Period : Coptic Era : St Macarius the Great Construction date : Century 4 (0) Ad State : Well Preserved Address: In Wadi El Natrun, Behera بوادي النطرون بالبحيرة
Probably the first monastery in the valley , the monastery was erected in the 4th century by Saint Macarius of Egypt .
In the 6th century , the Coptic Patriarch of
Alexandria
was exiled to the monastery , and this gave the whole valley a great importance as a second seat of the Coptic Church . Several saints and patriarchs– such as Saint John the Dwarf , Saint Isidore , Saint Arsenius , Saint Moses the Black , Saint Serapion– all came from this monastery .
The monastery has defensive walls , a tower with the traditional drawbridge , a mill , a number of cells , a chapel for the Virgin and three churches .
Containing the relics of many saints , the monastery has the remains of Saint Maqar , Saint John the Baptist , Elisha the Prophet , 49 martyrs killed by the Bedouins , and of 16 Patriarchs of the Coptic Church .
Like the other monasteries in the valley , this one suffered from the destruction caused by the Bedouins , and was restored several times .
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