Sohag!

The train ride to Sohag went just fine -- Manu and I ended up sitting across from an interesting couple from South Africa who, since retiring, have pretty much been traveling nonstop. Our car attendant agreed to wake us up when we got to the Sohag stop (in exchange for baksheesh, of course) and we dozed on and off throughout the night. We were periodically interrupted by a bunch of loud, obviously American kids playing drinking games in the next room down. After a particularly loud outburst, the South African guy cocked his head at me and said, "Your countrymen, I presume?" At least right now most people seem happy to meet Americans because they like Obama! (And they think we have money.)

Anyway, around 6:00 AM Manu and I arrived in Sohag and scrambled out of the train station to find our driver. I don't think there are that many tourists in Sohag, but there were still cab drivers, dozens of them, fighting to win our business from the moment we stepped off the train. We ignored them and went to a cafe right across from the station to get drinks and call our driver, Zareef. He doesn't speak English, which made it a little difficult to let him know where we were, but one of the guys at the cafe talked to him on my phone. Problem solved! In case you were wondering, by the way, cafes are in fact open at 6 AM in Egypt, and they are frequently filled with guys watching TV and playing backgammon or dominos. Within minutes, Zareef had found us and we were on our way! Sohag's streets are filled with fruit stands, donkeys, and chickens. There are almost no signs in English there, an indicator of how few foreigners come through. After a surprisingly short drive, we were there. THERE!!


It looks like a fortress because monasteries were periodically attacked and needed protection. Manu and I wandered around for a while, waiting for our guide, Inspector Gabr, who turned out to be one of the nicest people alive. There was a service going on when we arrived, so I listened to monks singing "Kyrie eleison" while I explored. The White Monastery church is a fascinating mix of old and new. The floor has been neatly repaved, but in older photos that is not the case. If you look at the walls you can see a hodgepodge of different building materials, from haphazard bricks to blocks from pharaonic temples. The columns are also obviously made of reused material, because all of their bases look different. If you look carefully, you can see bits of intricate carvings around niches in the stone.


Manu and I stepped into the church briefly during the service, but waited to take photos until after everyone was done. This church is famous for its triple apse, three painted domes that are gorgeous to look at (although, unfortunately, one of them is currently covered with plaster as part of a conservation effort). Here is a rockin' painting of Christ Pantokrator.


I also managed to stock up on Shenoute kitsch, a rare opportunity because most people prefer boring saints like George or Antony or Paul. I ended up with a keychain, a pen (lucky for exams I hope!) and a very classy framed image of Shenoute for my wall. I think I can die happy now.

When Inspector Gabr arrived, things got even better. He gave us a personal tour of the church, and even led us over to the area behind it where excavation is taking place. I got to see an ancient well, as well as some ovens and rooms where the monks did work such as dyeing fabric. We also walked around the building to see some of the reused pharaonic blocks on the outer walls. I thought this one was particularly cute:


After our tour, a monk at the White Monastery, Father Fam, invited us for tea and told us about his life as a monk. He was a lawyer before giving himself over to the religious life. At the Red Monastery, we met a monk who used to be a doctor!

Our next stop was, in fact, the Red Monastery, which was a very short drive away from the White. They were both part of the same monastic federation, and the Red Monastery is very closely associated with Pgol, Shenoute's uncle and the man who is said to have clothed Shenoute in the monastic habit.


The Red Monastery's most famous sight is its gloriously painted church, which is currently being restored by a team of scholars. It was amazing to see Coptic paintings, in situ, in all their glory. The niches on display in the Coptic Museum in Cairo are phenomenal, but I enjoyed admiring Coptic art in its proper place.


If you can't guess who that guy in the middle is supposed to be, I will be very surprised! Inspector Gabr showed us the archaeological work taking place behind this monastery, as well. There were wells and industrial areas very much like those at the WM. It's great to get a peek at where monks lived and worked, as well as where they worshipped.

After our monastery adventures, we were taken back to the White Monastery to freshen up. Father Fam insisted that we rest for a while, and even brought us lunch! It was pretty cool to experience real-life monastic hospitality.

Zareef drove us back to the Sohag train station and we were told that the 2:00 train to Luxor was totally booked and that, if we were determined to get on it, we would have to buy tickets on the train and would possibly have to stand. Manu and I decided to go for it. One of the most difficult aspects of being in Sohag was that the tourist police were on our backs the entire time, and while they directed questions in Arabic to Inspector Gabr, I got the feeling they were extremely uncomfortable about us being there. I do not know what would have happened without his help. The train station was also difficult -- we were alone with Zareef, who couldn't really tell us what was happening, and had to piece together the full story with the help of a man who spoke a smattering of English and French. Fortunately, Zareef is a wonderful person and the tourist police wanted to get rid of us, so Manu and I were eventually led to the correct train and deposited on it. They put me in a seat that turned out to belong to someone else, but a kind woman had a seat next to her and let me sit down. Luckily, before long the train was clear enough that I would have been able to sit regardless. The ride to Luxor took about four hours and I spent most of the time staring out the window at the lovely fields on either side of the Nile (the main north-south rail line in Egypt roughly follows the river). Little boys were riding donkeys, men were tending to their crops, and there were bright green palm trees everywhere. And finally, we got to Luxor.

I am so happy that I finally got to see the White and Red Monasteries. Without them, I would never be able to feel my trip was complete. And I definitely got to visit under the best conditions imaginable -- wonderful driver, wonderful guide.