Christian Antiquities

Vaulte – Architectural Elements Of Churches

Vault A vault is a ceiling or roof, traditionally of stone or brick, that depends on the principle of the arch. It may be executed in various geometrical shapes depending, to some extent, on the shape of the area to be covered. The arrangement of the blocks (bond) is determined by whether the vault is …

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Dayr Al-Barshah And Dayr Al-Nakhlah

Places / By Armia FAYEZ

DAYR AL-BARSHAH and DAYR AL-NAKHLAH [The first name is that of a village south of DAYR ABU HINNIS. It is a modern village, inhabited by Copts on the site of an old monastery, of which—apart from the old church—no parts worth mentioning have survived. The second is that of a village near the first, around …

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Dayr Al-Bisrah (Busrah) (Asyut)

Places / By Armia FAYEZ

DAYR AL-BISRAH (Busrah) (Asyut) History Dayr al-Bisrah is a small Coptic village on the right bank of the Nile, south of the extremity of the basin of Abnub, at the place where the mountains are very close to the Nile, opposite Shut b, the homeland of the father of Saint THEODORUS “the General” (stratelates) according …

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Dayr Al-Fakhuri

Places / By Armia FAYEZ

DAYR AL-FAKHURI History The “Monastery of the Potter” (it is not known whence this appellation comes) is situated on the edge of the desert, about 6 miles (9 km) north of Isna, near the ancient Asphynis (present-day Asfun al-Mata‘nah). The monastery also bears the name of “Matthew the Poor.” This personage, whose Life survives (or …

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Dayr Al-‘Awanah (Asyut)

Places / By Armia FAYEZ

DAYR AL-‘AWANAH (Asyut) The village of al-‘Awanah is situated on the right bank of the Nile to the southeast of Asyut, about 11 miles (18 km) to the north of the basin of al-Badari and about 7 miles (12 km) to the south of DAYR AL-BISRAH. The monastery of al-‘Awanah is today a Christian quarter …

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Dayr Al-‘Azab (Fayyum)

Places / By Armia FAYEZ

DAYR AL-‘AZAB (Fayyum) History The monastery of Dayr al-‘Azab does not seem to have been mentioned, at least under this name, by any author before the traveler J. M. Vansleb in 1672, who placed it halfway between Madinat al-Fayyum and the DAYR AL-NAQLUN (1677, p. 274; 1678, p. 166). In fact, it is about 4 …

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Dayr Anba Palaemon

Places / By Armia FAYEZ

DAYR ANBA PALAEMON On the right bank of the Nile, to the north of the river, which at this point from Qena as far as Nag Hammadi flows from east to west, to the east of the town of Al-Qasr wa-al-Sayyad, is said to be the site of the ancient Sheneset (the Coptic name) or …

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Dayr Anba Shinudah Or Al-Dayr Al-Abyad (White Monastery) (Suhaj)

Places / By Armia FAYEZ

DAYR ANBA SHINUDAH or al-Dayr al-Abyad (White Monastery) (Suhaj) History The church of this famous monastery still exists at the edge of the Libyan desert, on the left bank of the Nile, about 6 miles (10 km) from the town of Suhaj, often mentioned for its medieval paintings. The name of the site is known …

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Dayr Apa Thomas

Places / By Armia FAYEZ

DAYR APA THOMAS A monastery near the town of Fawjilay, which is about 5 miles (8 km) north of Akhmim. A small church survives from a monastery commemorating the holy hermit Thomas of Shinshif. The name of this mountain (Shinshif) is retained in that of a village near the church, called Naj‘ al-Shinshifi. There is …

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Dayr Buqtur Of Shu

Places / By Armia FAYEZ

DAYR BUQTUR OF SHU This monastery, of which nothing remains but the church rebuilt in the sixteenth century, is situated on the right bank of the Nile about 3 miles (5 km) north of Abnub, in the direction of DAYR AL-JABRAWI. It is dedicated to Saint VICTOR (Buqtur), a soldier in the fort of Shu …

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