Author Description

For decades Maurice Martin criss-crossed the Egyptian countryside and its desert fringes with the aim of discovering, recording and describing the remains of ancient monastic installations - remains sometimes imposing but often discreet, such as the many hermitages occupying ancient tombs and abandoned quarries. As a result of these investigations, he slowly built up a detailed and intricate index-card system, complemented and expanded by cartographical work, extensive bibliographic research and detailed cross-referencing of sources. With such a system it was possible for him to reconstruct regional histories, trace the emergence of certain cults and the disappearance of others, and measure the retraction of the so-called "Christian space" due to the increasing islamisation of Egypt. Maurice Martin was long reluctant to publish this valuable material, but he finally accepted that, as it stands, it constitutes a formidable tool for research on the religious history of Egypt during Late Antiquity and the Medieval period. In addition to the book, Ifao published on line more than 400 photos taken by Maurice Marin during the 60s.