Rifah - Coptic Wiki

Constantine (Bishop Of Asyut)

CONSTANTINE A sixth-seventh-century bishop of Asyut. History A summary of Constantine’s life has come down complete in a unique manuscript of the Sahidic recension of the Arabic SYNAXARION of the Copts, deposited at Luxor. There also exists for the first part and identical with the above document an isolated leaf (National Library, Paris, Arabic 4895). …

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Dayr Anba Sawirus (Asyut)

Places / By Armia FAYEZ

DAYR ANBA SAWIRUS (Asyut) The most ancient attestation of this monastery appears to be the colophon of a manuscript written there between 10 November 1002 and 29 August 1003, which then passed into the library of the White Monastery (DAYR ANBA SHINUDAH) before ending up in the National Library, Paris (Copte 129:14, fol. 95; Crum, …

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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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John Sabas (Fl. C. 550)

Eminent / By Armia FAYEZ

JOHN SABAS (fl. c. 550) A nestorian ascetic who spent a long time as a hermit and at an advanced age was the founder and principal of a monastery. His writings consist of letters, short sermons, and a compendium on the spiritual life called Ru’us al-Ma‘rifah (Chapters of Understanding). Despite his Nestorian faith, these writings …

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Asyut

Places / By Arsanious Adel

ASYUT A city on the west bank of the Nile in middle Egypt. The Greeks called the city lÚkwn pÒlij, Lúkon pólis (Lycopolis, “wolf city”) because of the citizens’ reverence for Wepwawet, the wolf god. Asyut, the city’s modern Arabic name, is derived from the Coptic cioout. Lycopolis, home of a Christian community since at …

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Dayr Rifah (Asyut)

Places / By Arsanious Adel

DAYR RIFAH (Asyut) A village situated on the edge of the desert plateau about 3 miles (5 km) from DAYR DURUNKAH. This was not a monastery in the ordinary sense of the word but the use of pharaonic tombs by the hermits. A church was fitted up there, making use of a larger tomb that …

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Dayr Abu Musha

Places / By Arsanious Adel

DAYR ABU MUSHA Al-MAQRIZI mentions a Dayr Musha (1853, Vol. 2, p. 507), which he places “outside ASYUT, to the south of this town, built in the name of Thomas, the apostle of India, in the middle of the gardens, near Rifah. In the days of the Nile [flood] one can reach it only by …

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Monasteries Of The Middle Sa‘Id

Places / By Armia FAYEZ

MONASTERIES OF THE MIDDLE SA‘ID The Greek geographers and the Arab historians of the Middle Ages identified this province of Egypt as beginning south of al-Bahnasa (OXYRHYNCHUS) and ending at AKHMIM (Panopolis). Left Bank To the south of al-Bahnasa, going up the Nile, lies the site of Dayr al-Ju‘, followed by Dayr Abu Bifam, where …

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Dayr Al-Zawiyah

Places / By Youssef Matta

DAYR AL-ZAWIYAH The village today called al-Zawiyah is situated about 3 miles (5 km) from Rifah and 9 miles (15 km) from ASYUT on the edge of the desert. The monastery is south of the village. An ancient cemetery borders the village to the east in the desert, where one finds Roman pottery. W. M. …

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