Beauties of Nubia II: St Simeon Monastery and Nile River Cruise

Aswan region is worldwide famous for its Philae temple on nearby Agilkia island. St Simeon Monastery is now a ruin but still a strong demonstration of Christian development in Nubia during the 7th century. Cruising on the Nile is not only a delightful experience but also like travelling back in time. The river banks host testimonials of ancient empires and civilisations that inhabited the region during the past centuries.

One of the driest cities in the world, Aswan was however a significant political and religious centre. Its influence reached large parts of the population under the Pharaohs, Coptic Christians and Arabs rulings. There is something I particularly like about Nubia. Its territory got conquered by various foreign invaders, but it managed to keep its identity, the Nubian identity, which is still strong and visible today.

 

/ A strip of water and life in the desert
/ Golden rocks in golden sands
/ Exploring St Simeon Monastery
/ Testimonial of monks life
/ Nubian villages and feluccas on the Nile

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/ Related: Nubia, Egypt, Aswan, Monastery, Coptic, Nile

 

/ Inspiration:

Ramses – The Son of Light (by Christian Jacq, 1995)

The Mummy (film by Stephen Sommers, 1999)

Rome (series by Bruno Heller, 2005-2007)

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A strip of water and life in the desert

It is fascinating to cruise on the Nile. Elements and colours are strangely contrasted. The desert is everywhere around. Under the sun, the air is dry and hot, although it is still winter. Brown rocks point out of the sand dunes. There is not a single cloud in the sky, not the slightest blow of wind in the air.

In the middle of this arid and mineral landscape, a tiny strip of blue water runs between the rocks. The Nile is the longest river in the world with over six thousands kilometres length. Its source is located further South on the African continent.

Actually we should rather talk about its sources. The Blue Nile’s birth is in Ethiopia in lake Tana. Its longer sibling, the White Nile, starts in the Great Lakes region.

 

Where there is water, there is life. This rule is particularly stunning along the Nile river. The sandy shores are covered by a narrow strip of vegetation. From the boat, I see mainly reeds and esparto grass. Palm trees are concentrated on Elephantine and Kitchener’s islands. Here and there, the silhouette of an acacia with its tiny leaves.

Looking more attentively, I spot various species of birds. Elegant herons and countless dark palmipeds inhabit the area. With its long feathers the colour of snow, the ibis looks majestic.

As we approach the shore, domesticated camels greet us. Some are busy feeding on a – it would seem – tasty acacia leaves snack while other are resting in the shade.

 

Golden rocks in golden sands

I was talking earlier about the colours and elements contrasts. This is the place where it struck me. The natural colours are brighter here. Blue for the sky and its reflection on the Nile. Deep green for the vegetation and gold for the sand. Dry rocks and dust meet with lively and restless water.

Mankind modified the environment across the ages. Of course there are the dams upstream, but it does not look to have altered much of this portion of the river. This is in appearances only. The annual flood disappeared with the construction of the dam.

 

On the rocks, alterations are visible under different formats. Carved hieroglyphs mark the pharaohs era. Discrete holes on the cliffs are as many tombs. Antic stairs connect the Qubbet El-Hawa necropolis to the Nile. Aga Khan Muslim mausoleum stands high on the hill.

And to discover signs of the Coptic era, one must take a walk into the golden desert.

Leaving behind me the grey modern Aswan, enchanting Elephantine island and fascinating Nile river, I climb up the dune. There is nobody around, just the silence of the desert.

Perfectly embedded inside the desert, the ruins of St Simeon monastery appear. Its high walls are the same colour as the sand.

 

From outside, it looks a bit intimidating and very well defended. Only one door out of two is still accessible. Although the place was abandoned in the 13th century, it is remarkably well preserved. It stands on the top of a plateau and the view on the desert is breathtaking.

 

Exploring St Simeon Monastery

The monastery is also called Anba Hatre. It was founded during the 6th century and the majority of the constructions date back to the 10th and 11th centuries. A local guide proposes his services which, for once, I accept.

At the moment I penetrate inside the lower courtyard, a ray of light comes into my camera’s lens. The scene is surrealist and will repeat again upstairs in the monks dormitory.

 

On the lower level, the remains of the church (10th century) are severely damaged. The frescos on the cupolas are barely visible any more. A few faces stare at the visitor, more ghost than alive. The pigments are almost gone.

On the paved floor, the foundations of pillars still stand. The ensemble is a shadow of the splendour it must have been in the past. At the back of the church, small rooms include the sacristy and a baptistery.

 

Following my guide, I discover the grotto (6th-7th century). Geometric frescos cover the entire ceiling. Circular and square medallions depict portraits of Christian saints. Silhouettes on the walls watch over us.

This is the oldest part of the monastery. It is said, this is where Anba Hatre, consecrated bishop of Syene (ex-Aswan) by Patriarch Teophilus (5th century), was praying.

 

The expansion of Christianity in the region led to the development of monasteries such as St Simeon. As Islam grew later on, tensions rose. During the 12th century, Salah Al-Din (Saladin) attacked St Simeon monastery while on campaign to the South into Nubia.

Archaeologists believe the decline of the monastery in the late 13th century may be the conjunction of repeated attacks and water scarcity issues.

 

Testimonial of monks life

At its apogee, St Simeon monastery was the largest monastery of Egypt. An estimated 1.000 monks lived there when in full activity and followed St Antony rules. Having walked around the whole monastery looking for the entrance door, I have no difficulty imagining such a population. I climb to the upper level and embrace the view on the monastery and the desert. The entire structure is impressive.

 

The upper level concentrates most of the facilities. Still standing high and proud, the main building includes the dormitory. A long corridor with cells on both side. Each cell contains mastabas, or stone benches, used as beds by the monks. Grafittis cover the walls.

To be honest, it looks messy and defaced. Taking a closer look, I see coloured friezes, Faces, Coptic crosses, Arabic messages and tourists markings. In the corridor, one of the arks is collapsing. The whole structure seems exhausted by the passing of time without care. A thick white coating covers most of the wall’s surface. But even this is crumbling now.

 

I continue my visit inside the labyrinth of rooms. The huge refectory displays circular stone benches and a sink. Roman windows open on the surrounding golden desert. Just next door are the kitchens with the ovens.

Further, a beautiful oil press ornamented with Coptic crosses is incredibly well preserved. Other rooms host the grape press, ovens and storage area. Outside, the stables, called “camel parking” by my humoristic guide, are facing the latrines and water complex.

 

It is unbelievable that such constructions are still standing in the desert after being abandoned for so long. Both stones and mud bricks have resisted the assaults of time. This place reminds me of the citadels I saw in the Kyzylkum desert of Uzbekistan (articles about my recent trip to Uzbekistan to come).

Nubian villages and feluccas on the Nile

Walking back to the Nile, the camels are still hanging around. I board again the boat for a late afternoon cruise on the river Nile. The current gets stronger as we sail towards the dam. The surrounding landscape is always as delightful. After the dryness of the desert, the atmosphere of water and vegetation is most welcome.

Fighting the current and avoiding the rocky shores, we make our way along the coast. We pass by different Nubian villages. The now usual colourful and ark shaped rooftops are beautiful here as well. One of the villages is actually located on top of the sandy hill. The view is a postcard.

 

People are going to their businesses. I see a family sitting under a big acacia. The children wave their hands to greet us when they see our boat. A herd of camels is gathered on the village square near the Nile.

Like on Elephantine island, there are no cars inside the village. People walk or use camels and donkeys. The atmosphere is peaceful. I take one last long look at this particular architecture. Decidedly, it seems to me to have a parentage with Santorini island villages.

 

The rest of the cruise follows the stream down back to Aswan and Elephantine island. The late afternoon light on the sailing feluccas is magical. As we approach, the shores become more constructed. We have left behind the wilderness of the desert.

 

My time in Aswan is almost over. I got back my passport with the Sudanese visa from the Consulate (read how to get the Sudanese visa in Aswan here). My journey in Egypt is however far from over. Tomorrow, I am taking the train back North, to Luxor. I cannot wait to admire Karnak, the biggest temple of all times and to enter the tombs of royalties in King’s valley.

Want to know more about Nubia? Here are a few links:

http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/simeon.htm

http://nileis.nilebasin.org/system/files/NileEnvironment.pdf