Khaled El-Anany, the Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, has ordered registering the St. Tawdros (Al-Mohareb’s) Monastery in Hajar Al-Bairat in Luxor, the Helwan sulfur baths in Cairo, and a small mosque called ‘Ajdab’ in Salloum, as Coptic, Jewish, and Islamic antiquities, respectively.
Monastery of St. Tawadros
The monastery’s establishment dates back to the sixth century and is located near the city of Habu on the western mainland in Luxor.
It is built of mud bricks and consists of the old church building and some of the cells attached to it. Inside of the church, there are five structures of Archangel Michael, Anba Aqladius, Anba Tawadros, the Virgin Mary, and St. George.
The church’s walls also include some pharaonic stones taken from the temples located in western Luxor.
Salloum’s Ajdab
Located in the city of Salloum in Matrouh, the Ajdab Mosque was built in the fourth century. It has a Byzantine defensive facility to protect its borders and consists of walls with towers. There are also remains of a mosque, which indicates the use of the fort during the Islamic era as one of the stations for resting pilgrims. It was also used to teach the tenants of Islam and the memorisation of the holy Quran.
