St. Paul was born in Alexandria late in the 3rd century. Once you get in, you will be captivated by its altars, candles, ostrich eggs and colorful murals. All these represent many biblical stories. The monastery has four churches, the most important of which is the underground Church of St. Paul that contains the hermit's cave and burial place. Its walls are painted with well-preserved frescoes and the ceiling is hung with ostrich eggs, which are symbols of the resurrection.
The larger Church of St. Michael has a gilded icon of John the Baptist's severed head. St. Paul's possesses many illustrated manuscripts, including the Coptic version of the Divine Liturgy and the Commentary on the Epistle of Saint Paul to Titus by John Chrysostom.