White Monastery of St. Shenouda
The great White Monastery west of Sohag, named for its limestone and inseparably linked with St. Shenouda the Archimandrite.
- Location
- Mount Adriba, west of Sohag, Egypt
- Jurisdiction
- Coptic Orthodox Church
- Founded
- c. 441
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-27
History
The official profile dates the limestone monastery church to the second half of the fifth century, around 441, and recounts later damage from an earthquake and conflict.
The story of this place
Why it is called white
The monastery takes its familiar name from the white limestone used in the surviving monumental church.
Shenouda's wider ministry
The Church account remembers St. Shenouda as a monastic lawgiver, Coptic author, preacher, defender of the oppressed, and provider for people displaced by violence and famine.
Map-pin precision
Reviewed site pointCoordinate source: Wikidata Q202661 (monastery property coordinate, CC0) · checked 2026-08-27
Claims and sources
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The great White Monastery west of Sohag, named for its limestone and inseparably linked with St. Shenouda the Archimandrite.
Official Coptic Orthodox Church monastery profile ↗