Association pour la connaissance de l'histoire du Royaume des Deux Déserts

For those who still believe that Christianity has never arrived in Siwa

Une version plus récente de cet article a été publiée le 7 novembre 2020 : lire la nouvelle version.

Belgrave says (Page 88):

"Somewhere about the fourth century Christianity penetrated to Siwa, and the ruins of a church, or monastery, built probably at this time, where one can still distinguish the Coptic cross carved in stone, are visible at Bilad el Roumi, near Khamissa."

But apart from the archaeological remains (scarce and uncertain) what better testify the existence of Christians in Siwa is the fact that in the 4th century A.D. Siwa is a diocese (Ammoniace) with its own bishop (and we know some names) and that the title of bishop of "Ammoniace" still survives today in the "Annuario Pontificio" even if now, from many years, the seat is vacant.

In this time the oasis of Siwa is still a remarkable point in the administrative division of the Eastern Roman Empire (From "Notitia dignitatum et administrationum omnium tam civilium quam militarium")

26952040_10155491091793264_6155522934123409793_o
26952040_10155491091793264_6155522934123409793_o
26911016_10155491094613264_5239165544655153548_o
26911016_10155491094613264_5239165544655153548_o
26850717_10155491092238264_2476745703480718639_o
26850717_10155491092238264_2476745703480718639_o
26904008_10155491093118264_7715015104128182349_n
26904008_10155491093118264_7715015104128182349_n
26910684_10155491101848264_2618907565389969823_o
26910684_10155491101848264_2618907565389969823_o
26910036_10155491101808264_5553178736371522396_o
26910036_10155491101808264_5553178736371522396_o