The Coptic icons have a way of grabbing my attention. The intensity focuses my attention to the Holy, similar to how hearing monks in an old monastery chanting the Divine Office brings me into the presence of the Holy. Maybe I just have a good imagination, but traditional style incons aren't just reminders of holy things. Rather, I feel myself drawn into the presence of something great and mysterious.
Excellent as usual. One point confuses me, though. In one of the captions you point to Islamic influence on decorative embellishments of a fresco. But given that the Islamic conquest of Egypt took place in circa mid 7th century, I wonder if what we see is maybe Coptic language calligraphy. I think Coptic was the last language used in Egypt before Arabic. Or were these embellishments added later than the 5th or 6th centuries? Whatever it is, it does strongly resemble Arabic written in the Kufic script. The arabesque patterns at the top of the arch certainly look Islamic, but its use became common in Islamic arts much later. The Romans used "arabesque-like" patterns long before Christ, though. A good example being on the Ara Pacis altar in Rome. Be that as it may, my list of places to see just got longer :) :)
St. Anthony's monastery wasn't built in the 5th century and then left alone. It has art and additions all the way through from its earliest start to the 20th century. The embellishments I'm referring to are the floral curlicues, clearly added later than the figurative frescos.
Coptic language is written using Demotic script added to Greek, and has a very distinctive cursive written form, quite different from Arabic.
Well, just when I thought this is something *only* would know, I see this on Substack. Thank you for highlighting the Desert Fathers. But have you also heard of the "Desert Mothers" as well?
Thanks for the video!
The Coptic icons have a way of grabbing my attention. The intensity focuses my attention to the Holy, similar to how hearing monks in an old monastery chanting the Divine Office brings me into the presence of the Holy. Maybe I just have a good imagination, but traditional style incons aren't just reminders of holy things. Rather, I feel myself drawn into the presence of something great and mysterious.
Those eyes...
Excellent as usual. One point confuses me, though. In one of the captions you point to Islamic influence on decorative embellishments of a fresco. But given that the Islamic conquest of Egypt took place in circa mid 7th century, I wonder if what we see is maybe Coptic language calligraphy. I think Coptic was the last language used in Egypt before Arabic. Or were these embellishments added later than the 5th or 6th centuries? Whatever it is, it does strongly resemble Arabic written in the Kufic script. The arabesque patterns at the top of the arch certainly look Islamic, but its use became common in Islamic arts much later. The Romans used "arabesque-like" patterns long before Christ, though. A good example being on the Ara Pacis altar in Rome. Be that as it may, my list of places to see just got longer :) :)
St. Anthony's monastery wasn't built in the 5th century and then left alone. It has art and additions all the way through from its earliest start to the 20th century. The embellishments I'm referring to are the floral curlicues, clearly added later than the figurative frescos.
Coptic language is written using Demotic script added to Greek, and has a very distinctive cursive written form, quite different from Arabic.
Thanks. Very interesting.
Nice!
Well, just when I thought this is something *only* would know, I see this on Substack. Thank you for highlighting the Desert Fathers. But have you also heard of the "Desert Mothers" as well?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desert_Mothers
I was taking them as a collective - all the humans who went to the desert. I'm not interested in bowing to feminism.
Thank you for writing about the Desert Fathers and Coptic Iconography!
Grateful always for your thorough well-written treatments!
I know they're not Scriptures.
Know nothing about it. Is it a Prot thing?