The Monastery of the Blessed Virgin Mary-Baramos is located in the northwestern region of Wadi al-Natrun in Beheira Governorate, on the northeastern outskirts of the Egyptian Western Desert, about 10 km west of the desert road (Cairo-Alexandria).
The Baramos Monastery is the first monastic establishment founded by Anba Makarios in Wadi El-Natrun in the year 340AD. It consisted of cells scattered around Abu Makar’s cell, then the church was established in the middle.
A year after the departure of Maximus and Domadeus (383-384 AD), when the wilderness was crowded with hermits from Mount Al-Barnoj and monotheists scattered, from all over Egypt. They built a large church in memory of them and made Father (Abba) Isidore a priest on it, along with the deacon Bishoy.
This monastery is called “Baramus”, which comes from the Coptic word “Be-Romeos” which means “Rumi” or “Baromeos” which means “for the Romans” in relation to the Roman saints Maximus and Domadeus. Thus, it is considered a non-Arabic word.
At a distance of about 4 km north-east of the Monastery of Our Lady of Barmus, there is a high hill called “The place of Sons of the Kings” in relation to Saints Maximus and Domadeus, and it is said that this is the place where the angel brought them to from Syria.
We also find, near the Monastery of Our Lady of Barmous, from the north-east, 50 meters away, the Monastery of Anba Musa the Black or the original Monastery of Barmoos, which is now in ruins.
