The Monastery at Qubbat Al-Hawa: The Other Monastery at Aswan

The Monastery at Qubbat Al-Hawa The Other Monastery at Aswan by Jimmy Dunn

One of the best known monasteries, and a frequent stop on most tours that stop in Aswan in far Upper Egypt, is Deir Anba Simaan also known as Deir Anba Hadra (Hatre , but best known as the !onastery of St" Simeon" #or many tourists, a $isit to this monastery may %onstitute the only %amel ride while in Egypt" Howe$er, there is another monastery in the general $i%inity of Aswan, and in fa%t %on$eniently lo%ated in the area of the pharaoni% &ombs of the 'obles midway between the summit of a hill at (ubbat al)Hawa and the 'ile *i$er" +t lies about one kilometer from Elephantine +sland and in fa%t o%%upies part of the royal tombs" &his monastery is %ommonly referred to as that of St" ,eorge (Deir !ari ,irgis , but in fa%t there is no %on%lusi$e e$iden%e of that ha$ing been the monastery-s a%tual name" Different names ha$e been asso%iated with this monastery, and it may ha$e been %alled the !onastery of St" .aurentius, or the !onastery of the Sa$ior" Also, the early thirteenth %entury %hur%h historian, Abu al)!akarim mentions a !onastery of Antony in the area" +rregardless, it is likely that this mu%h smaller monastery was a dependen%y of the %onsiderably larger !onastery of St" Simeon"

/hile predating the #atimid 0eriod (123)4424 , that was the golden era of this monastery, when a large residential stru%ture of se$eral stories %onsisting of a %entral %orridor and sleeping rooms was built" &he ruins of a %hur%h stand before the pharaoni% tomb of 5hune" &his %hur%h, whi%h follows the plan of an o%tagon)domed stru%ture, was probably built after the beginning of the #atimid 0eriod but before the end of the ele$enth %entury" Only at the end of the twentieth %entury (4116 , was debris remo$ed from the area of this %hur%h, whi%h unearthed beautiful wall paintings and 7opti% (Egyptian 7hristian and Arabi% &e8ts"

+n the west wall of the %hur%h is an apse adorned with a two)9oned %omposition whi%h was a popular style in monasti% painting" &he upper se%tion of this %omposition depi%ts 7hrist in a mandorla" His right hand is raised in a posture of blessing, while in his left hand he holds a book" &he mandorla is supported by si8 angels in full flight" :elow this s%ene on the lower part of the apse, the Holy ;irgin stands amidst the twel$e Apostles"

Lower part of Apse depictin the !ir in Mary flan"ed by the twel#e Apostles &o the north of the apse is a long, barrel $aulted room, where si8 figures are depi%ted on its west wall" #i$e of them were still li$ing at the time of the painting, e$iden%ed by their square nimbus (halo " 7onsiderable 7opti% te8ts appear on the wall, in%luding one signifi%ant entry written on a layer of plaster whi%h was applied o$er the paintings" +t bears the date A! 61< (446= AD , whi%h probably pro$es that the wall paintings were e8e%uted prior to that date"

&here remains %onsiderable %onser$atory work to be performed at this monastery, for there are many other 7opti% and Arabi% te8t preser$ed under a thin layer of plaster" Howe$er, these te8ts and the murals of the %hur%h are $ery important for the history of 7hristianity and monasti%ism at Aswan, and the paintings of the %hur%h pro$ide in$aluable do%umentation for the study of 7opti% art at the beginning of the se%ond millennium"