A newly discovered church in Kobet El Hawa Monastery
reveals more activities of the SCA employees
Naglaa Habib El Zahlawi
Monuments referred to the beginning of
Christianity in Egypt are too numerous, to name few but not all:
the hanging church, Wadi El Natroun monasteries, Abou Serga church, Deir El Moharrak in
Sohag, the virgin tree in El Matareya and many others too numerous to list. But recently
SCA employees revealed to the world a new church found during their excavations in the
enclosure of Deir Kobet El Hawa and studies confirmed as the area manager for Islamic and
Coptic era monuments stated, that the built of the church refers to the sixth century AD.
Priests were very active in this church as from the 6th c to the mid 13th.c (1250) as
regular services were held their for the growing Coptic community in Egypt. It is to be
underlined that Coptic in Ancient Egyptian language meant Egyptian but the word actually
refers to Christian Orthodox Egyptians.
The first architectural building specially erected for the purpose of practicing prayers and helding normal Christian services was a small unit. This tiny unit was enlarged when the congregation became larger but the building was architecturally amended during the enlargements practiced along history to finally become the famous Deir of Kobet El Hawa actually so called. More than 300 priests of Copt Orthodox sect manage the Deir and spiritually entertain the Aswan congregation.
The Deir includes, according to the Area Manager for Islamic and Coptic era monuments, a large variety of paintings and fresco that represent Jesus sitting on the Throne and holding in his left hand the Christian sign. Angels surround Jesus sitting on the Throne and below; the apostles are looking at him with love and devotion. Some of the paintings represent the priests in prayer or adorning God. The walls of the church bear some inscriptions both in Coptic and Arabic languages. It is known that the Coptic language is mainly consisting of Greek letters including seven Hieroglyph letters. Prayers from the Old and the New Testaments are depicted on the walls that also include Arabic inscriptions Moslem visitors passing by used to draw on the walls. It was common then that the Moslem pilgrims on their way to Mecca would stop in the church for revitalization and rest. This denotes the tolerance that had ever existed in Egypt. The hermitage that was considered as the first place to practice the religion in the church was also discovered. The hermitage reveals a series of purple crosses drawn eversince the erection of the building.
The famous scholar Grossman had announced in 1987 that the church was not yet discovered. This urged the very active SCA personnel to work hard to locate the remains of this important building as this was part of a general plan set by Mr.Abdallah El Attar, head of the department. This plan is actually focusing on the discovery and restoration of monuments related to the beginning of Christianity in Egypt. The discovered belongings of the church largely compensated their efforts.
These valuable monuments are mainly pottery utensils used for the religious services but the most important discovery was the altar chair specified for the wine used during the mass. The altar chair is chronologically referred to the eighth century contrary to what was previously announced by the Swiss scholar Van Marcell who had stated that the altar chair was known only as from the eighteenth century. The excavations confirmed then an important fact not known yet.
Deir Abba Samaan, located south the actual excavations, is referred to the seventh century and is considered as one of the most prefect monasteries as every detail reflects an important aspect of the Christianity as a religion. The area that includes the two Deir is generally known as the Nobles' Necropolis area. It includes tombs engraved in rocks belonging to princes and nobles from the pharaonic period. The western hills of Aswan where the tombs are located include a series of tombs referred to the Middle Kingdom and the Modern ęKingdom. Access to the tombs is available through stairs carved in the rocks.
These excavations are part of a large plan covering Egypt to locate the monuments referred to the Christian era. This campaign revealed many deir in El Fayoum. Deir El Banat where wooden decorated sarcophagi were discovered. Deir El Malak revealed important documents and few papyri related to the Fatimid period, these documents shade light on the social contemporary life of that period and on the trade exchange taking place then. Excavations in Deir El Nakaloun allowed the discovery of Angel Gabriel Church and the related cell. The kitchen was also located including an oven built in pottery inside the kitchen as well as a cutlery set and few dishes used by monks then. A papyrus with Arabic inscriptions was also found inside the Deir. These discoveries have a significant importance to retrace the history of the related period.
The sites that include Islamic and Coptic era's monuments are 976 covering the historical side of Egypt. President Anwar El Sadat's dream was the built of a religious complex in Sinai; but whenever you step in Egypt, these complexes are. In Misr El Kadima for instance where lie Amr Ibn El Ass Mosque, the many churches namely the Hanging Church and the Synagogue, the fact is there that Egypt was and will always remain the land of Tolerance and mutual religious Respect.
Naglaa Habib El Zahlawi