Everything about Wadi El Natrun totally explained
Wadi El Natrun is a town in
Al Buhayrah Governorate,
Egypt. In
Arabic, its name translates into
the Nitrate Valley due to the presence of eight different
nitrate lakes in the region. In
Coptic the region was known as
Shee-Hyt, meaning
the balance of the hearts or
the measure of the hearts. In
Greek it's known as
Scetes, which means
the ascetics. In
Christian literature, the region is also referred to as
the Nitrian Desert. In ancient times,
natron was mined here for use in Egyptian burial rites. It is believed that the
Holy family visited Wadi El Natrun during
their flight into Egypt.
History
The region of Wadi El Natrun was and remains one of the most sacred regions in
Christianity. Between the
3rd century and
7th century A.D., the region attracted hundreds of thousands of people from the world over to join the hundreds of
monasteries of the Nitrian Desert. Many
anchorites,
hermits and
monks lived in the desert and the hills around the region. The solitude of the Nitrian Desert attracted these people because they saw in the privations of the desert a means of learning
stoic self-discipline (
asceticism). Thus, these individuals believed that desert life would teach them to eschew the things of this world and allow them to follow God's call in a more deliberate and individual way.
Saints of the region
Some of the most renowned saints of the region include the various
Desert Fathers, as well as
Saint Amun,
Saint Arsenius,
Saint John the Dwarf,
Saint Macarius of Egypt,
Saint Macarius of Alexandria,
Saint Moses the Black,
Saint Pishoy,
Sts. Maximos and Domatios,and
Saint Samuel the Confessor.
Monasteries
The importance of the region declined with the
Muslim conquest of Egypt in
641 A.D. Many of the monasteries were destroyed and looted by
thieves. Today only four monasteries remain in the region, all dating from the fourth century A.D.:
Agriculture
Currently, Wadi El Natrun is gaining more popularity among Egyptians as one of the places for agricultural land reclamation. Farming based on water from wells is taking place and expanding in Wadi El Natrun.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Wadi El Natrun'.
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