Qasr Mustafa Kashef

Qasr Mustafa Kashef, also known as Deir (monastery) Mustafa Kashef, is said to have its name from a Mamluk governor of Kharga (Mustafa the Tax Collector). It is located one kilometre north of Bagawat. The remains on the site all date to the Coptic period and consist of monastic buildings, a church and a travellers’ lodge. Before the Christians built here, the site was occupied by people in the Middle Kingdom and the Roman period and the monastery is built over an ancient tomb. The building has two entrances, one in the north and another in the south. Inside is a church with inscriptions from the 5th and 6th centuries on the ceiling. The ruins of two Roman temples were also found on the site (CISS Inventory 2010).

Site coordinates: N 25 29 345 E 30 33 122