Deir al-Surian (Egypt)  Wall-paintings, Wall-texts, and Manuscripts.htm

    New discoveries of wall-paintings in Deir al-Sourian

1. introduction

Deir al-Sourian, one of the four still inhabited’monasteries in the Wadi al-Natroun; borrows its name from the fact that it was inhabited by Syrian monks from the beginning of the 8th century until probably far into the 16th century. The monastery, founded in the 6th century, and its main church, probably built in the middle of the 7th century, were dedicated to the Holy Virgin (al- ’Adra). Unti1 1988 the known painted decoration of this church consisted of the paintings in three half-domes, two in the khurus and one in the western end of the nave’. This situation changed when a fire destroyed the painting in the western half-dome. After removal and conservation of its remains by a French - Netherlands team, headed by prof. Paul van Moorsel, a painting of the Annunciation was discovered underneath’. In following years more paintings and traces of paintings were found. Monks and inspectors of the SCA partially uncovered paintings on the Western wall of the chapel of the 49 martyrs. On the northern wall of the khurus flaking plaster revealed the existence of a layer of older painting underneath. These finds supported the supposition that once the interior of the church had more paintings than those in the semi-domes in the khurus and the Western nave. In September 1995 the Permanent Committee of the SCA gave permission to the Netherlands Institute for Archaeology and Arabic Studies to undertake a short mission.’ It had a two-fold purpose: preserving the {fragments of) paintings uncovered in 1993 and investigating the possible existence of more paintings under later layers of plaster. After a successful campaign a second mission was undertaken in September 1996, with the purpose of further uncovering and consolidation of a number of paintings and inscriptions discovered in the previous season’. But also the architectural context of the paintings was object of investigation. In 1996, after the removal of plaster in certain parts of the walls, Dr. Peter Grossmann of the German Archaeological Institute (DAI-Kairo) was able to draw a number of conclusions concerning the original shape of the church. These results are published together with the present article.

2. The Chapel of the 49 Martyrs

2.1. State of preservation and description of the paintings

’ 3. Leroy, Les peintures des couvents du Ouacti nratroun CBiro 1982, 61 sqq.

P. van Moorsel, ’La grande annonciation de Deir es Sourian’, BIFAO 95 (1995), 517-537. The papers presented at a symposium in Paris, 1994, concerning this discovery were

published in Cahiezs Archeolocriques 43 (1995), 117 sqq.

’The mission consisted of Ms. Ewa Parandowska, restorer at the National Museum of Warsaw and Dr. Karel Innemee of Leiden University, field-director; inspectors were Mr. Abu Zeid al-Sharqawi and Mr. Abd al-Fatah Abd al-Halim Zeitun

The staff was the same. The inspectors during this season were Mr. Mohi Bassiouni Abd al-Aziz and Mr. Abd al-Fatah Abd al-Halim Zeitun.

At the north side of the church of al-’Adra, passibly in the beginning of the 10th century, a chapel was added, nowadays known as the Chapel of the 49 Martyrs. In 1993 investigations by monks of the monastery and inspectors of the SCA revealed four paintings on the eastern wall of the chapel: three decorated niches and one fragment of a figure left of a walled-up window over the left niche’. Of the counterpart of this painting at the right hand side only a small fragment (fragment 2; ca. 1 dm’) has been found. In the course of the investigations carried out during the season of 1995 no remains of paintings have been found on other walls in this chapel.

The painting over the left niche next to a closed window-opening in the upper left of the eastern wall was further uncovered (fragment 1). This brought to light that the upper part of the painting had been destroyed. Dimensions of the preserved fragment are ca. 0.85 by 0.35 m. It represents a standing figure in the costume of a bishop. Both ends of his omophorion are hanging in front according to the traditional Coptic custom’. The figure stands against a green background and the painting is framed by an orange-red line (p1.1).

Dimensions of the central apse-niche are 1.95 x 1.05 x 0.50 m. 1t has a representation of the enthroned Virgin Mary with Christ on her lap (painting 5; pl. 2). She is seated on a decorated throne with a big cushion and wears a dark purple maphorion. Two small angels are flanking the throne at the level of the head of the Virgin. Christ is seated in the middle of her lap, dressed in a red tunic with a red pallium. He makes a gesture of blessing with his right hand, while his left hand holds a codex. A remarkable detail is that the Virgin is holding the same codex with her left hand. The central niche has been plastered and decorated at least twice. Before the final, undecorated plaster was applied both painted layers were heavily damaged in the middle: it looks as if with a heavy object several superimposed layers of plaster and paintings were smashed. The last layer of unpainted plaster was apparently applied to repair this damage. The area of lost painted plaster is about 30 dm’ in surface. At the edges of this damaged area the remains of an older, underlying layer of painting are visible. These remains, already partially uncovered in 1993, show that it represents a Virgin Platytera (holding Christ, surrounded by a circular frame, in front of her), flanked by two persons (fragment 6). The left one is a person with a pointed beard, wearing a scarf with both ends in front and a short shoulder-mantle. This means that he is most probably to be identified as monk in a Pachomian dress.

Flanking the central niche there are two smaller niches (1.45 x 0.60 x 0.08 m), both framed by stucco-work in a style that might be attribued to the 10th century. In each one there is a standing saint with a halo and a codex in the left hand. Both are wearing a blueish grey pallium over a light grey tunic. The saint in the left niche has grey hair and a pointed beard, the one in the right niche has dark hair and a shorter beard. The right saint has been identified by a Syriac inscription: ”Mark, (the) evangelist” (painting 4; pl. 3). There are no indications that might help us identify the other saint (painting 3; pl. 4). The painting of the saint in the left niche has been damaged to such an extent that the lower part of the figure has disappeared by wearing off of the paint. Also in parts of the face the paint has

Paul van Moorsel, Karel Innemee, ’Breve histoire de la mission des peintures coptes’ in dossiers d’archeologie (In  Print at the time this article was prepared).

K.C. Innemee, Ecclesiastical Dress in the medieva1 Near Easti Leiden

1992, 50-52.

disappeared, revealing the underlying drawing of the face. This drawing does not correspond to the final painting, in this respect that the painted eye on the left is higher than the sketched eye on the right, showing that the artist did not follow his initial design. Just as in the central niche, a deep hole (intentional damage?) in the lower part of the painting has destroyed several subsequent layers of plaster. This hole shows a cross-section of three older layers of plaster, together 10 cm thick, between the masonry and the painted plaster. In contrast to he central niche, there are no remains of paint on these older layers. It is evident that the decorative stucco-work of the frames of the niches belongs to an earlier period than the paintings. It shows a great similarity in technique and style with the stuccos in the haikal of the main church, which must date back to the beginning of the 10th century. The insides of the niches were at least twice plastered over before the paintings were made. This means that for the moment we have no other indication for dating these paintings than a terminus postquem of the beginning of the 10th century.

2.2. Conservation work

Mechanical means were used to clean the surface and to remove the remains of superimposed plaster: chisels and trowels for preliminary work and scalpels, brushes and special erasers for the final phases. After that, painted layers were were consolidated and protected with a 3-5% solution of Paraloid B 72 in ethanol. The crumbling edges of the damaged plaster in the painting of the Virgin were protected with Japanese tissue or cotton, fixed by Movilith D 50. The large lacunae in the older layer of painting had to be filled with clay-sand-lime mortar. The same mortar was was used as a filling of superficial losses, fissures and pitting in the superimposed layer with the enthroned Virgin.

3. The Church of al-”’Adra

3.1. State of preservation

Until recently the interior of the church showed smooth, undecorated plastered walls. The only paintings visible were in the three half-domes. Under the plaster on the walls, however, 2-5 layers of older rendering are present. These layers partially hide the traces of several successive architectural changes in the building. Especially in the area of the division wall between the nave and the khurus the situation is complicated due to changes and renovation of the architecture. There is a considerable difference in state of preservation between the northern wall of the nave and other walls. This generally bad condition of the northern wall in the western part of the church is caused by humidity and salt efflorescenses, due to the fact that a well with a saqia was situated outside of the church in this area. The decoration on this wall, as far as visible from the fragments uncovered, is in an equally bad state. Paintings are washed out, hardly visible and loosely connected with the powdering plaster. The condition of paintings on other walls is considerably better, in spite of pitting and hammering for earlier replastering. In some areas damage has been caused by nails hammered into the walls for hanging icons, electrical installations and wires. In several places the painting was detached from the plaster because of these mechanical damages.

3.2. Investigations carried out

In 1995, apart from certain fragments which were already visible, 52 windows were opened in the plaster on the walls of the church and this investigation showed that the interior of the building originally must have been decorated with paintings on most of the walls, columns and half-domes as far as they antedate the 13th century. In some areas there are three, in others at least one or two successive layers of painted plaster. In 1996 a number of these windows were enlarged in order to reveal the complete painting or inscription.

In the present phase of the research the following layers of plaster and painting can be distinguished:

1. The first layer of plaster, most probably applied shortly after the building was finished (i.e. approx. 645 A.D.’). It consists of a coarse, yellow layer of mortar, covered with a white limewash. The first traces of decoration on this layer consist of simple (probably decorative) patterns in yellow and red ocre.

2. Before applying a layer of more sophisticated painting, the paintings in ocre were in some places whitewashed with a layer of light Grey limewash. This can be seen most clearly on the separation-wall between the nave and the khurus, left of the door between both spaces (window 46). Where no previous painting was present, this second layer of painting was applied directly on the first plaster. The paintings belonging to this layer have most probably not been executed in the same period, but over a span of several centuries, between the 7th and the 12th. Apart from paintings this layer contains several inscriptions, both in Coptic and Syriac.

3. At least in one place, again left of the doorway leading into the khurus, this layer was partially plastered over with a grey plaster, in order to add an inscription (window 46). This Syriac inscription was dated to the 12th century (1165 A.D.?).

4. Most of the inner surface of the church was plastered over at a certain moment with a white lime-sand plaster. This layer carries paintings which have been dated to the 13th century on the basis of their style. The paintings in the half-domes belong to this layer, but also in several other places paintings or remains of paintings in the same style have been found. It seems that both plastering and painting were done in the 13th century by one artist or one group of artists in order to redecorate the church with one coherent decoration.

5. In 1498 A.M., i.e. 1781/2 A.D’ the interior of the church was replastered with a pinkish-Grey plaster. By then several of the paintings on the columns were completely or partially covered by the masonry piers that had been constructed (in the 14th or 15th century?) to support the barrel- vault over the nave. Before this replastering loose plaster from previous centuries was removed from the walls. Much of this debris was dumped in the space between the separation wall between nave and khurus and a later wall built in front of it.

3.3. Wall-paintings uncovered

3.3.1. Decorative lower zone In 1995 investigations were started on the northern wall of the khurus, where in recent times fragments of painting became visible after loose plaster had dropped off. Further removal of plaster brought to light part of a decoration, consisting of a painted imitation of columns,

 

P. Grossmann, ’Kirchenbau in Xigypten’ in Agypten, schatze aus ctem wustensanct (Ausstel lungskatalog), Wiesbaden 1996, 52

” According to a document in the archives of the monastery (oral information from Father Martyros al-Souriani)

carrying an architrave (fig. 2). This lower zone reaches up to a height of approx. 2 meters. Window 7, on the north wall of the khurus, revealed the lower part of a standing figure, probably that of a saint, on top of this architrave. This decorative lower zone must have been present on all the walls of the church, running along the walls of the nave and the khurus. This could be deduced from that fact that in all cases where a window was opened at ca. 2 m from the floor, remains of the painted architrave were found. This lower zone has served as a basic decoration of the interior of the church and in the following centuries paintings and inscriptions were added on the higher parts of the wall. One of these inscriptions, a Syriac text on the southern wall of the nave (window 30) is dated three hundred and twenty (...) A.H., i.e. 933/940 A.D. This gives us a terminus ante quem for the decorative lower zone. Given the fact that the dated Syriac text is written over an older and faded inscription, the decorative painting might date back to the 9th or even the 8th century.

3.3.2. The Three Patriarchs In 1995 one of the windows on the same wall of the church revealed the face of an old man with a Grey beard (window 59). In 1996 this window was enlarged in order to uncover the complete painting, measuring approx. 2 x 2 meters (pl. 5). The composition shows the three Old Testament patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, enthroned in paradise with the souls of the blessed, represented as small naked figures, on their laps. They are dressed in brown and reddish brown tunics and pallia. Only the middle one wears a white pallium. All three have almost identical, severe faces and long, white hair. A peculiar detail is that the three arch-fathers are feeding fruits to the blessed. In the background there are four trees from which similar naked figures are picking fruits. The tree in the upper left corner is still covered by plaster and remains of a painting supposed to be from the 13th century. There are no inscriptions in the painting mentioning the names or the subject, which suggests that the representation must have been easily recognizable to the viewers. This is hardly suprising, since the daily evening prayer in the Coptic Church contains a prayer for the dead, saying ”Graciously, 0 Lord, repose all their souls in the bosom of our holy fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob”’. The theme of the three patriarchs enthroned in paradise occurs in iconography only since the 9th/10th century ”and this is the first example in Coptic wall-painting known so far”. An exact dating for the painting is hard to give, but since it is partially covered by a painting supposed to be from the 13th century and considering its style it might be dated to the 11th century.

3.3.3. The Virgin Galaktotrophousa In the khuru.s of the church a thick layer of 18th century plaster was removed from two half- columns engaged to the pier on the right side of the entrance into the haikal. In 1995 a window (nr. 57) was opened in a layer of plaster, heavily damaged by nails driven into one of the half- columns. Further removal of the plaster in 1996 revealed a representation of the Virgin, breast- feeding Christ (pl. 6). The position of this painting is remarkable, since normally speaking a

 

The Coptic liturgy of St. Basil, Cairo 1993, p. 16

” E. Lucchesi Palli, ’Abraham’ in E. Kirschbaum (ed.) l.exikon der Christlichen Ikonographie I, c. 30

A later painting of the same subject (1232-33 A.D.), in its iconography very much similar, can be found in the old church of St. Antony’s monastery near the Red Sea; Paul van Moorsel,

peintures du monasteze de Saint-Antoine pzes de la Nez Rougei Cairo 1995, 95-98.

 

painting or icon of Christ would be expected in this position, with the Virgin and child at the left side of the entrance to the haikal. The Uirgin is seated on a delicately decorated throne with a red cushion. She wears a blue tunic with red potamoi and a blueish green maphorion over it. The maphorion is decorated with crosses. Her eyes are looking straight ahead. Her head is surrounded by a yellow  halo, against the background of a red half-circle, probably meant to represent the upper part of the back-rest of the throne. With her right hand, in which she holds a mappa, she supports the infant Christ, while her left hand supports her breast, depicted unnaturally small. Left of her head there is the Greek text H MIA, written as a monogram; the name MAPIA, which doubtlessly must have been present at the other side of her head, has been lost. The background of the painting is dark blue and it is surrounded by a black and an orange- red line. A number of characteristics of this painting indicate an early date: it has been painted by a skilled master, who worked in a technique which at least for the part of the face is very close to the style of painting in the Fayyoum-portraits (p1.7). The texture of the paint is similar and although no analysis of the paint has been done, it would not be surprising if the technique used for the face of the Virgin would turn out to be encaustic. The iconographical detail of the infant Christ sitting on the right knee of his mother occurs in early paintings and becomes more and more rare in later times”. The same is the case for the epigraphy: H AGIA MAPIA is the earliest inscription in representations of the Virgin, later to be replaced by MP THEO, the abbreviation for ’Mother of God’. In these respects the painting is comparable to a painting from room 30 in Bawit, where a similar composition with the same epigraphy could be found ”. These factors, combined with the fact that a painting of the Virgin would be one of the first subjects to be represented in a church dedicated to her, make it likely to assume that this mural painting belongs to the second half of the 7th century.

3.3.4. Unidentified male saint On the other half-column, engaged to the same pier, a painting of a standing military saint was uncovered (p1.8, 9). Complete uncovering was impossible, since the left part of the painting was covered by the right door-jamb of the haikal-doors, constructed in 913/4 A.D. It shows a standing, beardless young man, dressed in a blue tunic, covered by a shorter, reddish-brown tunic. He wears a girdle from which a sword hangs in a red sheath. He holds its hilt with his left hand, while his left hand holds a staff. He has dark, half-long hair and his eyes look straight ahead. The head is surrounded by yellow halo, framed by a black line with white dots on it. At the right side of the head the last letters of a Greek inscription ending in ...GIOS, ...PIOC or ... TIOC are visible. If this is the last part of the name of the saint, it could be Sergios, Dimitrios or Georgios, a11 three known to be depicted as young, beardless men. In early iconography they are often depicted as standing, instead of mounted on horesback. Although the state of preservation of the face is worse than that of the Virgin, it is rather clear that the style of painting is different. Also the way of rendering the folds in the dress shows a different style. It might therefore be the work of another master, but similarities in the technique of painting make a dating in the second half of the 7th century, but maybe slightly later than the painting of Virgin, acceptable. The same half-column carries decorative paintings below and above the painting of the unknown

 

Most, if not all, known examples of the Virgin suckling Christ, sitting on her right knee, date from the 7th century. cf. G.A. Wellen, Theotokos, Utrecht/Antwerpen 1960, Beilage 1II: Bawit, Ch. 42, Room 30; Saqqara, Cells A, 1725, 1807; p. 192.

G. Maspero, l’ouille.s executees a Baouit = MIFAO 59 (1931), pl. XLII, XLIII.

saint. Below, a red cross has been painted, surrounded by a horseshoe-shaped wreath of green leaves. The capital of the half-column is conical in shape and it is decorated with a similar motive: a cross in two shades of red, surrounded by green branches. It would have been interesting to know what themes were represented on the counterpart of this pier, the one on the left side of the entrance to the haikal, but no traces of paintings have survived here. As mentioned already, it was and still is usual in Eastern Churches to find the Virgin enthroned left of the haikal and the painting or icon of Christ at the right. The question whether Christ was depicted on the left in the case of this church and if so, for what reason the two representations were inversed, will therefore be hard to answer.

3.3.5. Other paintings in the khurus There is very clear evidence for more paintings on the walls in the khurus: several fragments of paintings representing saints have been discovered during the 1995 season. On the half-column opposite the painting of the Virgin the lower part and the face of a male saint with Grey hair have been discovered (windows 18 and 19). On the wall over the entrance to the southern haikal window 53 shows the head of a horse, possibly part of a painting of a mounted saint. On the SOUTHERN wall of the khurus a fragment of drapery is visible (window 54). In the northern khurus several fragments of the decorative lower zone and figures painted over it have been uncovered (windows 7-16). All these fragments seem to belong to layer 2. The presence of layer l. underneath can be noticed in a small number of windows.

3.3.6. Other paintings in the nave The presence of several other representations of saints under the 18th century plaster in the nave has been shown during the campaign of 1995. In some parts paintings from several periods are superimposed. Especially the separation-wall between the nave and the khurus presents us with a complicated situation. At a certain moment and for unclear reasons, walls of approx. 3 meters high have been constructed between the engaged half-columns on the western face of this wall. Between the two walls there is a hollow space, which was filled with rublle and plaster chipped- off during the final replastering in the 18th century. Some of these fragments of painted plaster were mixed with dried clots of 18th century plaster. This shows that loose plaster was removed before replastering and that after finishing the work the floor was cleared of debris, which was collected and dumped in the cavity. Fragments of painting belonging to layer 4. have been found on this additional wall, while remains of older layers can still be distinguished in the space behind this later wall and on the higher parts of the original wall.

Painting on layer 1

The wall immediately left of the entrance to the khurus looks like a palimpsest after removal of the 18th century plaster: its appearance at first sight is far from attractive, but it shows most clearly the superimposed layers of plaster. Through a damage in layer 2. the presence of a first layer of simple painting in yellow and red ocre is visible here. Nothing can be said so far about the style or character of this layer, since the visible fragment is too small.

Painting on layer 2

The same wall shows two fragments of paintings of layer 2.: a piece of a green background with a red and black framing and, below, a figure of a saint. The first painting is only partially visible, because it is covered by the plastering of layer 3., carrying a Syriac inscription. The lower painting is only for a small part covered by this replastering and shows the upper part of a saint’s figure. The Greek text left of his head reads: ABBA youssef and on the right there are the remains of a word: IIP[.]4[...] that could be read as ’profitis’. In that case the painting would represent he Old Testament patriarch Joseph. His halo, partially overplastered

by layer 3., was rather crudely restored with red paint, showing that layer 3. was indeed only meant as a partial overplastering.

Behind the later constructed wall left of the entrance to the khurus (looking down from up) the head of a monk can be seen. Next to it the Greek inscription CYMEQN CIYA[lTIC] can be read (window 20). Higher up on the same wall, next to the arch of the doorway into the khurus, a more than life-size representation of a standing (?) angel was painted, of which parts of the dress and the face have been uncovered (windows 21-23).

At the other side of the arch, the lower part of a figure wearing red shoes is visible just above the later constructed wall (window 24). This might be a counterpart of the angel at the left side. Below, painted on the face of the engaged half-column to the right, inside the space between the two walls there is a head of a monk with the inscription ABA IIA[...] next to it. But since there are several hermit’s and monk’s names starting with these letters, identification seems difficult for the moment.

One of the questions at the beginning of the work in Deir al-Sourian was whether a context of the painting of the Annunciation in the western half-dome could be found. At this stage it seems still too early still too early to answer this question. Nevertheless a few observations could be made concerning the decoration of the church between the 7th and the 13th century, probably the period when layer 2. was visible. All fragments uncovered so far, belonging to the second layer, show a difference in style. Nevertheless the several masters that must have been working have made an effort to use similar pigments and iconographical conventions. All paintings are framed with a red and black border, colours are mostly bright and all the halos have a similar structure: yellow, surrounded by a thin and a thick black line, the latter decorated with a line of white dots. All these characteristics can also be found in the Annunciation. Only in the painting of the Virgin in the khurus the white dots around the halo have been omitted. The first paintings must have done in the vicinity of the altar and probaly the Virgin is one of these first ones. After the decorative lower zone was painted (8th/9th cent.?), several paintings higher on the wall must have been added. Thus it seems that at least a part of the paintings in the church were not part of a planned iconographical program, but the result of a gradual process of additions. Whether the Annunciation was part of a cycle, as has been suggested, can neither be confirmed nor contradicted yet”.

Painting on layer 4

On several walls and columns in the nave the existence of 13th century paintings behind the 18th cent. plaster is evident. The pair of westernmost columns, now partially incorporated into masonry piers, have paintings of monk-saints (windows 26, 42, 43). Two of these (26, 42) paintings show monks in a blueish-Grey costume with a curious detail on their dress: on their breast and belly (or maybe we should say in front of them) there are clipei with portraits. There must have been 7 such roundels in each painting, but in each painting two are hidden behind a later pier, supporting the vault. The upper three clipei have Christ in the middle and an angel on each side. The other four roundels below contain faces of saints not yet identified. The walls constructed later in front of the eastern wall of the nave should also carry paintings from the same time. The northern and southern wall of the nave must have been painted too, jugding from the fragment that was found on top of the earlier painting of the Three Patriarchs, but so far there is little evidence of how much still survives behind the later plaster.

” K.C. Innemee, ’Deir al-Sourian – The Annunciation as part of a cycle?’ in  43 (1995), 129-132.

 

 

RECENT DISCOVERIES OF WALL-PAINTINGS IN DEIR AL-SOURIAN

Karel C. Innemée, Leiden

1. introduction

One of the oldest centres of monastic settlements in Egypt is the Sketis, now known as Wadi al-Natrun. This region of salt-lakes is situated west of the Nile-delta, half-way Cairo and Alexandria. Of the many monastic settlements in this area four monasteries have survived and are still inhabited: Deir (“Monastery”) Abu Maqar, Deir Anba Bishoi, Deir al-Surian en Deir al-Baramus. The origin of these monasteries lies in the period between the 4th and the 6th century and they have known an almost uninterrupted habitation. Their architecture and collections of icons and manuscripts reflect the traditions of fifteen centuries of Christian history of Egypt.

Deir al-Surian, or “The Monastery of the Syrians”, occupies a special position among the Coptic monasteries. Built by monks from the neighbouring Deir Anba Bishoi in the sixth century, it passed into the hands of Syrian monks, probably during the eighth or ninth century. Syrians have been visiting Wadi al-Natrun as pilgrims, merchants or as refugees in times of trouble. From the ninth century onward the monastery was inhabited by mainly Syrian monks, although contacts with neighbouring monasteries and the local population were maintained. During the ninth and tenth centuries an exceptionally rich library of Syriac (and later also of Arabic) manuscripts was collected in the monastery. Many specimina of this library can now be found in libraries in London, Rome, St.-Petersburg and Paris. In the course of the sixteenth and seventeenth century the Syrian population of the monastery gradually died out and Coptic monks took possession of the monastery once again. The more than 100 monks that inhabit the monastery nowadays are all Egyptians, but the Syrian history of the monastery lives on in its name and its treasures of art.

The oldest church of the monastery is dedicated to the Holy Virgin ( Al-'Adrâ). Its original construction dates back to the middle of the 7th century.

In 1991, after a fire that destroyed most of a a painting in the western half-dome of the church, an older layer of painting was uncovered of which the existence was expected already by Jules Leroy . Only after the removal and conservation of the heavily damaged layer of painting by a French-Netherlands team, headed by prof. Paul van Moorsel, it was shown that the the underlying painting represented the Annunciation, executed in a style and technique so far unknown in christian art in Egypt. So far there is no certainty concerning the dating of this painting, the identity or origin of the painter . Between 1991 and 1994 in several other parts of the church plaster fell off or was removed, showing traces of older painting. The questions surrounding the Annunciation-painting and the need to preserve the fragments found later were the main reasons to undertake a summary campaign in September 1995. It had a two-fold purpose: preserving the (fragments of) paintings uncovered before and investigating the possible existence of more paintings under later layers of plaster. More than 50 testpatches ('windows') were opened and revealed the presence of at least three painted layers of plaster on almost all walls of the building. A second mission was undertaken in September 1996 with the purpose of further uncovering and consolidating of a number of paintings and inscriptions discovered in the previous season. But also the architectural context of the paintings was subject of investigation. In 1996 Dr. Peter Grossmann of the German Archaeological Institute in Cairo (DAI) was able to draw a number of conclusions concerning the original shape of the church after the removal of plaster in certain parts of the walls.

In November 1997 work was continued and in January 1998 a fourth campaign was undertaken.

This report presents some of the most important paintings uncovered and conserved during these campaigns

2. Stratigraphy of the layers of plaster

In the present state of the research the following layers of plaster and painting can be distinguished:

1. The first layer of plaster, most probably applied shortly after the building was finished (i.e.

approx. 645 A.D.). It consists of a coarse, yellow layer of mortar, covered with a white limewash. The first traces of decoration on this layer consist of (probably decorative) patterns in yellow and red ocre.

2. Before applying a more sophisticated layer of painting, the paintings in ocre were in some places whitewashed with a layer of light grey limewash. This can be seen most clearly on the separation-wall between the nave and the khurus, left of the door between both spaces. Where no previous painting was present, this second layer of painting was applied directly on the first plaster. The paintings belonging to this layer have most probaly not been executed in the same period, but over a span of several centuries, between the 7th and the 12th. Apart from paintings this layer contains several inscriptions, both in Coptic and Syriac.

3. At least in one place, again left of the doorway leading into the khurus, this layer was partially plastered over with a grey plaster, in order to add an inscription. This Syriac inscription was dated to the 12th century (1155/6 A.D.?).

4. Most of the inner surface of the church was plastered over at a certain moment with a white lime-sand plaster. This layer carries paintings which have been dated to the 13th century on the basis of their style. The paintings in the half-domes belong to this layer, but also in several other places paintings or remains of paintings in the same style have been found. It seems that both plastering and painting were done in the 13th century by one artist or one group of artists in order to redecorate the church with one coherent decoration.

5. In 1498 A.M., i.e. 1781/2 A.D the interior of the church was replastered with a pinkish-grey plaster. By then several of the paintings on the columns were completely or partially covered by the masonry piers that had been constructed (in the 14th or 15th century?) to support the barrel-vault over the nave. Before this replastering loose plaster from previous centuries was removed from the walls. Much of this debris was dumped in the space between the seperation wall between nave and khurus and a wall built in front of it later.

3. Wall-paintings uncovered

3.1. Decorative lower zone

In 1995 investigations were started on the northern wall of the khurus, where in recent times fragments of painting became visible after loose plaster had dropped off. Further removal of plaster brought to light part of a decoration, consisting of a painted imitation of columns, carrying and architrave. This lower zone reaches up to a height of approx. 2 meters. Window 7, on the north wall of the khurus, revealed the lower part of a standing figure, probably that of a saint, on top of this architrave. This decorative lower zone must have been present on all the walls of the church, running along the walls of the nave and the khurus. This could be deduced from that fact that in all cases where a window was opened at ca. 2 m from the floor, remains of the painted architrave were found. This lower zone has served as a basic decoration of the interior of the church and in the following centuries paintings and inscriptions were added on the higher parts of the wall. One of these inscriptions, a Syriac text on the southern wall of the nave (window 30, text I) is dated three hundred and twenty (...) A.H., i.e. 932/940 A.D. This gives us a terminus ante quem for the decorative lower zone. Given the fact that the dated Syriac text is written over an older and faded inscription, the decorative painting might date back to the 9th or even the 8th century.

3.2. The Three Patriarchs (ill. 1)

In 1995 one of the windows on the same wall of the church revealed the face of an old man with a grey beard (window 59). In 1996 this window was enlarged in order to uncover the complete painting, measuring approx. 2 x 2 meters. The composition shows the three Old Testament patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, enthroned in paradise with the souls of the blessed, represented as small naked figures, on their laps. They are dressed in brown and reddish brown tunics and pallia. Only the middle one wears a white pallium. All three have almost identical, severe faces and long, white hair. A peculiar detail is that the three arch-fathers are feeding the blessed fruits. In the background there are four trees from which similar naked figures are picking fruits. The tree in the upper left corner is still covered by plaster and painting supposed to be from the 13th century. There are no inscriptions in the painting mentioning the names or the subject, which suggests that the representation must have been easily recognizable to the viewers. This is hardly suprising, since the daily evening prayer in the Coptic Church contains a prayer for the dead, saying "Graciously, O Lord, repose all their souls in the bosom of our holy fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob" The theme of the three patriarchs enthroned in paradise occurs in iconography only since the 9th/10th century and this is the first example in Coptic wall-painting known so far. An exact dating for the painting is hard to give, but since it is partially covered by a painting supposed to be from the 13th century and considering its style it might be dated to the 11th century.

3.3. The Virgin Galaktotrophousa

In the khurus (the part of a Coptic church that corresponds roughly to the transept in western architecture) of the church a thick layer of 18th century plaster was removed from two half-columns engaged to the pier on the right side of the entrance into the haikal (sanctuary). In 1995 a window (nr. 57) was opened in a layer of plaster, heavily damaged by nails driven into one of the half-columns. Further removal of the plaster in 1996 revealed a representation of the Virgin, breast-feeding Christ. The position of this painting is remarkable, since normally speaking a painting or icon of Christ would be expected in this position, with the Virgin and child at the left side of the entrance to the haikal. The Virgin is seated on a delicately decorated throne with a red cushion. She wears a blue tunic with red potamoi and a blueish green maphorion over it. The maphorion is decorated with crosses. Her eyes are looking straight ahead. Her head is surrounded by a yellow halo, against the background of a red half-circle, probably meant to represent the upper part of the back-rest of the throne. With her right hand, in which she holds a mappa, she supports the infant Christ, while her left hand supports her breast, depicted unnaturally small. Left of her head there is the Greek text ا ءأIء, written as a monogram; the name which doubtlessly must have been written at the other side of her head, has been lost.The background of the painting is dark blue and it is surrounded by a black and an orange-red line. A number of characteristics of this painting indicate an early date: it has been painted by a skilled master, who worked in a technique which at least for the part of the face is very close to the style of painting in the Fayyoum-portraits. The texture of the paint is similar and although no analysis of the paint has been done, it would not be surprising if the technique used for the face of the Virgin would turn out to be encaustic. The iconographical detail of the infant Christ sitting on the right knee of His mother occurs in early paintings and becomes more and more rare in later times. The same is the case for the epigraphy: ا is the earliest inscription in representations of the Virgin, later to be replaced by  the abbreviation for 'Mother of God'. In these respects the painting is comparable to a painting from room 30 in Bawit, where the same composition with the same epigraphy can be seen These factors, combined with the fact that a painting of the Virgin would be one of the first subjects to be represented in a church dedicated to her, make it likely to assume that this mural painting belongs to the second half of the 7th century.

3.4. Unidentified military saint (ill. 2)

On the other half-column, engaged to the same pier, a painting of a standing military saint was uncovered. Complete uncovering was impossible, since the left part of the painting was covered by the right door-jamb of the haikal-doors, constructed in 913/4 A.D. It shows a standing, beardless young man, dressed in a blue tunic, covered by a shorter, reddish-brown tunic. He wears a girdle from which a sword hangs in a red sheath. He holds its hilt with his left hand, while his left hand holds a staff. He has dark, half-long hair and his eyes look straight ahead. The head is surrounded by yellow halo, framed by a black line with white dots on it. At the right side of the head the last letters of a Greek inscription ending in .. are visible. If this is the last part of the name of the saint, it could be Sergios, Dimitrios or Georgios, all three known to be depicted as young, beardless men. Considering the space available for the inscription, it must have been a short name, which makes Sergios one of the most probable identifications. In early iconography milutary saints are often depicted standing, instead of mounted on horesback. Although the state of preservation of the face is worse than that of the Virgin, it is rather clear that the style of painting is different. Also the way of rendering the folds in the dress shows a different style. It might therefore be the work of another master, but similarities in the technique of painting make a dating in the second half of the 7th century, but maybe slightly later than the painting of Virgin, acceptable.

The same half-column carries decorative paintings below and above the painting of the unknown saint. Below, a red cross has been painted, surrounded by horseshoe-shaped wreath of green leaves. The capital of the half-column is conical in shape and it is decorated with a similar motive: a cross in two shades of red, surrounded by green branches.

It would have been interesting to know what themes were represented on the counterpart of this pier, the one on the left side of the entrance to the haikal, but no traces of paintings have been found here. As remarked already, it was and still is usual in Eastern Churches to find the Virgin enthroned left of the haikal and the painting or icon of Christ at the right. The question whether Christ was depicted on the left in the case of this church and if so, for what reason the two representations were inversed, will therefore be hard to answer.

3.5. Paintings on the upper walls of the khurus

On the eastern wall, just under the dome, traces of paintings were found, belonging to layer 2 (window 66). In the lower part of the dome apart of a Coptic inscription on layer 2 was found, probably running all around the inside of the dome (window 67). Of the text only the four letters were uncovered, too little to translate. Later, in January, the continuation of the same text was found in the southern part of the dome. This text reads:

 

..this is in truth that what the Lord has...

The remaining part of this text is expected to be found in one of the following seasons.

Over this text remains of paintings were found, suggesting that the inside of the dome was painted and may be still containing paintings.

Below this text, on the southern wall of the khurus, a number of paintings were found that can be called very important for Coptic painting (ill. 3, 4).

The wall has three windows, the right one having been walled up. Between the left and the middle window in the upper zone there is a beardless man seated on a two-wheeled chariot, holding a tablet in his hand with a Coptic inscription. In a T-shape, above, right of his head there is a Coptic inscription(sj) NKANTAKH (the black man of the Kandake). This is an illustration of the New Testament book of Acts 8:27, where the conversion of the chamberlain of the Ethiopian queen by the deacon Philip is described. Of the figure of Philip nothing but his raised hand in gesture of speach is preserved. The second scene of this story was depicted on the same level between the middle and the right window. A Coptic inscription reads:(the eunuch). Although heavily damaged, the scene is clearly recognizable as the baptism of the eunuch, probably taking place under a sort of red canopy. A part of his bare shoulder and the hand of Philip over his head have been preserved and in the lower part of the scene two feet between wavy lines, representing water, are visible.

In the lower part between the left and middle window there is a scene which was at first puzzling: a standing man with grey hair seems to adress five figures with dog-heads. The scene can be identified as St. Andrew preaching in the land of the dog-headed (kynokephaloi) cannibals. This aprocryphal story is related in the Acta Andreae et Matthiae apud anthropofagos.

Between the middle and the right (walled-up) window a second baptism scene was found. The same man as in the scene of the dog-heads (St. Andrew) is shown, baptising two people. This scene is probably intended to show the continuation of the missionary work of Andrew among the pagans.

These scenes show themes that are rare in christian iconography. So far there is no evidence for the reason why they were represented here, but since the subject of both is conversion and baptism of foreign people, there might have been a context connected with Pentecost. It is not to be excluded that the dome over the khurus contained such a representation. During following seasons attention will be focused on the remains of paintings in the dome and the walls just below the dome.

Right of the right window and left of the left window, in the corners of the khurus, the remains of in total four crosses were found. These crosses, all different in shape, have been painted in mainly red and green and are surrounded by a frame of red with a row of white dots on a black line in it.

3.6. Other paintings in the khurus

There is very clear evidence for more paintings on the walls in the khurus: several fragments of paintings representing saints have been discovered during the 1995 season. On the half-column opposite the painting of the Virgin the lower part and the face of a male saint with grey hair have been discovered (windows 18 and 19). On the wall over the entrance to the southern haikal window 53 shows the head of a horse, possibly part of a painting of a mounted saint. On the southern wall of the khurus a fragment of drapery is visible (window 54). In the northern khurus several fragments of the decorative lower zone and figures painted over it have been uncovered (windows 7-16). All these fragments seem to belong to layer 2. The presence of layer 1. underneath can be noticed in a small number of windows.

3.7. St. Dioscorus

On the easternmost column in the northern nave two windows were opened in 1995 (nrs 42, 43). These revealed two standing figures with monk's caps. Next to the head of one remains of an inscription were visible. This season both paintings were entirely uncovered. Both paintings are on layer 4 and are similar in style to other paintings in the church, dated to the 13th century. The inscription next to the head of one of the two became clear and readable: 6 Letters in Greek :(ؤI)دCت(O)ردC and an inscription in Syriac: Dioscorus the patriarch. He is depicted in the costume of a monk with the rank of a priest. No episcopal vestments can be recognized. He wears a phelonion covered with medallions, nine originally, of which 6 are still visible. Under the phelonion a red sticharion with an epitrachelion are visible. The epitrachelion is decorated with a rectangular field covered with circles with dots inside. The lower part of the painting is missing; here the 18th century plaster is directly applied on the brick of the column.

The counterpart of this painting is to be found athe opposite side of the nave, where a similar head is visible. This might be St. Severos, who is often depicted as a counterpart of Dioscorus. On the northern face of the column the second figure turned out to be in a lesser state of preservation. Apart from the vague contours of a standing figure in the dress of a monk, nothing could be distinguished.

3.8. The palimpsest wall (ill. 5)

In the eastern part of the northern wall of the nave, where indows 39 and 40 were opened in 1995, these windwos were enlarged and a large surface, covered with inscriptions, was revealed. On either sides of this surface a walled-up window was discovered under the plaster of layer 4, suggesting hat these windows were closed in the 13th century or earlier. The inscriptions , most of them in Syriac and Coptic, were mainly found on layer 2, but several local overplasterings can be distinguished, indicting that for a long time inscriptions were added on this wall. On later overplasterings also Arabic inscriptions can be found. A full translation of the texts is not yet available. One fragment is a part from the Coptic liturgy, other inscriptions seem to be made by visitors as graffiti. The reason that especially this wall of the church was popular among visitors for leaving inscriptions seems to be the presence of the relic-shrine in the N-E corner of the nave. The present maqsura (shrine) cannot be much older than the 18th century, but the niche in which it stand has the same dimensions as the 11th cent. relic shrine, made in the time of abbot Moses of Nisibis, now kept in the store of the monastery. This can be taken as an indiation that from an early moment this corner of the church was the place where the relics were kept and venerated by visitors.

3.9. Various test patches

In the khurus a number of test patches were made to investigate the presence of paintings. On the western and northen walls no evidence for paintings underneath could be found. At the inside of the arch between the nave and the khurus no painting was found; on the western face of the same arch fragements of floral decoration were found.

A test patch on the southern wall of the nave, opened in spring '97 (window 73), showing a fragment of a painting on layer 4, was cleaned an showed a part of a horse's head and a hand holding a cross.

3.10. Paintings in the haikal (sanctuary)

Under the squinches in the N-E and N-W corners of the sanctuary remains of paintings were found on the wooden beams. The clearly represent winged creatures, possibly Cherubim or apocalyptic creatures (tetramorphs), much similar to the tetramorph in the haikal of Benjamin in Deir Abu Maqar. Although these paintings were never covered by plaster, they were not noticed until now.

Captions:

ill. 1 The Three Old Testament Patriarchs, represented in paradise with the souls of the blest on their knees, ca, 1000 A.D.

ill. 2 Unidentified military saint (St. Sergios?), beginning 8th cent.?

ill. 3 The conversion of the eunuch of the Candace, 10th-11th cent. ?

ill. 4 St Andrew preaching to dog-headed people, 10th-11th cent.?

ill. 5 Palimpsest-wall with Syriac and Coptic inscriptions