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The Monastery
THE MONASTERY OF ST. ANTONY THE GREAT
The Monastery was built during the reign of the Roman Emperor Julian the Apostate some time between 361 and 363. A few years after the death of St Antony, his followers settled in the place where their spiritual father lived and died.
The original settlement consisted of only the most essential buildings. The monks lived in solitary cells within walking distance of a communal worship centre where the Divine Liturgy was celebrated and where the monks took part in a common meal.
Over time, the monks began to associate themselves in closer communities and thus the communal or coenobitic character of the Antonian life evolved.
The Monastery
The story of Monasticism
The history of the Monastery
Accounts of early travellers
Places within the Monastery
The Fatuli and Matama
The Churches
The Cave of St Antony
The Fortress
The Monastery Walls
The Spring of Water
Saints of the Monastery
St Antony
St Paul the Simple
St Mark the Ascetic
Bishop Yusab
Father Yostos
Daily life of the monks
The Monastery’s abbot