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Monasteries in Fayoum
Deir El-Malak Ghobrial ( Monastery of the Archangel Gabriel )
Simply put, there are various stories about the formation of this Monastery, but the following is from the Coptic Church:
At the end of the 5th century in Persia, there was a magician who was called Ibrashet. He secretly married the daughter of the King without him knowing. The Princess then became pregnant and gave birth to a child called Oor who was raised secretly. When Oor was 3 years of age, his mother the Princess died. After the child became 8 years of age, the King found out about him and the marriage. He immediately ordered Oor and his father to be called, but they fled away to Jerusalem, and then to Egypt where they settled in the Naklun Desert next to Fayoum. Six months later, the magician and his sons died without becoming Christians, but Oor remained alive and he learned the way to God. One day, the Holy Mother of God Saint Mary along with the Archangels Michael and Gabriel appeared to him and asked him to build a church in that place in honor of Archangel Gabriel.
In the same days,
Oor's grandfather the King died and his son succeeded him. The
Queen desired to see Oor very much and her son knew it. He sent
many delegates to Oor to go and fetch him. When they found him,
he had not yet completed the church and was forced to go back to
see his grandmother. He arrived in her land with a great
celebration; however, he wanted to go back to Egypt and finish
the church, but the king prevented him. The two great Archangels
Michael and Gabriel appeared to the King and ordered him to let
Oor go. Oor was permitted to go, but he was given many gifts
and money to build the church. The devil, seeing Oor going to
build the church, attempted to stop him at every turn. He came to
Oor asking him to be a monk and thus help him build the church,
but all it did was waste material, water, and pottery. The devil
even resorted to throwing stones on the heads of the laborers
building the church... and he killed many of them with the others
running away. Oor was left alone to pray to God. God saw his
love and sent the Archangel Gabriel who warned Oor about the
devil's tricks. From then on, Oor was very careful and finally
completed the church. Anba Isaac, the Bishop of Fayoum at that
time came and consecrated the church with the Holy Myron. He also
ordained Oor a priest and asked the
congregation to make Oor the bishop when he died. When Anba Isaac
died, Oor succeeded him as Bishop of Fayoum and looked after his
people with love and decency until he passed
away in peace.
Saint Anthony (251-356 AD)
acted as
an inspiration for hermits and there were soon numerous
monasteries throughout the country, including those in the Fayoum
depression. A number of them are still standing today and,
although perhaps only for pilgrims and those of specialist
interests, are worth visiting.
The 12th Century Deir Al-Adhra (Monastery of the Virgin)
just off
the road to Beni Swef, about 6 km outside Fayoum City, is the
most accessible.
Deir Hammam
which
was originally built in the 6th or 8th Century, is 6 km north of
Lahun and Deir Mari Girigis (Monastery of St. George) can be
reached by boat from Sidmant Al-Gabal which is 15 km south of
Luhun.
Deir Anba Samwail
(Monastery of St Samuel) which is about 30 km south of the Fayoum depression and can only be reached by four wheel drive vehicle.