▁to ▁the ▁tor ch . ▁The ▁monaster y ▁was ▁later ▁re built ▁under ▁the ▁patron age ▁of ▁Pope ▁Gabriel ▁VII ▁of ▁Alexand ria ▁( 1 5 2 6 – 6 9 ▁AD ), ▁who ▁sent ▁ten ▁mon ks ▁from ▁the ▁Sy rian ▁Mon aster y ▁to ▁populate ▁the ▁monaster y ▁of ▁Saint ▁Paul ▁the ▁An chor ite . ▁During ▁the ▁second ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁six teenth ▁century , ▁the ▁monaster y ▁was ▁again ▁attacked ▁and ▁r ans ack ed ▁twice ▁by ▁the ▁Bed ou ins , ▁forcing ▁the ▁mon ks ▁to ▁finally ▁leave . ▁The ▁monaster y ▁remained ▁desert ed ▁for ▁the ▁following ▁ 1 1 9 ▁years , ▁only ▁to ▁be ▁rep op ulated ▁by ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁mon ks ▁from ▁the ▁Mon aster y ▁of ▁Saint ▁Anthony ▁under ▁the ▁patron age ▁of ▁Pope ▁John ▁XVI ▁of ▁Alexand ria ▁( 1 6 7 6 – 1 7 1 8 ▁AD ), ▁who ▁promoted ▁an ▁extensive ▁reconst ruction ▁of ▁the ▁monaster y ▁in ▁ 1 7 0 1 ▁AD . ▁ ▁Modern ▁history ▁The ▁modern ▁monaster y ▁has ▁three ▁different ▁churches . ▁That ▁of ▁Saint ▁Paul ▁the ▁An chor ite , ▁built ▁under ground , ▁was ▁originally ▁d ug ▁into ▁the ▁cave ▁where ▁the ▁saint ▁lived ▁and ▁where ▁his ▁remains ▁are ▁kept . ▁The ▁two ▁other ▁churches ▁are ▁named ▁after ▁Saint ▁Mercur ius ▁and ▁Arch angel ▁Michael . ▁The ▁monaster y ▁is ▁surrounded ▁by ▁high ▁walls , ▁built ▁during ▁the ▁eigh teenth ▁and ▁nin ete enth ▁centuries . ▁It ▁also ▁has ▁a ▁tower