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Places

The geography of Coptic Egypt — desert monasteries and river towns, historic churches of Old Cairo, sites of discovery and preservation. Every place carries its verified coordinates, its names in Arabic and Coptic tradition, and the sources used to document it.

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White Monastery (Deir al-Abiad)الدير الأبيضThe great monastic federation near Sohag, famous above all for its long-serving abbot Shenoute.
Wadi al-Natrunوادي النطرونDesert valley between Cairo and Alexandria where thousands of monks settled from the fourth century.
Monastery of Saint Antonyدير الأنبا أنطونيوسAt the foot of the Red Sea mountain where Anthony lived as a hermit stands this monastery, counted among the oldest continuously inhabited Christian monasteries in the world.
Hanging Church (Saint Virgin Mary)الكنيسة المعلقة (كنيسة السيدة العذراء مريم)Built above the southern gatehouse of the Roman fortress of Babylon — hence its name 'hanging' — this is one of the oldest churches in Egypt.
Coptic Museumالمتحف القبطيFounded by Marcus Simaika Pasha within the Old Cairo compound, the museum holds the world's largest collection of Coptic artifacts — icons, textiles, frescoes and manuscripts, among them codices of the Nag Hammadi library.

19 documented places

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Type

Region

19 places

Geography

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upper-egypt7 places

White Monastery (Deir al-Abiad) · Red Monastery (Deir al-Ahmar)

wadi-el-natrun3 places

Wadi al-Natrun · Monastery of Saint Macarius the Great

red-sea2 places

Monastery of Saint Antony · Monastery of Saint Paul the Anchorite

cairo4 places

Old Cairo (Babylon fortress area) · Hanging Church (Saint Virgin Mary)

alexandria1 places

Alexandria

middle-egypt1 places

Fayyum

delta1 places

Rosetta (Rashid)

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Coordinates are verified against OpenStreetMap; where a site's location is approximate (noted on its page), the fact is flagged rather than hidden. Each place page lists the historical sources used.