Scientists who visited the Monastery
Famous Scientists who visited the Monastery
1- Coppien:
A French council in Demiat, who visited the monastery during the seventh century. He visited the monastery following his visit to Anba Bishoy and Anba Maqar’s monasteries.
2- Mawhub:
Visited the churches and monasteries in 1088 A.D., he saw Saint John Kama’s body at his monastery.
Travelers and tourists stopped traveling to Egypt for some time, until the Turks invaded Egypt and opened the doors for tourists once again, after which many visitors came to see Egypt’s treasures.
3- Monk Gilles De Loches:
Visited a number of monasteries the year 1633 A.D.
4 - Claude Duran:
A French traveler visited the monasteries 1640 A.D.
5- Sieur De Boullary Le Guz:
Visited the monastery in 1649 A.D.
6-Thevenot:
Visited the monastery 1657 A.D. he said “El Sourian Monastery is located beside Abba Bishoy’s Monastery…it may look small, but the water is pure…” About St. Ephraim’s tree, he said, “It is a beautiful tree and a unique one in Egypt.”
7- Fr. Cloude Sicard:
Arrived to western monasteries in December 1712, along with saint Makarious the Great. He only noticed four monks at Abba Bishoy’s Monastery, fifteen monks at El Sourian Monastery, and twelve monks at El Baramous Monastery.
He was delighted and wrote “El Sourian monastery is the best among all four, it has a nice garden with a number of trees, it has Saint Ephraim El Souriany’s tree”. He was greeted by the monastery’s Hegomen, and after prayers, he was hosted by him at Saint Mary’s church; they had lunch that consisted of lentil soup and bread.
This man wrote about the monks lives and he described them in detail as well.
8- Youssef El Samany the Marionette:
He was a librarian from Vatican. He came to Egypt in 1715, following his cousin Elias El Samany who came in the year 1707. He took around forty manuscripts in addition to what were already previously taken to Rome by his cousin.
9-Murray:
She was first tour guide to write about El Natrun monasteries in the early nineteen century; her book is titled: “to the traveler to Egypt”. After her visit to the monastery she wrote,”…it is the most beautiful monastery…”
10- Fr. Jullien:
In the 1881, Fr. Jullien visited El Sourian monastery with his followers. He was the first to observe the old painting at El Sourian Church. In the evening he went to visit Abba Bishoy’s monastery along with father Michael, the monastery’s abbot.
11-Putler:
During the winter of the year 1884, Putler visited the monastery with Youssef Sterzgosky, he was the first to study the wall painting at Saint Mary’s church, and wrote a book about it. This drew the attention of many archeologists to the monastery.
12- First two ladies to visit monastery:
Agnes and Margaret Danoob came to visit the monastery in the year 1904. They traveled by Camel from Cairo, they discovered two Coptic manuscripts of the New Testament, which date back between 1220 and 1256, they found them inside two old boxes. They also discovered an old monk who was living alone in a cave for twelve years. He only returned to the monastery to eat a loaf of bread, drink little water and then returned back to his cave.
13- Evelyn White:
Visited the monastery during spring of 1920, spent several weeks and wrote three book about El Natrun monasteries.
14 - D. February:
Visited the monastery in 1923, there were only 16 monks present there at that time.
15- Prince Omar Towsson:
Visited the monastery in 1931 and wrote a book about El Natrun monasteries.
16- Otto Meinasrdus:
Visited the monastery 1960 and wrote a book about the Egyptian monasteries. He mention that El Sourian monastery was famous and well known, and was visited by large number of people from all over the world, especially during the middle of the twentieth century. It was visited by tourists, archeologists, and scientists.