The Monastery of Saint Matthew the Potter

The Monastery of Saint Matthew the Potter by Jimmy Dunn

Saint Matthew the Potter, sometimes also known as Saint Matthew the Poor, an early Egyptian Christian, was originally from Bishnai, and apparently received his early training as a monk in the Church of the Holy Virgin of al Ma!"a"at# $rom there he went to Esna %&sna' in Middle Egypt, and later on to (sfun, where he is said to have founded the monastic community we know today as the Monastery of Saint Matthew the Potter %)eir al $akhuri' at *a! +al ,inai!a#

&n the -History of the Patriarchs-, we are told that Matthew the Priest was also a fisherman, "ut he was o"viously also a potter# .he -History of the Patriarchs- goes on to say that he "uilt his monastery during the time of the patriarch (le/ander && %012 034 ()', and that many monks were with him# 5e are also told "y ("u Salih, the (rmenian, that he was the Bishop of Esna# .he monastery is located a"out seven kilometers northwest of the the village of (sfun al Matana# *ear modern Esna, one may reach this monastery, which was newly reoccupied "y monks in 6407, "y leaving the road that follows the west "ank of the *ile at (sfun#&t sites on the edge of the desert# (l Ma!ri8i, the fifteenth century writer who documented Christian churches and monasteries in Egypt, tells us that9 -(t (sfun, there was a large monastery, and (sfun was one of the finest towns in Egypt, and the monks of the monastery there were famous for their learning and intelligence# 5ith (sfun, its monastery was also destroyed, and this was the most remote of the Monasteries in :pper Egypt#(l Ma!ri8i, the fifteenth century writer who documented Christian churches and monasteries in Egypt, tells us that9 -(t (sfun, there was a large monastery, and (sfun was one of the finest towns in Egypt, and the monks of the monastery there were famous for their learning and intelligence# 5ith (sfun, its monastery was also destroyed, and this was the most remote of the Monasteries in :pper Egypt#-

.he destruction of the monastery pro"a"ly occurred in the tenth century, when it was raided "y Bedouins, "ut it was su"se!uently re"uilt, only to "e deserted for many years# ;ecently, it has "een re inha"ited "y a small num"er of minks# &n 64<4, when =efort visited the monastery, he considered it to "e one of the finest testimonies of ancient monastic life in the *ile Valley# .he heritage of monks within the monastery may have evolved, at least partially, from the hermitages that $rench archaeologists have unearthed "etween this monastery and )eir al Shuhada %.he Monastery of the Martyrs'# .hey date from the fifth and si/th centuries, and may have "een a"andoned in the course of the seventh century# .his monastery has striking, massive tower that e/tends well a"ove its enclosure walls# &t is of three stories and, like other monasteries, is accessi"le through a draw"ridge that was lifted when the monks had to take refuge in it from desert plunderers# .he top most floor of the tower contains a chapel dedicated the the archangel Michael, who was the traditional defender of Coptic monasteries#

.he principal church of the monastery has a triple sanctuary, and in the center of the "uilding is a s!uare naos roofed with a cupola and surrounded on its each of its four sides "y an am"ulatory# .he eastern am"ulatory was used as a khurus %choir'# .he three sanctuaries were, from north to south, dedicated to St# Michael, St# Matthew, the founder of the monastery, and the Holy Virgin# .he central s!uare and the khurus are the oldest parts of the church, "oth pro"a"ly dating to the eighth century, though restored at the end of the twelfth century# .he wall paintings that adorn the sanctuaries and the central area of the naos, though unfortunately in very "ad condition, and even fragmentary due to vandalism over the last forty years, nevertheless are "eautiful# .hey mostly date from the eleventh to the fifteenth centuries# .here are inscriptions here that attri"ute the paintings to several artists# .he themes of the paintings include Christ and the apostles, St# Psote %Bisada in (ra"ic' and St# >ohn the Baptists, together with various angles, archangels and prophets# .he tom" of St# Matthew is in a small space on the north side of the church, where tradition holds that he was "uried in a clay casket# &n the southern wing of the monastery are located cells for the monks and the refectory# the cells are divided "etween either side of a long vaulted corridor in a two story "uilding# ?riginally, each cell accommodated several monks# .he vaulted corridor gives access to the refectory, which is a vast, s!uare room with four pillars that support a roof of nine cupolas over nine "ays# .he kitchens are on the west side of the refectory# &t should also "e noted that in front of this monastery are several Christian tom"s that are interesting "ecause of their pictures!ue cupolas and crosses# .hese tom"s are "elieved to date from the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries#