St. Simeon Monastery Tour in Aswan

3 hours Free cancellation Private tour

St. Simeon Monastery Tour in Aswan, photo 2 — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

About this activity

Ride a camel to St. Simeon’s Monastery on a private, 3.5-hour tour on Aswan's Elephantine Island. Glimpse faint traces of fresco paintings as you explore the 7th-century site, and take in stark views from the fortified walls. Learn the story of the monks that used Elephantine Island as a basecamp for missionary trips into Nubia, and find graffiti left by Islamic pilgrims during their long journeys to Mecca.

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At a glance

Duration: 3 hours
Confirmation: Instant confirmation
Ticket: Mobile or paper ticket accepted
Group: Your group only
People per booking: 1–15
Guide: English, French, Spanish
Operated by: Show You Egypt

Ages: Adults (12–80 years)

What is included

Included

Included: camel to the Monastery
Included: Motor boat to cross the Nile
Included: entry/Admission - Monastery of St. Simeon
Included: Hotel/port pickup and drop-off

Not included

Not included: Food and drinks
Not included: Gratuities

Itinerary

Monastery of St. Simeon

Passing by

The monastery was given the name St Simeon by archaeologists and travelers, but earlier Arabic and Coptic sources called it Anba Hatre (Hidra, Hadri, Hadra), after an anchorite who was consecrated a bishop of Syene (now Aswan) by Patriarch Theophilus (385-412 AD). Anba Hatre married at the age of eighteen. Tradition says that just after the wedding, he encountered a funeral procession which inspired him to preserve his chastity and later become a disciple of Saint Baiman. After eight years of ascetic practices under the supervision of his teacher, he retired to the desert and applied himself to the study of the life of Saint Antony. He died during the time of Theodosius I.