Archaeologists in Egypt have uncovered the remains of what appears to be an integrated residential complex for a Byzantine-era monastic community. Finds from the site include amphorae used for storage, ostraca bearing Coptic writing, and fragments of architectural stonework and limestone panels inscribed in Coptic script.
According to Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities the discovery was made at al-Duweir village (Qaryet bil-Duweir), in the Tima district of Sohag Governorate in Upper Egypt—a Nile Valley region roughly midway between Luxor and Asyut, and several hundred kilometres south of Cairo.
A planned complex of mudbrick buildings
Photo courtesy Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities
The team identified multiple buildings aligned roughly west–east, in several sizes, ranging from about 8 × 7 metres to 14 × 8 metres. Within these structures are rectangular halls—some interpreted as spaces for worship—alongside smaller rooms that may have served devotional or practical functions for the monks.
Excavators also noted evidence of plastered wall surfaces and tiled floors, as well as architectural features such as entrances and surviving supports, including beams. Nearby were small circular structures that may have served communal purposes, possibly linked to shared meals or other group activities.
One of the most substantial discoveries is a larger mudbrick building running east–west, measuring roughly 14 × 10 metres, which archaeologists believe may have been the main church serving the complex. The reported plan includes three parts—often described as nave, choir, and sanctuary—and the surviving supports suggest the central space may once have carried a dome. At the eastern end was a semi-circular apse, with side chambers on either side.
Water basins, storage, and everyday objects
Photo courtesy Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities
Beyond the residential and religious buildings, the excavations uncovered other installations built with red brick and limestone-plastered basins, covered with a layer of red tile. These may relate to water storage or small-scale industrial activity linked to the settlement.
Finds from the site include storage amphorae—some bearing marks or writing—along with Coptic ostraca (inscribed pottery sherds), everyday tools, and architectural fragments in stone. Archaeologists also reported pieces of limestone panels inscribed in Coptic script, adding further evidence of a lived-in monastic community rather than a single isolated structure.
Photo courtesy Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities
Upper Egypt is rich in early Christian history, but many monastic sites remain only partially explored. Discoveries like this can help refine our understanding of Byzantine-era monastic life in the Nile Valley, including how communities organised living space, worship, storage, and work within a planned settlement.
Archaeologists in Egypt have uncovered the remains of what appears to be an integrated residential complex for a Byzantine-era monastic community. Finds from the site include amphorae used for storage, ostraca bearing Coptic writing, and fragments of architectural stonework and limestone panels inscribed in Coptic script.
According to Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities the discovery was made at al-Duweir village (Qaryet bil-Duweir), in the Tima district of Sohag Governorate in Upper Egypt—a Nile Valley region roughly midway between Luxor and Asyut, and several hundred kilometres south of Cairo.
A planned complex of mudbrick buildings
The team identified multiple buildings aligned roughly west–east, in several sizes, ranging from about 8 × 7 metres to 14 × 8 metres. Within these structures are rectangular halls—some interpreted as spaces for worship—alongside smaller rooms that may have served devotional or practical functions for the monks.
Excavators also noted evidence of plastered wall surfaces and tiled floors, as well as architectural features such as entrances and surviving supports, including beams. Nearby were small circular structures that may have served communal purposes, possibly linked to shared meals or other group activities.
One of the most substantial discoveries is a larger mudbrick building running east–west, measuring roughly 14 × 10 metres, which archaeologists believe may have been the main church serving the complex. The reported plan includes three parts—often described as nave, choir, and sanctuary—and the surviving supports suggest the central space may once have carried a dome. At the eastern end was a semi-circular apse, with side chambers on either side.
Water basins, storage, and everyday objects
Beyond the residential and religious buildings, the excavations uncovered other installations built with red brick and limestone-plastered basins, covered with a layer of red tile. These may relate to water storage or small-scale industrial activity linked to the settlement.
Finds from the site include storage amphorae—some bearing marks or writing—along with Coptic ostraca (inscribed pottery sherds), everyday tools, and architectural fragments in stone. Archaeologists also reported pieces of limestone panels inscribed in Coptic script, adding further evidence of a lived-in monastic community rather than a single isolated structure.
Upper Egypt is rich in early Christian history, but many monastic sites remain only partially explored. Discoveries like this can help refine our understanding of Byzantine-era monastic life in the Nile Valley, including how communities organised living space, worship, storage, and work within a planned settlement.
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