Egypt completed the reconstruction of the oldest monastery in the world

Cairo - Egyptian conservators have completed the restoration of the Monastery of Saint Anthony near the Red Sea after eight years, making it the oldest Christian monastery in the world, a symbol of peaceful coexistence between Muslims and Christians in this country. The restoration of the monastery cost Egypt $14.5 million, reported the AP agency.
    During the reconstruction of the 1600-year-old complex, the ancient massive walls surrounding the monastery and the walls of both of its churches from the 6th and 15th centuries were restored. Parts that were once inhabited by monks and a tower from the 6th century, where refuge was sought during medieval raids by Bedouin tribes, were also reconstructed. Archaeologists from the American Research Center in Egypt also discovered the original cells of the monks from the 4th century beneath one of the churches.
    The patron of the monastery, Saint Anthony the Great, is considered the founder of Christian monasticism. He retreated to the remote mountainous landscape at the end of the 3rd century AD. After his death in 356, followers built the monastery, which is still in use today. About 120 monks live there, and it is visited by millions of Christian pilgrims.
    The monastery is a symbol of coexistence between Christians and Muslims, Egyptian authorities stated about a month after one of the worst incidents of sectarian violence in the last ten years, in which seven people died during a shooting at Christian worshipers.
    "The reconstruction of the monastery shows the world that we strive to restore the monuments of our past, whether Coptic, Jewish, or Muslim," said Zahi Hawass, the secretary-general of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities.
    "Such an incident (like) in Upper Egypt can happen among brothers," he responded to a question about whether there is a connection between the incident from the night of January 6 to 7 and the timing of his statement.
    The January incident occurred after a midnight mass celebrated for Coptic Orthodox Christmas in the southern Egyptian city of Nag Hammadi, about 40 kilometers from Luxor. Relations between sects in Egypt have drawn international criticism, but Egyptian authorities reject sectarianism as a motive for the incident and tensions between Muslims and Christians.