Christianity and monasticism have flourished around Naqada, on the west bank of the Nile in the governorate of Qena in Upper Egypt, from as early as the fourth century until the present day. The contributors to this volume, international specialists in Coptology from around the world, examine various aspects of Coptic civilization in and around this center over the past seventeen hundred years, looking at Coptic religious history, tradition, language, heritage, and material culture in the region through texts, art, architecture, and archaeology. This important volume provides for the first time an up-to-date, comprehensive treatment of Christianity and monasticism in the Naqada region. Contributors: Iwona Antoniak, Heike Behlmer, Ramez W. Boutros, Renate Dekker, Roushdi Dos Dos, Marianne Eaton-Krauss, Stephen Emmel, Adel Fakhry, Caecilia Fluck, Gawdat Gabra , James Goehring, Gisela Helmecke, Gertrude van Loon, Bishop Martyrus, Iris Mekhaiel, Nashaat Mekhaiel, Howard Middleton-Jones, Samuel Moawad, Ashraf Nageh, Angelos El Naqloony, Elizabeth O'Connell, Sebastian Richter, Ashraf Sadek, Fr. Bigoul Al Souryani, Jacques van der Vliet, Fr. Wadi'Abullif, Youhanna Nessim Youssef

HANY N. TAKLA is the founding president of the Saint Shenouda the Archimandrite Coptic Society.