Facts about Abu Mena’s Tourist Site

By: Ali Abu Dashish

Facts about Abu Mena’s Tourist Site

Abu Mena monastery is considered one of the most important tourist sites worldwide due to its sanctity and because the remains of Saint Abu Mena is buried there.

The site is located in the Western Desert close to the city of Borg El Arab in Alexandria. It was named Abu Mena as Saint Abu Mena’s body was discovered there. Also it was called “The Marble City” as it contains many buildings and churches that include 24 types of marble.

Never the less, it was titled “The Miracles City” as several miracles occurred at the saint’s place.

Many Coptic monuments including churches and monasteries were discovered there. The first church was built there in 230 A.C. in King Constantine’s era. Afterwards, Pope Athanasius the Apostolic expanded and renewed it.

Abu Mena’s tourist area includes a marble city in the middle of which a courtyard is found surrounded by a row of columns where remains of various saints are gathered. The courtyard is also surrounded by buildings used for administration and worship purposes. In the city, two big bathrooms near the saints’ residence were found, and they were called north and south bathrooms.

The city also gathers many pottery workshops, architectural complex composed of 3 buildings: Grand Basilica, Vault Church, and Baptism Church.

At the northern part there are guesthouses, while in the southern part encountered churches that include Saint Abu Mena’s tomb and an internal road for processions.

Abu Mena’s site was discovered in 1907 by Kaufman, a German archeologist. Then the site was registered in the UNESCO’s world heritage list in 1979.

For Christians, the city was one of the pilgrimage centers. The city became more important during the Islamic caliphate thanks to its geographical location.

As it joins Egypt with some northern African countries, the city became a guesthouse for Muslims during their pilgrimage’s journey.

Due to the underground water’s elevation that led to monuments’ cracking, in 2001 the site was listed among the world great heritages that entail risks.