The 1,700-year-old Christian monastery hidden deep in Egypt’s Desert

Entrance A Small Shrine Entrance to the Main Church Icon of Christ By Christine Theodorou, CNN 7/1/2011 STORY HIGHLIGHTS * St. Anthony’s Monastery is one of the world’s oldest inhabited monasteries * The monastery’s founders were disciples of St. Anthony the Great * St Anthony lived as a hermit for more than 40 years to be closer to God Ain Soukhna, Egypt (CNN) — On the day when much of the world was marking Christmas, I traveled with friends to a remote location deep in the Eastern desert in Egypt.