Open Collections

Konstantinidou, Alexandra

Database of Religious History (DRH)

The Monastery of Abba Apollo in Deir el-Bala’izah is situated on the left bank of the Nile, circa 18km to the south of Asiut, in Egypt. The first to investigate the site was F. Petrie (1907; 1909) who carried out brief excavation research, mainly in quest for papyri. Much later, P. Grossman conducted fieldwork and provided a more detailed description of the settlement (see: Grossmann 1993). It is considered that the first monastic habitations were adjusted in a pre-existing (presumably Roman?) quarry that was cut into the cliff that carries the desert plateau. Then the settlement extended down the rather steep slope and it was protected by an enclosure wall. The base of the wall is thicker as it was made of large stones connected with mud; the wall itself is constructed of mud-brick. It had a main gate on the east and several side entrances on the sides. The ruins in front of the main gate are interpreted as a guest-house. The entire settlement occupies an almost trapezoid area, where the remains of buildings still stand - some of them at a considerable height. The buildings were constructed of mud-brick and there is evidence that many of them had multiple storeys. They are gathered especially on the upper slope and inside a row of the quarry caves. Two large three-aisled structures are interpreted as refectories. The elongated buildings around them were identified by Grossmann (1993, 190-194) as dormitories. However, Wipszycka (2009, 119-120) argued that they could have been either store rooms either buildings of industrial function. Another building, which is characterised by a number of niches, was considered to be the library of the monastery, yet such an interpretation should be dealt with caution. Remains of two churches were discovered: a small church was built at the south-eastern corner of the site and another one to the west, around and outside a quarry cave. The water was supplied by a rectangular well.

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eng

Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library

10.14288/1.0416051

Non UBC

Unreviewed

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