St Anthony's Monasteryدير الأنبا أنطونيوس

The monastery grew up around St Anthony the Great, an Egyptian hermit of the 3rd and 4th centuries who withdrew into the desert to live a life of prayer and solitude. His example inspired others to follow, and he is honoured as the "father of Christian monasticism" — the founder of the monastic way of life. After his death, a community formed at the site in the 4th century, making St Anthony's the oldest Christian monastery still in use anywhere in the world, an unbroken thread of devotion stretching back over sixteen centuries.

Set in the remote desert, the monastery is a self-contained world behind high protective walls, with ancient churches, chapels, a refectory, gardens, springs, and monks' quarters. Its old churches are adorned with beautiful and historically important Coptic frescoes, among the finest in Egypt. High on the mountain above lies the cave where St Anthony himself lived as a hermit, reached by a steep climb, offering both a sacred site and sweeping desert views to those who make the ascent.

St Anthony's lies in the Eastern Desert, inland from the Red Sea coast near Zafarana, and can be visited on a day trip from the coast or from Cairo. It remains an active Coptic Orthodox monastery and an important place of pilgrimage, so visitors come with respect and modest dress. It is often paired with the nearby Monastery of St Paul. For travellers on the Red Sea, a visit offers a profound glimpse into the ancient roots of Christian monastic life.

• What it is: the world's oldest active Christian monastery.
• Arabic name: دير الأنبا أنطونيوس (St Anthony's Monastery).
• Founded: in the 4th century, around St Anthony the Great.
• Significance: St Anthony is the "father of Christian monasticism."
• To see: ancient churches, Coptic frescoes, and St Anthony's mountain cave.
• Where: the Eastern Desert, inland from the Red Sea near Zafarana.

Sources include standard histories of Coptic monasticism. Some details are religious tradition; dates are approximate.