Egypt's desert monasteries are now favoured as locations for international conferences. Jill Kamil draws attention to a forthcoming event in Upper Egypt The International Conference on Christianity and Monasticism will take place at Naqada next month (6-11 February), and there is still time to sign up to attend. The papers being presented cover a wide range of subjects including "The Gnostic Library of Nag Hammadi and the Faw Qibli Excavations", "The Life of Saint Pachomius", unknown and little-known monasteries, fifth-century churches in the region, and the manuscript collection of the diocese of Naqada. This gathering is considered special for several reasons: Three days of lectures will be followed by a field visit, and then by a post-conference tour to several places including ancient monasteries, churches, archaeological sites, and museums in Upper Egypt. Naqada lies on the west bank of the Nile opposite the entrance to the Wadi Hammamat, thus providing direct access to the Red Sea coast and to the gold reserves of the Eastern Desert. It has been a trading centre for thousands of years, and so numerous are the number of pre-dynastic artefacts that have been found there that the name Naqada has come to date the entire culture of the region with its distinctive pottery, distributed throughout Egypt, being known as Naqada I, II and III. The name derives from the Coptic "Nekaday", which means knowledge and understanding. According to age-old tradition the elderly of that region were traditionally wise and compassionate. Situated between Qena and Luxor on the west bank of the Nile, Naqada is easily accessible. There are seven Coptic monasteries in the area, some deserted and used only for liturgical celebrations on special occasions. On the opposite bank of the Nile is Qus, at the entrance the Wadi Hammamat which, in mediaeval times, was the primary commercial centre of trade with Africa and Asia. Qus was thus once a town of prime importance, but today it is more famous for its mosques and mausoleums. The conference is organised by Fawzi Estephanos, founder and president of the St Mark Foundation for Coptic Studies. Participants from all parts of the world include museum curators, archaeologists, Egyptologists, Coptologists, art historians, iconographers, conservators, scientists, technical experts, architects, engineers, and other professionals. The aim is to define standards for study, research and development of the diverse aspects of the Naqada and Qus region and for related fields worldwide, as well as to present an overview of the current state of discoveries, conservation and restoration. It is hoped that the gathering will increase general knowledge of the Naqada and Qus region and activate concern for conserving and preserving the area's antiquities.
