In the middle of nowhere, two hours’ drive out of Cairo is the Anafora Retreat Center. Intended as a place of prayer and silent reflection, this Retreat on the Cairo-Alex Desert Highway offers the perfect sanctuary and haven from the hustle and bustle of life. Anafora is run by the Coptic Orthodox Church and welcomes people from all over the world within its tree dappled precincts.
As soon as you enter, there is the Anamnesis building at the entrance, which serves the day visitors to the Retreat. Some distance away is the main building called ‘Anafora’, which means ‘sacrifice’. Here you can enjoy a cup of tea before going onto the terrace for beautiful views across the Retreat.
Bishop Thomas has designed all the buildings at the Retreat, using materials that people of Asyut use to build their houses. Bricks made of red mud and straw are used as the building blocks and afterwards the whole building is coated in mud and straw. The emphasis is on using natural materials. The thick walls and the natural materials ensure that the inside of the building remains cool, without the need for air-conditioning. In the distance, you can see the conference and training centre –it is called ‘Anastasia’ which means ‘lifting up’ in Coptic. At this training center, girls from the less developed region of Upper Egypt are trained in hairdressing, embroidery etc, thus equipping them to lead better lives. The Retreat welcomes day visitors as well as people who want to stay for a few days to enjoy the nature’s bounty. Individual huts for the accommodation of visitors have been arranged in the shape of a question mark. The dot at the end of the question mark is a chapel-indicating that all answers to the question of life can be found here. A few of the huts are white in colour, amidst the other earth-coloured ones, signifying that people of all nationalities and religion are welcome in the retreat-we may differ from the outside but we are all essentially the same.
The highlight of the Retreat is the meditation center. Beautiful architecture on the outside and aesthetically done up from the inside, it beckons visitors to enter and enjoy the solitude. There are no straight lines here, only curves and this makes for excellent acoustics, doing away with the need for a microphone. The floor is covered with woven multi-coloured rugs. There are benches and chairs along the sides for people who cannot sit on the floor. On the multi-coloured rugs are large pillows made of the same material as the rugs and are woven at the Retreat itself. To provide support while kneeling down, stools have been thoughtfully placed behind each pillow.
There is an opening cut into the ceiling in the shape of an eye through which light streams inside as also seven small plates of coloured glass set into the ceiling to let the light in. The back of the meditation center has brightly painted paintings that look like mosaics. The artist has made these designs using the ‘iota’ –which is the first letter in the name of Lord Jesus.
All visitors are offered free lunch, which is a simple fare of rice, beans, raw vegetables, freshly baked bread and a dip. The visitors have the run of the place and can either spend time in the mediation center or wander around the vast farm. A blue concrete moat runs around the Retreat and surrounds the chapel. Sometimes, the moat is filled with water from the underground springs, lending a charm and coolness to the place. This water is then pumped out and used to irrigate the vast rows of fruit trees and other crops, like the mango and date orchards and the geranium and the hibiscus trees.
Nature is revered at this Retreat and there is a small workshop on the premises where they make soaps and essential oils to cure a number of ailments, including for weight reduction and hypertension. All the products are made using the herbs that are grown on the grounds of the Retreat. The fruits are used to make jams and preserves and all these products are on sale at their shop on the premises. It is a marvel that amidst the aridity of the desert can be found such a flourishing farm. The proceeds from the sales of these products contribute to making the Anafora Retreat Center self-sustaining.
There is also a well-stocked library on the premises, where books in a number of languages can be found. In fact, the library is a nice place to spend time reading or just day dreaming. And if nothing seems to catch your fancy then enjoy the outdoors under the rough shade houses. Let your thoughts drift as you observe the myriad patterns made by the sunlight trickling in through the plam branches of the roof.
for a day visit call Sister Sara on 012 3812604
