Deir el-Garnus

Deir al-Garnus
دير الجرنوس
Church of the Holy Virgin in Deir al-Garnus
Church of the Holy Virgin in Deir al-Garnus
Deir al-Garnus is located in Egypt
Deir al-Garnus
Deir al-Garnus
Location in Egypt
Coordinates: 28°36′36″N 30°42′24″E / 28.61000°N 30.70667°E / 28.61000; 30.70667
Country Egypt
GovernorateMinya
Time zoneUTC+2 (EST)

Deir el-Garnus (Arabic: دير الجرنوس) is a village in Upper Egypt near Maghagha. It is located in Minya Governorate on the shore of Bahr Yussef and has a predominantly Coptic Christian population of 6 504 people.[1][2]

Etymology

Deir means "monastery" and el-Garnus comes from an older name of the village Arganus (Arabic: أرجنوس), which probably comes from Ancient Greek: ὄργανος, lit. 'water-machine, saqiyyah'[3] and refers to the ancient Nilometer in the village. In some texts the monastery is called Pei-Isous (Coptic: ⲡⲏⲓ ⲓⲥⲟⲩⲥ), Beyt Isus or Deir Bisus (Arabic: دير بيسوس), all meaning "house of Jesus".[1]

History

The modern village developed from a monastery visited by the Holy Family during their Flight into Egypt on their way to Hermopolis. The legend says that Jesus dug a well with water that cured every disease. It was also believed to foretell the height of the annual Nile's inundation. The church of the Holy Virgin was built on a site of this well in the 6th century (now ruined, the modern church was built around 1870, but the remains of the old church are still present),[4] and the festival was held on the 25th of Pashons to predict the Nile's flooding. Another festival attended by thousands of pilgrims is celebrated on 15th and 16th of Mesori.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b "Dayr Al-Jarnus". Claremont Coptic Encyclopedia. 1991.
  2. ^ "الجهاز المركزى للاحصاء". 2011-01-22. Archived from the original on 2011-01-22. Retrieved 2022-10-31.
  3. ^ "Words". www.trismegistos.org. Retrieved 2022-10-31.
  4. ^ "دير الجرنوس / إيسوس بالمنيا". www.coptichistory.org. Retrieved 2022-10-31.
  5. ^ Meinardus, Otto. "The Holy Family in Egypt".