Nitria (also called theMountain of Nitria orPetoou Mpihosm in Greek and Latin sources) is one of the earliest Christian monastic sites in Egypt and is located in theNitrian Desert.[1] It was the first of the three major centers of Christian monastic activity in theLower Egypt, the other two beingKellia andScetis.[1]
Nitria was founded inc. 325–330 byAmoun of Nitria[2] and quickly attracted thousands of monks through the remainder of the 4th century.[1] By 390, it had evolved from a loose collection of solitary monks to an organized settlement of multiplecenobitic monasteries.[1]Jerome, who visited Nitria in 386, said that it had over five-thousand monks.[3][2]Palladius of Galatia, who lived there in 390, gave a similar estimate in hisLausaic History.
Christian pilgrims from the nearby city ofAlexandria visited Nitria in large numbers, the monks servicing their needs.[1] There were also bankers and merchants. Other monks sought more remote areas, away from tourists and merchants, and established a monastic center inKellia c. 338.
The monastic population in Nitria declined during the fifth and sixth centuries, and the site was abandoned sometime in the middle of the seventh century.[1] Nitria should not be confused with the monasteries atWadi El Natrun (formally known as Scetis), which are still in existence.
Nitria was named after a nearby town which took its name from the natural deposits ofnatron, a salt used by theAncient Egyptians in theembalming of mummies.[1] TheEnglish andGerman word "natron" was first aFrenchcognate which has its origin from theSpanish "natrón" throughLatin "natrium" andGreek "nitron" (νίτρον). This root derives from theAncient Egyptian word "nṯrj". Natron refers toWadi El Natrun (English: Natron Valley) in Egypt, where natron salt was mined by the ancient Copts and Egyptians. Natron was also used for washing garments. This led to the symbolism that Nitria is where men's sins werewashed away.[2]
Although Nitria is often called theMountain of Nitria, there is little geographical elevation difference between Nitria and the surrounding region. It was likely called this referring toMatthew 5:14 whereJesus describes his followers as being a "city on a hill".
The ancient site of Nitria was located by thearchaeologistHugh Evelyn-White (1884-1924) sometime between 1917 and 1922.[2][4] It is located approximately 13.7 Kilometers southwest ofDamanhur by the village ofAl Barnuji, 19.3 Kilometers fromKellia, and about 50 Kilometers south ofAlexandria.[2] The coordinates of Nitria are30.928651°N, 30.385628°E. Nitria is not as far in the desert at Scetis,[5] and according toHistoria Monachorum in Aegypto,[6] it takes 24 hours to walk from Nitria to Scetis.
Partial list of notable monks who lived at Nitria.
30°55′43″N30°23′08″E / 30.928651°N 30.385628°E /30.928651; 30.385628