| Deir al-Garnus | |
| Native Name: | دير الجرنوس |
| Native Name Lang: | ar |
| Pushpin Map: | Egypt |
| Pushpin Label Position: | bottom |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in Egypt |
| Coordinates: | 28.61°N 30.7067°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: |  Egypt |
| Subdivision Type1: | Governorate |
| Subdivision Name1: | Minya |
| Unit Pref: | Metric |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Timezone1: | EST |
| Utc Offset1: | +2 |
Deir el-Garnus (Arabic: دير الجرنوس) is a village in Upper Egypt near Maghagha. It is located in Minya Governorate on the shore of Bahr Yussef and has a predominantly Coptic Christian population of 6 504 people.[1] [2]
Deir means "monastery" and el-Garnus comes from an older name of the village Arganus, which probably comes from [3] and refers to the ancient Nilometer in the village. In some texts the monastery is called Pei-Isous, Beyt Isus or Deir Bisus, all meaning "house of Jesus".
The modern village developed from a monastery visited by the Holy Family during their Flight into Egypt on their way to Hermopolis. The legend says that Jesus dug a well with water that cured every disease. It was also believed to foretell the height of the annual Nile's inundation. The church of the Holy Virgin was built on a site of this well in the 6th century (now ruined, the modern church was built around 1870, but the remains of the old church are still present),[4] and the festival was held on the 25th of Pashons to predict the Nile's flooding. Another festival attended by thousands of pilgrims is celebrated on 15th and 16th of Mesori.[5]