The burning of a monastery? Story blazed on the walls of monastic buildings at Nekloni (Naqlun)

The walls of a late antique–medieval monastic complex at Nekloni (Naqlun) spreading on a plateau at the foot of Gebel al-Naqlun in the southeastern Fayum Oasis bear evidence of damage or destruction by fire. The extent of this conflagration is one issue to be considered: evident clusters of burnt walls are concentrated around the landmark Building A with more dispersed traces of burning to the south and north of it. Another issue is the date of this event, which the present author places closer to the end of the 10th or in the first decades of the 11th century. The monastery burned down at the very heyday of its existence, this prosperity attested by a collection of gold coins as well as pieces of decorated codices recovered from the ruins, giving a date prior to the 11th century. Whatever the reason for this conflagration, it did not put an end to the existence of the monastic community in this area. Soon after that some of the monastery buildings were rebuilt, and others, like the main church, were refurbished and repainted.