You’ll find this Coptic Orthodox cloister in a beautiful oasis in Egypt’s eastern desert in the Red Sea mountains. The Monastery of San Antonio, in Egypt, dates from the year 356. It is located 334 kilometers southeast of Cairo. It is named after the first Christian monk, Saint Anthony, and was founded by his followers near where he lived during the years 361 and 363.
Inside the monastery, you’ll find an entire village with five different churches, a bakery, a mill, and some gardens. The churches include the Medieval Church of Saint Anthony, the Church of the Apostles, the Church of Saint Mark the Ascetic, the Church of the Virgin Mary, and the Church of Saint Michael.
There is also a library that was originally designed as a church, but now houses the largest selection of Coptic manuscripts in the entire country. If you walk two kilometers from the monastery, you can also see the cave where Saint Anthony lived during his time as a hermit.
