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Richard Falco
www.falcophotography.com
For 1,500 years, the Coptic Orthodox monks of Wadi el Natrun have lived in the isolation of the desert. The first religious houses in Wadi el Natrun were established by St. Macarius around 330 AD. They are inhabited by approximately 400 monks who faithfully follow the rules of monastic life established by the early desert fathers. The isolation of the past is changing between the Coptic Church and the secular world. Today, hundreds of pilgrims and tourists visit the monasteries daily and the escalating Islamic extremism in Egypt has forced the Copts, to live and act with discretion and concern. |
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