St Bishoi came to the desert in AD 340 and founded two monasteries in Wadi Natrun: this one and neighbouring Deir El Sourian. The fortified keep is entered via a drawbridge. Just past the entry is a small reception office. The friendly monk here will organise a tour for you taking in the refectory, the fortress (where monks used to shelter from attack) and the church where St Bishoi's body is kept; it is said to be perfectly preserved in its tube-like container.
Each year on 15 July, the tube is carried in procession around the church. According to the monks, the bearers clearly feel the weight of a whole body. On our last visit, the monks were busy making repairs to the older mudbrick structures because of damage caused by recent rains. The damage had also revealed fragments of frescoes, long buried under layers of plaster, in the chapel. It's hoped in the future, that restoration works will reveal the extent of these long-forgotten frescoes. From the roof of the fortress (usually kept locked but your monk guide will unlock it for you) you can get excellent views over the monastery compound with its internal palm shaded gardens.
Adjacent to the complex is an enormous new cathedral. Outside the keep in a separate building is a shop selling monastery products: olive oil, honey, candles and, oddly, cleaning supplies.
