Image Credit: Markh, Wikimedia Commons

Amarna Reborn as Monastic Hub

A new study reveals that the ancient Egyptian city of Amarna, believed to have been abandoned after Pharaoh Akhenaten’s death, actually became a thriving Christian center during the Roman and Byzantine periods. Researchers found that from the 5th to 6th centuries CE, Christian monks settled in Amarna’s northern cliffs, turning old tombs into churches and monasteries.
They preferred modest desert spaces over pharaonic temples, building with local stone and palm leaves. In Panehsy’s tomb, a church was found with Christian symbols like red crosses and doves. Pottery from Tunisia, Syria, and Alexandria shows that the monks maintained trade ties. The desert was not an escape from persecution but a spiritual retreat, with caves and cliffs symbolizing a boundary between the Nile Valley and the spiritual wilderness.

Published on: 27-06-2025

Source: LBV Magazine