The Coptic Monastery of St. Apollo

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Anyone who visits the Coptic (Christian) Museum in Cairo will soon become familiar with a location known as Bawit, because there is considerable art from this ancient Monastery within the Museum. The Monastery itself is located in the desert, facing the fertile plain, about fifteen kilometers from Dairut, north of Aysut (Assiut). Bawit is actually an ancient, deserted monastery known as the Monastery of St. Apollo (Deir Abu Abullu). Its name probably comes from the Coptic term, Auht, which means "assembly", "congregation", or "Monastery".

The first monastery built at this location in Middle Egypt was the work of a monk known as Apollo, and probably dated to the second half of the fourth century (probably between 385 and 390 AD). We are not sure who compiled the "History of the Egyptian Monks", an ancient Christian reference, but apparently he knew Apollo personally, and says of him:

"We visited another holy man, named Apollo, in the territory of Hermopolis... Now we saw this man, who had hermitages under him in the desert at the foot of the mountain, and was the father of five hundred monks. He was renowned in the Thebiad and great works were ascribed to him, and the Lord performed many wonders through him, and a multitude of signs were accomplished at his hands. Since from childhood he had given proof of great ascesis, at the end of his life he received the following grace: when he was eighty years old he established on his own a great monastery of five hundred perfect men, almost all of them with the power to work miracles. When he was fifteen years old, he withdrew from the world and spent forty years in the desert, scrupulously practicing every virtue. Then he seemed to hear the voice of God saying to him, 'Apollo, Apollo, through you I will destroy the wisdom of the wise men of Egypt, and I will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent pagans' (cf. Is. 29:14). And together with these you will also destroy the wise men of Babylon for me, and you will banish all worship of demons. And now make your way to the inhabited region, for you will bear me 'a peculiar people, zealous of good works.' (Tit. 2.14) ... He set off for the inhabited region... and for a while he lived in the neighboring desert. he occupied a small cave and dwelt there at the foot of the mountain. His work consisted in offering prayers ot God throughout the day, and in bending his knees a hundred times in the night and as many times again in the day. He... [was] living in the power of the Spirit and performing signs and wonderful miracles of healing. These were so amazing that they defy description.... Many monks flocked to him from every quarter because of his renown; and inspired by his teaching and manner of life, a vast number of people renounced the world. A community of brothers formed itself around him on the mountain, as many as five hundred of them, all sharing a common life and eating at the same table"

Desert Fathers, 70-73