Looking at the Wadi el-Natroun monasteries in the middle of the desert, one is aware the asceticism of Egypt's first Christians. The so-called "Mosque of the Syrians" (6C) stands behind high walls. Its main church is home to remarkable Byzantine frescoes glorifying the Virgin Mary. Note also the rood screen that separates the sanctuary from the chancel: the ebony panels inlayed with ivory tell the story of the seven ages of the Christian era.