COURTESY OF THE DEIR AL-SURIAN CONSERVATION PROJECT
This damaged but incredibly vibrant painting, which adorns the Church of the Holy Virgin in the Syrian Monastery (Deir al-Surian) in Wadi al-Natrun, Egypt, depicts the Epiphany—the adoration of newborn Jesus by the Magi and shepherds.
At the center of the scene is Virgin Mary enthroned with Christ Emmanuel on her lap. To the left of Mary is the archangel Michael, who gestures to the three Magi, each of whom carries a gift and is dressed in colorful eastern attire. To the right of Mary is the archangel Gabriel, who similarly beckons to two shepherds tending their flocks in the field. Above Mary’s head, in the conch of the semi-dome, is the Star of Bethlehem, shown as a bright reddish orb against a dark blue background.
Dating to the eighth century, the painting is one of several murals from the church that celebrated key events from Jesus’s life. Remarkably, no one knew of the painting’s existence until the early 2000s, when conservators began carefully removing later layers of plaster. Over the past three decades, an international team of conservators has worked tirelessly to restore the paintings, revealing the remarkable beauty and intricate details of the church’s original medieval decoration.
Wadi al-Natrun is remembered as one of the places where Mary, Joseph, and Jesus stayed during their sojourn in Egypt. According to Matthew (2:13–15), the family fled King Herod’s decree to kill all newborn boys from Bethlehem. Since the fourth century, the oasis—located about 60 miles northwest of Cairo—has been settled by numerous monastic communities that welcome pilgrims seeking blessings and wanting to honor the holy family. Even today, Wadi al-Natrun’s medieval monasteries—and their painstakingly restored murals—are highlight stops on the Holy Family Trail, a newly launched tourism initiative that connects 25 archaeological and religious sites across Egypt and retraces the family’s more than 2,000-mile trek through the country.
This damaged but incredibly vibrant painting, which adorns the Church of the Holy Virgin in the Syrian Monastery (Deir al-Surian) in Wadi al-Natrun, Egypt, depicts the Epiphany—the adoration of newborn Jesus by the Magi and shepherds. At the center of the scene is Virgin Mary enthroned with Christ Emmanuel on her lap. To the left of Mary is the archangel Michael, who gestures to the three Magi, each of whom carries a gift and is dressed in colorful eastern attire. To the right of Mary is the archangel Gabriel, who similarly beckons to two shepherds tending their flocks in the […]
