The Byzantine era Red Monastery Church near Sohag in Upper Egypt was constructed in the 4th century. Though the outer walls were rebuilt sometime between the 10th century and 1301, the church is surprisingly well preserved. It is the oldest part of a small monastic complex adjacent to the village of Naga Ed Deir.
The photographs in this exhibition were taken by renowned photographer Arnaldo Vescovo during an ARCE/USAID restoration that took more than a decade. They depict the colorful interior and wall paintings of the church, astonishingly well preserved by the hot, arid climate of the region, and brought vividly back to life by the restoration. In addition you will find an excerpt from Dr. Bolman's introduction to the book The Red Monastery Church: Beauty and Asceticism in Upper Egypt. The excerpt describes the church in some detail, and provides an account of its history and of the restoration.