MECMiddle East
Churches
MONASTERY

Red Monastery

Sohag · Coptic Orthodox

A brief history

The Red Monastery’s church near Sohag dates to the late fifth century. Its painted interior preserves an exceptional record of early Coptic art, brought back into view through conservation and scholarly study.

An interesting detail

The early monks repainted the church twice in quick succession, leaving layers that help researchers reconstruct its changing decoration.

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