Church of Saint Reweis, Cairo
The Church of Saint Reweis, or Anba Ruways, stands in Cairo’s Abbassiyyah district and contains the saint’s burial place, associated with the former monastery of Dayr al-Khandaq.[^1]
Also known as: Church of Anba Ruways
Location and historical setting
The Church of Saint Reweis, called the Church of Anba Ruways, is a small church in the Abbassiyyah district of Cairo, on the grounds of the monastery formerly known as Dayr al-Khandaq.1 Dayr al-Khandaq was founded around 970 on land north of Cairo and included a cemetery; this date refers to the monastery rather than explicitly to the surviving church.2
Dedication and burials
The sources give different accounts of the church’s earlier dedication: the entry on Anba Ruways identifies it as formerly the Church of Saint Mercurius (Abu Sayfayn), while the entry on Dayr al-Khandaq cites al-Maqrizi’s statement that the Church of Mar Jirjis became the Church of Anba Ruways.13
The Anba Ruways entry records that the saint was buried with four patriarchs in the church’s crypt.1 The Dayr al-Khandaq entry states that his tomb survives and identifies the patriarchal burials as Matthew I and his three successors.3 Separately, the entry on Gabriel VI records that he died on 15 December 1475 and was buried in this church, describing him, on the authority of O. Meinardus, as one of four patriarchs buried there.4
Later history and surrounding buildings
An Arabic manuscript written for Anba Ruways in 1740 is cited as evidence that the religious establishment still existed at that time.5
A cemetery subsequently developed around the church but was later transferred to the Red Mountain (al-Jabal al-Ahmar) region, leaving the small church behind.6 The surrounding land reverted to the patriarchate and became the site of buildings housing the Institute of Coptic Studies and its library, episcopal and patriarchal offices, the Clerical College, the patriarchal residence, and the new Cathedral of Saint Mark.6
References
Sources
- 1.The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 1 — Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 330)
Anba Ruways was buried with four patriarchs in the crypt of the small church now named after him, but previously known as the Church of Saint Mercurius (Abu Sayfayn) in the ground of Anba Ruways Monastery, at one time known as DAYR-AL-KHANDAQ, in the Abbassiyyah district of Cairo.
- 2.The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 3 — Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 359)
This monastery was founded around 970 on a large tract of land to the north of Cairo. It also included a cemetery and replaced another monastery-cemetery situated on what is now the site of al-Aqmar Mosque, which dates from the Fatimid period.
- 3.The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 3 — Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 359)
Al-MAQRIZI (1853, p. 511) wrote that the Church of Mar Jirjis was transformed into the church of Anba Ruways, a church that still exists. The tomb of the saint, who died in 1404, survives (Graf, 1947, Vol. 2, p. 475; Troupeau, 1972, Vol. 1, pp. 252-53). The patriarch MATTHEW I and his three successors were buried in the Church of Anba Ruways (Meinardus, 1965, p. 216; 1977, p. 309).
- 4.The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 4 — Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 316)
He died on 15 December 1475 and was buried at DAYR AL-KHANDAQ, in the Church of ANBA RUWAYS in Cairo. According to O. Meinardus (1965), he was one of four patriarchs buried in that church (cf. Kamil, 1943, 1954).
- 5.The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 3 — Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 359)
Two Arabic manuscripts were written for Dayr al-Malak al-Bahari in 1660 and for Anba Ruways in 1740 (Simaykah and Yassa ‘Abd al-Masih, 1942, Vol. 2, 1, nos. 787 and 1072), showing that the dayr still existed at that time.
- 6.The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 1 — Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 330)
In recent history a cemetery arose around the Church of Anba Ruways. But this cemetery was later transferred to the Red Mountain (al-Jabal al-Ahmar) region north of Cairo, and all that was left behind was the small Church of Anba Ruways. However, on that vast terrain that automatically reverted to the patriarchate, a number of stately buildings arose, including the Anba Ruways building that accommodates the INSTITUTE OF COPTIC STUDIES and its library, as well as some episcopal and patriarchal offices. The same grounds also contain the CLERICAL COLLEGE, the patriarchal residence, and the new ma
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This article was drafted from the sources listed above with AI assistance and reviewed by an editor before publication.