Egypt unveils renovations at oldest monastery

Описание: (4 Feb 2010)
1. Various exterior shots of St. Anthony''s Monastery
2. Mid shot of gated window
3. Monastery entrance
4. Tilt down of remains of the original monks'' cells covered with thick glass floor
5. Various of remains shot through glass
6. Tilt up from remains to wide of Egypt''s top archaeologist Zahi Hawass speaking to media
7. SOUNDBITE: (English) Zahi Hawass, Egypt''s top archaeologist:
"The restorators with the monks of the monastery as well as the archaeologists found the oldest Coptic monument in Egypt and that was a cell dated back to the 4th century AD, inside the cell found many important archaeological remains as well as ancient Coptic scripts. The restoration covered the cell with glass, that when you enter the church, (inaudible), you look down and see the oldest and the most impressive discovery of the Coptic period in Egypt, the cell that was found under the ground in the Monastery of St. Anthony at the Red Sea."
8. Various of tower into which monks would retreat during attacks
9. Bridge between the two churches
10. Various of doorway
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Zahi Hawass, Egypt''s top archaeologist:
"The announcement we are making today, it shows to the world how we are keen to restore the monuments of our past, whether it''s Coptic, or Jewish or Muslim."
12. Wide of St. Anthony''s Monastery
STORYLINE:
Egypt''s antiquities chief on Thursday unveiled the completion of an 8-year, 14.5 (m) US million dollar restoration of the world''s oldest Christian monastery, touting it as a sign of Christian-Muslim coexistence.
Zahi Hawass said archaeologists, monks and restorators had worked alongside in the project to restore "the oldest Coptic monument in Egypt," referring to the dominant Orthodox Coptic Christian sect in Egypt.
The announcement at the 1,600-year-old St. Anthony''s Monastery came a month after Egypt''s worst incident of sectarian violence in over a decade, when a shooting on a church on Orthodox Christmas Eve killed seven people.
The attack raised heavy criticism of the Egyptian government abroad and at home, by critics who say it has not done enough to address tensions between the country''s Muslim majority and its Christian population, estimated at 10 percent of the 79 (m) million population.
The government insists the shooting was a purely criminal act with no sectarian motives, and officials persistently deny the existence of significant Muslim-Christian frictions.
Hawass took the opportunity to reiterate that stance as he showed journalists the work at St. Anthony''s, an ancient compound at the foot of the desert mountains near Egypt''s Red Sea coast.
He said Thursday''s announcement showed the world how keen Egypt was to restore the monuments of its past, whether Coptic, Jewish or Muslim.
It is believed that St. Anthony, widely revered as the founder of Christian monasticism, settled in this remote mountainous area at the end of the 3rd century to live in isolation.
Upon his death, his followers built the monastery, which was completed around A.D. 350, and remains in use to this day.
In the government-sponsored project, workers renovated the fortress-like ancient wall surrounding the monastery and the walls of its two main churches, the 14th century Church of the Apostles and the 6th century Church of St. Anthony.
They also renovated monks'' quarters and a 6th century tower into which monks would retreat during attacks by marauding Bedouin tribes throughout the Middle Ages.
A modern sewage system was also installed for the monastery, which is home to several dozen monks and is frequently visited by Christian pilgrims.

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