visited St Catherine's and they weren't very friendly at all. Indeed they were pointing and saying 'monophysite heretics'.
    [quote author=+Marmar+ link=topic=11704.msg140339#msg140339 date=1309215147]
    I even heard that a woman died because she fell in a abyss.



    Wow! This St. Catherine's monastery sounds super-Orthodox. It's just what I'm looking for. I bet they're so strict, they don't believe anyone can go to heaven!

    Alright, I'm off.
    Goodbye, heretics!
  • + Irini nem ehmot,

    Seriously?! What is your problem?
  • I thought that was a joke. ???
  • I hope its a joke. ???
  • people, it reads like a joke...now I dont personally know Sudani (at least I dont think so) but the post was clearly a joke. Let's clear this up once and for all...Sudani, are you leaving for St. Catherines monastery in Sinai??
  • + Irini nem ehmot,

    Since when is calling anyone a heretic on a forum anonymously a joke? How can any of you say that with a straight face? How many of you laughed, chuckled, or even smiled when they read that? Anyone? If not, then it's not a joke.
  • Just a little anecdote:

    It was said concerning Abba Agathon that some monks came to find him having heard tell of his great discernment. Wanting to see if he would lose his temper they said to him 'Aren't you that Agathon who is said to be a fornicator and a proud man?' 'Yes, it is very true,' he answered. They resumed, 'Aren't you that Agothon who is always talking nonsense?' 'I am." Again they said 'Aren't you Agothon the heretic?' But at that he replied 'I am not a heretic.' So they asked him, 'Tell us why you accepted everything we cast you, but repudiated this last insult.' He replied 'The first accusations I take to myself for that is good for my soul. But heresy is separation from God. Now I have no wish to be separated from God.' At this saying they were astonished at his discernment and returned, edified.

  • Forgive me, I mean to say that I thought it was meant as a joke. Whether or not it is funny or appropriate is another matter (and, no, I don't believe it is either). Sudani has apologized for jokes here before, so I assume it is just his sense of humor.

    [quote author=Κηφᾶς link=topic=11704.msg140364#msg140364 date=1309238410]
    + Irini nem ehmot,

    Since when is calling anyone a heretic on a forum anonymously a joke? How can any of you say that with a straight face? How many of you laughed, chuckled, or even smiled when they read that? Anyone? If not, then it's not a joke.
  • I just realized that it was Anathema who had written this 'joke' rather than Sudani...our intentions are sometimes unclear especially online.
  • + Irini nem ehmot,

    Just a quick FYI: Anathema and Sudani are the same person. They just changed their userID and picture.
  • OK sweet, so I am not completely incompetent and delusional (sp)! ;)
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