Anecdota Oxoniensia. Semitic series.

CHURCH OF SAINT ONUPHRIUS.

I15

son of the Shaikh 'Ilm as-Su'ada Abui 'l-Yaman, son of the Shaikh
Sani'at al-Mulk Abu 'l-Faraj ibn al-Wazir, who handed over the
management to the Shaikh Abu 'l-Makarim ibn Hanna, and to those
whom he should choose after him. This church was included within
the fortress built by Shawar the vizier, who constructed a passage
leading to the church, at which you arrive from the entrance of the
mosque of Al-Kurun', in the nearer Hamra. This mosque was built
by As-Sahri ibn Al-Hakam. To this church belonged the hegumen Fol. 34 b
Bashir ibn an-Nashr, a native of Munyat al-Umara2, who was wise and
learned, a good priest, sweet-voiced, beautiful in countenance, perfect
in stature, respected by men. The Shaikh Abu 'l-Fadl ibn al-Uskuf,
scribe of Al-Afdal Shahanshah, was assiduous in his prayers in
this church, and communicated in it; and when he had received the
eucharist, each day that he came, he threw into the plate3 a dinar for
this priest, on account of the pleasure which he took in his ministration
and the sweetness of his voice. This priest was drowned in the Bahr
al-Jizah; may God give rest to his soul!
According to Ibn 'Abd al-Hakam, whom our author is probably following,
this mosque was rebuilt by As-Sahrl (or As-Sirri) ibn al-Hakam, after it had been
burnt down, and was called Mosque of the Horns (cJ>), because its pillars
resembled horns! See Ibn Dukmak, iv. p. AI.
2 A small town in the neighbourhood of Cairo, on the road to Alexandria.
Yakut places it one parasang from the capital. It was famous for its Sunday
cattle-market, and for the wine which was made there in large quantities. Of
the latter commodity no less than 80,ooo jars are said to have been destroyed
in the inundation of A. H. 718=A. D. 1318. As it may be inferred from this
statement, most of the inhabitants were Christians. The place was also called
MIunyat al-Amir and Munyat al-Shiraj. There seem to have been two other
places called Munyat al-Amir. Mina '1-Amir is now included within the district of
Badrashain in the province of Al-Jiziyah, and had in 1885 a population of 2,935.
See Yakfit, Mushlarik, p. s. i; Revenue-list of A. D. 375 in De Sacy's Abd-Alla/tf,
pp. 599 and 676; Al-Makrizi, Ki:htat, ii. p. Ir.; Ibn Dukmak, v. p. tv; Rec. de
l' gyple, ii. p. 218. Cf. below, fol. 6I a.
For the tabak or 'plate' see Cop/ic Churches, ii. p. 33. (A. J. B.)
q 2