Located near Sohag, in
the Nile Valley, Deir Al-Ahmar, or the Red Monastery, has been so named after
the building material it is made from: burnt bricks.
Situated in a small village near Sohag, the monastery is still mostly standing,
which isn’t sadly the case of the nearby White Monastery.
The Red Monastery is believed to have been founded by a thief who converted to
Christianity and became a disciple of St. Shenouda (founder of the White
Monastery); it was dedicated to St. Bishoi which led some time to confusion
between this monastery and the one in Wadi Natrun. The chapel of St. Bishoi in
Deir Al-Ahmar has some fascinating and intricate frescoes.