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The Christian Monasteries of Egypt Part Two October 29, 2009 11:47 AM

Nearby is another monastery, known as Deir Abu Lif. Abu Lif may refer to Saint Andrew, since it is also called the the Monastery of Andrew.


The Monastery of Saint George and the Monastery of Abbot Pisentius


The next monastery south, known as the Monastery of Saint George, or Deir Mari Girgis (also Deir al-Magma'), is the most extensive in this region. It is located just west of Qamula al-Bahri The Monastery of Saint George where it is situated about five hundred meters west of the edge of the desert on a slight rise. 

This monastery is enclosed by a high enclosure with an entrance though a gate on the north wall. Within, three churches are all attached while a fourth stands along to the west in the debris of other ancient buildings. It too, is mostly ruined. The three churches that stand together are dedicated to Saint Michael (northern church), Saint George (central church) and Saint John (southern church). Though they all stand together, they were each built at different times and differ considerably in their construction.   [ send green star]
 
 October 31, 2009 7:44 AM

One enters the Church of Saint Michael through a hole in the north wall of the nave of the adjoining Church of Saint George. The main apse of this church, located furthermost to the north, was once adorned with beautiful painted depictions of Christ surrounded by angles, but is now ruined.


The basilican style church of Saint George is also ruined, though there are vestiges of the paintings that once adorned the walls of its sanctuary. It dates from the eighteenth or nineteenth centuries. The iconostasis (screen) that separated the three sanctuaries from the nave was built using the columns of an earlier church. The southern most church of Saint John dates from a later period than the other two, and has been entirely rebuilt.  [ send green star]
 
 November 02, 2009 4:38 PM

About two hundred meters from the monastery of St. George is that of Abbot Pisentius (Deir Anba Bisantawus), which has a church that dates from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. It was roofed with twelve cupolas.

The Monastery of Saint Victor

The Monastery of Saint VictorThe next significant monastery, which is the oldest of the lot, is that of Saint Victor, located on a small hill about one kilometer northwest of the village of Qamula al-Awsat and five kilometers south of the Monastery of Saint George. It is known by the Copts as Deir Mari Buqtur. This monastery has an entrance gate in the east wall. In the southwestern corner of the monastery is the tomb of Basiliyus Ghali (1938). Here, the ancient mud-brick church has four sanctuaries, or haikals, dedicated to Saint Victor, Saint Michael, the Holy Virgin Mary and Saint Menas. Three of these sanctuaries were recently rebuilt, whereas the naos has kept the architecture of the ancient phase of construction. The north, east and south exterior walls go back to the original edifice from the eighth or ninth century, while the square central space is the result of an architectural remodeling in the twelfth century. It was at that time that the church received the cupolas which are so traditional to upper Egyptian churches of the Middle Ages. Unfortunately, the paintings that adorned these sanctuaries are mostly now lost. At least one monk occupies this monastery today. South of the monastery is the new Church of Saint Victor, with its entrance facing west.   [ send green star]
 
 November 05, 2009 5:44 AM

Floor Plan of the triple sanctuary church at Saint Victor Monastery
Floor Plan of the triple sanctuary church at Saint Victor Monastery

The Southern Monastery of Saint Michael

The Monastery of Saint MichaelFinally, there is the southern most Monastery of Saint Michael, also known as Deir al-Malak Mikh'il. This church is also known as the Monastery of the Well, because of its well  that produced extraordinarily fresh and wholesome water. Here, a keep is surrounded by enclosure walls. This monastery is entered through a gate in the east wall, and within there are two churches, both of which are mostly in ruins. In the southern church, one can discern three sanctuaries, but the vestiges of the northern church are such that considerable imagination is required in order to picture its original structure. In the southern church dedicated to the archangel, which is actually the older of the two, the triple sanctuary was preceded by a choir and a nave with six equal-sized domed chambers, or bays. It dates to the sixteenth or seventeenth centuries. This monastery is said to have possessed the body of Saint Pisentius at one time, who was one of the founders of monasteries in Upper Egypt. Today, this monastery may be inhabited by religious women.   [ send green star]
 
 November 05, 2009 6:13 PM

Specific Monasteries

Near the Red Sea

Traditionally, the oldest monasteries are located between the Nile valley and Egypt's Red Sea coast in the Al Zaafarana area..  These include:

St. Antony's Monastery
(Deir Mar Antonios)

by Jimmy Dunn

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 November 08, 2009 12:12 PM

Born in the Upper Egypt town of Coma near Heracleopolis in the year 251 A.D, St. Antony the Great, when orphaned at the age of 18, became a hermit and thus lived to 105 years old. He lived as an Anchorite, as still exists in Egypt, and it is said that he was tormented his entire life by flatteries and temptations of the devil. He, along with St. Pachomius, were two of the first exponents of Christian monasticism, which originated in the Egyptian desert. He is buried beneath one of the ancient churches (St. Antony) of the monastery. A book written by Athanasius, the bishop of Alexandria, thousands across Europe to follow in the hermit's footsteps.

St. Antony's Monastery (Deir Mar Antonios), and its neighbor St. Paul's, are both Coptic Christian and are the oldest inhabited monasteries in Egypt. Hidden deep in the Red Sea Mountains and relying on springs for their water supply, both still observe rituals that have hardly changed in 16 centuries.  They are accessible by special tours from Cairo, Suez or Hurghada and a stay in either monastery can be arranged in advance.

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 November 10, 2009 8:40 AM

St. Antony's MonasterySt. Antony's Monastery, which lies at the foot of Al-Qalzam Mountain near Al Zaafarana, was founded in 356 AD just after the saints death and is the oldest active monastery in the world.. We do know that St. Antony founded several monasteries during his life (though they would not have been recognizable in the modern use of the term), but alas they are no more. We know little of the monastery's very early period.  However, during the sixth and seventh centuries many monks from Wadi Natroun who were under frequent attacks by Bedouins migrated to St. Antony's. But this monastery was plundered on many occasions also, being partly destroyed in the 11th century.  Between the 12th and 15th centuries, the monastery flourished but was plundered again in 1454 by Bedouin servants. Due to such attacks, this is a fortress style monastery. Though Coptic today, over its many years the monastery was often multi-faith, housing monks of several different Christian religions.

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 November 13, 2009 3:24 PM

St. Antony's Monastery

Today it is a self-contained village with gardens, a mill, a bakery and five churches, the best of which is St. Antony's Church.  Egypt monasteries are experiencing a revival, and the monk population of St. Antony's has grown considerably in recent years.

St. Antony's Monastery

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 November 18, 2009 3:41 PM


St. Antony's MonasteryThe Monastery has exceptional wall paintings of holy knights in bright colors and the hermit founders of the monastery in subdued colors and icons. These wall paintings, widely know to monks and art historians, were obscured by soot, candle grease, oil and dust, but recently, in a collaborated effort between the Supreme Council of Antiquities and the American Research Center in Egypt, these unique painting were restored. One set of the paintings is attributed to a team lead by a Coptic master named Theodore, while the other appears to be done by team with Byzantine influence.  The oldest paintings date to the seventh and eighth centuries, while the newest are from the thirteenth century. In addition to the paintings, woodwork inside At. Antony's Church was also restored.

There is also a library with over 1,700 handwritten manuscripts, but the Bedouin servants who plundered the monastery used many manuscripts for cooking fuel. At one time, there must have been a much more extensive library.   [ send green star]
 
 November 21, 2009 6:52 AM

St. Antony's Cave (magharah), where he lived as a hermit, is a 2 km hike from the monastery and 680 m. above the Red Sea. It offers stunning views of the mountains and the sea, and the chance to see a wide range of bird life.

St. Antony's Monastery

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 November 22, 2009 5:56 AM

The Monastery of St. Paul
In Egypt's Eastern Desert

by Jimmy Dunn

Egypt's Eastern Desert, at least for now, provides us little in the way of antiquities for travelers. Pharaonically, there are a few trade routes and other ruins. However, it is the home to two of The Monastery of St. Paul Egypt's best known Christian monuments which include the well known monastery of St. Anthony (Antonios) and perhaps the less well known Monastery of St. Paul of Thebes. The Monastery of St. Paul probably dates to the fifth century and was founded in memory of one of Egypt's greatest saints and anchorites, who is said to have lived in a cave over which it was built for a period of some eighty years. We mostly know of his life from the writings of St. Jerome and his work, Vita Pauli (Life of Paul), which was written between 375 and 380 AD. St. Jerome tell us that, while it may have been St. Anthony who founded the monastic way of life by inspiring others, Amathas and Macarius, who were disciples of Anthony, affirm that Paul of Thebes was actually the originator of the practice.
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 November 24, 2009 3:27 PM

St. Paul was apparently born to rich parents in the year 228, However, by the age of sixteen, he had lost his parents. This would have corresponded with the terrible period of Christian persecution perpetuated by Decius and Valerian between 249 and 260 AD. After the death of his parents, Paul renounced his inheritance and consecrated his life to God, eventually seeking refuge in the wilderness of Egypt's Eastern Desert, where he is said to have lived until the age of one hundred and thirteen. Living in his cave, and clothed in a tunic made of plaited palm leaves, tradition holds that a raven brought a half of a loaf of bread which day for him to eat. 

Jerome tells us that Anthony, who was apparently at least a contemporary of Paul, was told of someone living in the desert that was holier then he. Hence, he set out to find Paul and, having succeeded, had a friendly conversation with him. That evening when the Raven came to bring the saint's nourishment, he came with a whole loaf so that both the holy men might have substance.  [ send green star]
 
 November 26, 2009 8:33 AM

Apparently, Anthony and Paul continued to be friends for many years. When Paul thought that he was approaching death, he asked Anthony to fetch the cloak which the patriarch Athanasius had given him. However, when Anthony arrived at the cave where Paul had lived those many years, he saw angels carrying the soul of the holy ascetic to heaven. Paul's body remained in the cave, but two lions approached and dug  a grave into which Anthony placed Paul's body wrapped in the cloak he had fetched. Anthony is said to have kept Paul's tunic of palm leaves, which he wore to celebrate the occasions of Easter and Pentecost. 

Drawing of the Monastery by Fr. Jullien in 1880The Monastery of St. Paul (Deir Anba Bula), which has also been called the Monastery of the Tigers (Deir al-Numur), perhaps because of its wilderness location, has always been associated with the Monastery of St. Anthony, usually in a subordinate manner. The first travel narrative we have of the monastery was provided by Antoninus Martyr, a native of Placentia who visited the tomb of St. Paul between the years 560 and 570 AD.  The first monks to occupy the monastery may have been Melchite, but they were followed by Egyptian and Syrian monks. The Syrians may have had a sustained existence at the monastery, for it appears that they also occupied the monastery during the first half of the fifteenth century, after which their presence disappears. It should also be noted that, according to an isolated Ethiopian reference, the seventieth patriarch of the Coptic Church, Gabriel II (1131-45 AD) was banished to the monastery for three years.   [ send green star]
 
 November 28, 2009 7:48 AM

Like many of Egypt's earliest monasteries, this one suffered at the hands of Bedouin tribes. One during the year 1484 was particularly destructive, when many of the monks were killed and their library was put to the torch. Afterwards, the monastery was rebuilt under the patronage of Patriarch Gabriel VII, who sent ten monks from the Monastery of the Syrians (Wadi al-Natrun). Yet, during the second half of the sixteenth century, it was again attacked and ransacked twice, forcing the monks to finally leave. 

The monastery apparently set deserted for the next 119 years, only to be repopulated by a group of monks from the Monastery of St. Anthony under the patronage of John XVI, who promoted an extensive reconstruction in 1701.   [ send green star]
 
 November 30, 2009 5:48 AM

General Plan of the Monastery

General Plan of the Monastery


The Walls


Most ancient, remote Egyptian monasteries are in fact fortifications for good reason. Likewise, St. Paul's Monastery has high defensive walls surrounding the monastic buildings. The history of this enclosure is complex and corresponds to various periods. We know that the walls were considerably enlarged during the eighteenth century under John XVI, but the final walls we see today were completed during the nineteenth century. Also like many other monasteries, the fortress appears to have had no original door and therefore we find on the inside of the east wall the ancient hoist used to haul food, goods and even visitors up the wall and into the monastery.  [ send green star]
 
 December 02, 2009 4:10 PM

The Tower

St. Paul Monastery TowerThe tower (keep, or qasr) is perhaps one of the most obvious structures within the complex. As usual, it was entered via a drawbridge and represented the last defensive bastion against the desert raiders. Situated next to the church of St. Paul, in the past, its ground floor served as a cemetery for the monks, while the second floor was a storeroom for the food reserves which would sustain the monks through a period of long siege. Traditionally in Coptic monasteries, the highest story is dedicated to the archangel Michael, but since he is already the titular saint of the large church in the center of the monastery, here the third floor has a chapel dedicated to the Holy Virgin, which is roofed with a wooden cupola. There are also cells for the monks on this level of the tower.   [ send green star]
 
 December 04, 2009 4:19 PM

Churches

Altogether, the Monastery of St. Paul has four churches, three of which are situated in the ancient part of the complex.

The Church of St. Paul

Plan of the Church of St. Paul in the MonasteryAttesting to its antiquity, the Church of St. Paul , also sometimes referred to as the Cave Church, located next to the tower sits three meters below the current level of the monastery grounds. This is the spiritual center of the monastery. Its southern end is the oldest part, hollowed out of the cave in which St. Paul is believed to have lived. This section of the church, at least, probably dates to the fifth century. The north part of the church dates to medieval times.  [ send green star]
 
 December 06, 2009 8:26 AM

One enters this church via a staircase attached to the the chapel walls. Within, the church proper consists of one nave in the center and three sanctuaries dedicated to the twenty four elders of Revelation (north, St. Anthony (center), and St. Paul (south). The central and south sanctuaries and the part of the nave facing them were excavated from the rock itself, while the remainder of the building to the north is made of masonry. 

The Ancient Wooden Cupola in the Church of St. PaulThe wooden cupola which roofs the chapel is decorated with the equestrian figures of Saints Apater and his sister Irene, Isidore, Apa Iskhirun, James and Julius, all warrior saints. These were produced by the monastery monks in 1713, but probably overlay earlier iconography that is lost to us. The paintings on the walls of the cave date to the same restoration work, portraying biblical subjects such as the archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, as well as the angel and Aniel's three companions, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, respectively called Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego by the officer of King Nebuchadnezzar (Dan 3:10-26). However, in the middle sanctuary dedicated to St. Anthony, though in poor condition, are wall paintings that date to the first half of the fourteenth century. Here, we can just make out depictions of Christ enthroned, the annunciation, St. John the Baptist, angles and archangels.    [ send green star]
 
 December 08, 2009 8:02 AM

The body of St. Paul is kept in a marble shrine on the south side of the nave. One traditional story holds that the saint's relics were taken to Constantinople in 1240, and from there they were sent to Venice in 1381. Indeed, an urn in the church of St. Julian in Venice is believed to contain some of his remains. Recent analysis has shown that the remains in Venice are that of only a leg of a very old man (over eighty) who lived between the first century and the first half of the forth centuries, AD. Hence, they certainly may be a fraction of the body of the saint that mostly rests in the Egyptian monastery that bears his name.

The Church of St. Mercurius

Located above Paul's cave, and almost atop the Church of St. Paul, the church of St. Mercurius (Abu al-Seifein) dates from the end of the eighteenth century. Hence, it contains few interesting elements, with the exception of a precious iconostasis inlaid with ivory and mother-of-pearl. This church is connected to the cave by a much older staircase. Many churches in Egypt are dedicated to this saint, the most well known of which is probably in Old Cairo. This church is only used once a year during the week prior to Lent.

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 December 10, 2009 4:14 PM


The Church of St. MichaelThe Church of St. Michael

The Church of St. Michael (al-Malak) was built in 1777, with a roof consisting of twelve cupolas. It has two sanctuaries including one dedicated to St. Michael to the north, and to St. John the Baptist in the south. While the true spiritual center of the monastery is the subterranean church of St. Paul, it is two small for the daily liturgy, so this service is held in the the Church of St. Michael, which is the largest church in the complex.

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 December 12, 2009 10:15 AM

The Refectory of the ancient monastery of St. PaulThe Refectory and the Mill

Within the monastery is an ancient refectory that is no longer in use, but which dates back to medieval times. It is situated in the east wing of the complex. The main axis of the refectory is covered by a barrel vaulted roof. Within, a heavy masonry table with a lectern fashioned on its west end, from which the sacred texts and the lives of the saints and martyres were read during the community meal, dominates the room. The refectory is entered by way of a narrow passage, and on the west side of the passage are two rooms that were once used as mills. Within are big stone millstones which were operated by huge wooden gears turned by draft animals.

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 December 14, 2009 5:55 PM

The Spring of St. Paul

An ancient spring named for St. Paul resides in the north wing of the complex. It continues to supply water at the rate of about four cubic meters per day. The water comes from a mountain crevice and flows into a cemented reservoir tank that is used for drinking and cooking. A small drain allows the surplus water into a second reservoir, which is used by the monks for washing, and a final drain carries off the remaining water into a large basin where it is distributed for irrigation. However, a second spring, known as the Pool of Miriam is located about one hundred meters to the south of the monastery. It was named after the sister of Moses and Aaron, who according to tradition washed there during the Exodus.

Monasteries at Wadi Al Natrun

There are four active monasteries near Cairo at Wadi Al Natrun.   Of these, probably the Monastery of St. Macarius is the best known.  These include:

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 December 16, 2009 7:13 AM

The Monastery of al-Baramus (Deir al-Baramus, Monastery of the Romans)
At Wadi al-Natrun

by Jimmy Dunn

Introduction and History

View within the MonasteryIn the Wadi al-Natrun, certainly one of the most famous regions in Egypt associated with Christian monasteries, the northernmost of the four communities is that of the Monastery of al-Baramus. It is also sometimes called the Monastery of the Romans and is very probably the first monastery established in the Wadi al-Natrun. In fact, it is said to occupy the place where Macarius the Great settled in 340 (or as early as 330) when he devoted himself to monastic life. The modern name of the monastery (al-Baramus) is Arabic and is derived from the Coptic Christian Pa-Rameos, which means "that of the Romans". The origin of this name is certainly in dispute. The most widely held tradition concerns Maximus and Domitius, who Coptic texts and tradition holds as Roman saints as well as children (perhaps illegitimate) of the Roman emperor Valentinian (presumably Valentinian I (364-375 AD). They are said to have gone to Scetis (Wadi al-Natrun) during the days of St. Marcarius after having visited the Christian shrines of Nicea and Palestine. St. Marcarius tried to dissuade them from staying, but the "two little strangers" nevertheless established themselves in a cell. The older of the brothers is said to have attained perfection before his death, and only three days later, the other brother died.


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 December 18, 2009 6:14 PM

Plan of Deir al-Baramus in the Wadi al-NatrunIt is said that when the desert fathers came to Saint Macarius, he used to take them to the cell of the two brothers and say to them, "Behold ye the martyrdom of these little strangers". A year after their death, Saint Macarius consecrated the cell by building a chapel and said, "Call this place the Cell of the Romans". However, some scholars maintain that it was Paphnutius, Marcarius's successor, who first called the chapel by this name. 

Some believe that the "young strangers" received by Macarius and later on venerated by the monks of the Wadi were not necessarily of Roman origin. In this tradition, it is thought that the name of the monastery could be due to the fact that a Roman monk named Arsenius settled in Wadi al-Natran (Scetis) in 394 and became the abbot of the community. Still other traditions hold that Arsenius had been the tutor of Arcadius and Honorius, the emperor Theodosius' sons, who in their turn became Moses the Black (graphic not from this monastery) emperors. According to this interpretation, this bit of history could have led to confusion and the identification of the two "young strangers" as Romans. 

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 Sunday, 7:46 AM

Today, this monastery is significant in that it was founded on a site in front (south) of the Old Baramus monastery, discovered by archaeologists in 1994, which some say was incorrectly known as "the Monastery of Moses the Black". Others believe that Deir Anba Musa al-Aswad, or the Monastery of Saint Moses the Black, under the leadership of St. Isidore the Hegumen, was the original name. The older monastery probably dates to as early as 340 AD. It should be noted that there exists some confusion in regard to the current monastery's history in relationship to the old monastery. It is very possible that both existed concurrently at some point, with the former monastery known as Deir al-Baramus, and the current monastery known as the Monastery of the Virgin of Baramus, Hence, the history we have of the modern monastery certain encompasses that of both.

All four of the monasteries in the Wadi al-Naturn suffered six sacks. These occurred in 407, 410, 444, 507, 817 and the last in the eleventh century(some scholars also reference sacks in 810 and 870, without mention of those in 444, 504, 817 or the eleventh century), though the most severe threat to the monastery came in the form of the Black Death in the fourteenth century, which was followed by a famine. Each time the communities were attacked, the monastic buildings were damaged, the churches plundered and the monks either slain or carried off as captives.

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 Tuesday, 11:38 AM

Abbot Arsenius himself witnessed the devastating raids of 407 and 410 at Deir al-Baramus and both times he managed to escape the carnage. After the first, he returned to rebuild the cells and other parts of the monastery that had been destroyed, but after the raid in 410, he retired to Troe, the Cairo neighborhood called Tura today, where he died. There, a monastery was later dedicated to his memory. 

St. Moses the Black, so named because he was Ethiopian and therefore of dark skin, did indeed reside in this monastery and was martyred in the first raid of 407. Before becoming a monk and priest, he had led a criminal life, but later repented his life of wrongdoing and retired to the Wadi where the examples of Saints Macarius and Isidore led him to a high degree of asceticism and holiness. However, having foreseen the attack of the Massic Berber tribe, he is said to have urged his disciples to leave the community in order to take refuge in safer surroundings. He, together with seven other monks, remained in order to fulfil the words from the Gospel of Matthew (26:52), "All who take the sword will perish by the sword".

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 Wednesday, 6:07 PM

Christ enthroned from the Church of the Virgin MaryThe monastery also had a number of important visitors from the seventeenth through the nineteenth centuries. During the first half of the fifteenth century, the Arab historian al-Maqrizi visited the monastery and was responsible for identifying it as that of St. Moses the Black. At that time, he found it to have only a few monks. Other famous visitors included Coppin (1638), who described it as the "fourth monastery" in the desert of "St. Marcarius Bahr al-Malamah" (sea of reproaches). According to the monks of that time, this name came from a tradition that held that. They maintained that at one time, the sea still bathed the monastery walls, and when St. Macarius, having seen a pirate ship approaching, prayed to heaven for help. Suddenly, the waters withdrew and at the same time the pirates and their ship were turned to stone. When De Maillet also visited the monastery in 1692, he was told the same story. He therefore called this place in his description "Valley of Bahr bila Ma" (sea without water). Other famous visitors descended on the monastery, including Thevenot (1657), De Maillet (1692), Du Bernat (1710) Sicard (1712), Sonnini (1778), Lord Prudhoe (1828), Lord Curzon (1837), Tattam (1839), Tischendorf (1845), Jullien (1881) and Butler (1883). Information from them and a few other travelers provide that there were 712 monks who lived in seven monasteries in this region, including twenty monks at the Monastery of al-Baramus in 1088, twelve monks in 1712, nine in 1799, seven in 1842, thirty in 1905, thirty-five in 1937, twenty in 1960 and forty-six in 1970. Today, the monastery is inhabited by some fifty monks.

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