Ancient Christian wine factory in Egypt

Archaeologists have announced the discovery of two Egyptian cellars likely to belong to the region's oldest wine processing industry, producing holy wine to export to foreign Christians.

Egyptian archaeologists discovered two wine cellars with large cross-shaped carvings near St. Abbey. Catherine, a complex from the 6th century AD near Sinai Peak on the Sinai Peninsula. According to Tarek El-Naggar, director of the Egyptian Supreme Archeology Council at south Sinai, many vaults may be discovered in the region, perhaps the center of the ancient wine industry.

Weeks after discovering the first wine cellar, excavators discovered an almost identical cellar with a limestone wall about 100 meters away. This finding may be the presence of many other cellars in the region.

So far they have discovered the wine cellar, ceramic vases called amphorae and grape seeds. Archaeologists also talk about red streaks on some walls.

Although the cellar has never been properly dated, archaeologists believe that the tool was made between the 4th and 6th centuries AD. Several gold coins featuring Roman Emperor Valen, who ruled from 364 to 378 AD, were also discovered near the cellar. Wine cellars may have the same date.

According to archaeologists who have discovered two cellars, the masonry structure on the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt, may be the region's oldest Christian winery.Each tunnel is carved with a cross.Nearby gold coins are pictured with the Roman Emperor Valens, 4th century, a sign of alcohol exported to Christian people abroad.(Photo: Tarek El-Naggar)

Holy wine is sent abroad

El-Naggar said the coins were produced in Antioch, which is southwestern Turkey today. Similar coins were discovered in Lebanon and Syria - regions that produce many grape varieties used for making wine in ancient Egypt.

Wine is viewed from a sacred area and used in religious ceremonies - such as the Christian Eucharistic Ceremony - at St. Abbey. Catherine and abroad.'I think the monastery uses wine cellar to produce holy wine because it is near Moses Peak (Mount Sinai).' El- Naggar also mentioned this area where the prophet Moses received the Ten Commandments of the Lord.

Wine origin

The cellar has tanks with an area of ​​about 1.2m ² , where clergy use their feet to stomp on grapes. A hole at the end of the tunnel can lead to a lower tunnel, creating juice. This structure is similar to the ancient Egyptian wine cellars, beginning as early as 3000 BC, where pharaohs began the royal wine industry in the fertile Nile Delta.

However, there is no evidence that ancient Egyptians producing wine in this region belonged to the Sinai Peninsula. Early Christians could try to grow vineyards and palm trees in the wine producing region - at an altitude of 1,524 meters above the sea surface - there was cooler weather than the surrounding desert.

According to Patrick McGovern, of the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archeology and Anthropology, who did not participate in this new finding: 'The reason that wild grapes are inherently not grown in Egypt is because the weather here is not appropriate. But if you treat it with an irrigation system, you can grow grapes under hot weather. '

As an expert on ancient alcohol, McGovern said that Egyptian wine jars and cork often indicate the season, manufacturer, quality and origin of wine.'Egypt has the first wine brands in the world.'