ehgezHurghada

Not far from Hurghada, Anthony’s Monastery and St.Paul’s, are the Oldest Monasteries in Egypt.

Amp up your holiday in Hurghada and take a tour at the ancient monasteries of St. Anthony and St. Paul and discover Egypt’s rich Coptic monastic culture. Carved out within the heart of majestic mountains of Galala Al-Qibliya with ancient sacred springs still gushing through, the monasteries of St. Anthony and St. Paul represent the ultimate spiritual retreat and are considered a major tourist attraction near Hurghada and Sharm El-Sheikh.

Located 45km away from Hurghada city, you will get to enjoy an exciting hike through the holy orange-red cliffs surrounding the Galala Al-Qibliya Mountain and contemplate the beauty of the surrounding holistic landscape until you reach St Anthony's Monastery. Built during the 4th century AD, St Anthony's Monastery is a large edifice enclosing clusters of churches and chapels that are adorned with ancient Coptic art and wall paintings. The Monastery has also a bakery, a lush verdant garden brimming with life amid the vast, endless desert. Both monasteries are still inhabited by devout monks and priests who will be happy to guide you through holy chambers and tell the history of those sacred places of worship. Climb 1158 steps, about 320 meters above St Anthony's Monastery, in order to reach the cave where St Anthony lived. Step into a tiny entrance and marvel at the cave as it widens out into a small chapel, the monk’s place of worship.

85km away from St Anthony's Monastery stands the Coptic Orthodox monastery of St Paul, a devout monk who abandoned all worldly concern to lead an ascetic life of 90 years in peace and spiritual transcendence in a cave. Also known as the Monastery of the Tigers, St Anthony's Monastery features a mill building, a refectory and an eighteenth-century enclosure wall as well as a marvelous collection of manuscripts and alters.