“When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. ‘Get up,’ he said, ‘take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.’”

“So, he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘Out of Egypt I called my son.” (St Matthew’s Gospel 2:13-15)

For centuries, Egypt has been revered as a land of refuge, history, and spiritual significance. Among its profound religious narratives, the journey of the Holy Family — of the Virgin Mary, Joseph, and the infant Jesus — stands out as a unique chapter of faith, endurance, and divine intervention.

Their sojourn through Egypt, as they fled from King Herod’s persecution, not only left a lasting spiritual legacy but also marked the land with sites of miraculous significance.

Today, the Holy Family Trail in Egypt is more than a path; it is a pilgrimage through time, a reminder of the shared stories that bind humanity, and a testament to Egypt’s enduring role as a cradle of civilisations.

The trail spans approximately 3,500 km, passing through 25 sites in 11 governorates, offering a unique blend of religious reverence, historical exploration, and natural beauty.

The late Coptic Pope Shenouda III approved itineraries drawn up for Christian pilgrims in 2000. During an audience in St Peter’s in Rome in 2017, Roman Catholic Pope Francis blessed an icon by a Vatican artist representing the Holy Family’s flight into Egypt and effectively also gave his blessing to the millions of Christians around the world who may want to follow in the Holy Family’s footsteps.

The Holy Family’s flight to Egypt is closely linked to numerous archaeological sites. They travelled south from Palestine, avoiding major roads to evade capture, and entered Egypt through modern-day Rafah. A lone sycamore tree is said to mark their entry point, reputedly surviving since their visit.

The Holy Family reached Arish and followed the ancient Horus Road along the Mediterranean coast to Zaraniq, where three churches were later built during the Byzantine era. They then proceeded to Al-Mohamedeya, eventually arriving at Pelusium, now the ruins of Tel Al-Farama on the northwest edge of the Nile Delta. Archaeologists have uncovered remnants of Roman churches at this site.

Continuing south along the now-dry Pelusiac branch of the Nile, they stopped in Bubastis, modern-day Tel Basta near Zagazig. They later visited Mostorod, where tradition holds that the Virgin Mary bathed Jesus. The Virgin Mary Church in Mostorod, built in the 12th century, has been recently restored. Turning northward, they travelled to Bilbeis and then to Damietta, where they crossed the Nile by ferry to Samanoud. From there, they journeyed further north to Borollos.

In the western Delta town of Sakha, the Virgin Mary is believed to have pressed her son’s footprint into a rock, now preserved as a relic in a local church. The family continued to Wadi Al-Natroun in the Western Desert, where monastic communities were later established. Their journey then took them to modern-day Cairo, where they stopped at Ain Shams and Matariya. Here, they sheltered beneath the Virgin Mary Tree, associated with a spring said to have miraculously appeared.

The family’s next stops included Al-Zeitoun and Al-Zweila before reaching Old Cairo, where they hid in a cave that became the crypt of the Church of St Sergius. In Maadi, they visited the site now known as the Virgin’s Church of the Ferry, where they crossed the Nile to Memphis.

From there, they took a boat to Upper Egypt, with their first stop on the west bank of the Nile near Ashnein Al-Nassara at a site called Al-Garnous. A well believed to have provided water to the family still exists near the 19th-century Church of the Virgin Mary in Deir Al-Garnous.

Their journey continued to Al-Bahnasa, Samalout, and Gabal Al-Teir, where they took shelter in a cave now covered by an ancient church. The family then travelled to Al-Ashmounein, Armant, and Dairout before crossing the Nile again to Al-Qusseya.

They ventured east into the desert to Mount Qussqam, where they stayed for six months and 10 days. This site, later the Al-Muharraq Monastery, is considered one of the most significant stops on their journey. Known as “the second Bethlehem,” the monastery includes the cave where the family stayed, now the altar of the Church of the Virgin Mary.

According to Ahmed Al-Nemr, a specialist in Coptic antiquities with the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, an angel appeared to Joseph in Assiut, instructing him to return to Palestine as King Herod had died. The Holy Family likely sailed down the Nile to Memphis, passing through locations like Maadi, Babylon, and Heliopolis before crossing the desert back to Palestine and eventually settling in Nazareth.

While not all these locations are archaeological sites, they hold deep religious, social, and cultural significance tied to the Holy Family’s journey. Key archaeological sites associated with their path include the Virgin Mary Tree in Matariya, the Church of St Sergius in Old Cairo, the monasteries of Wadi Al-Natroun, the Church of the Virgin Mary at Gabal Al-Teir in Minya, and the Al-Muharraq Monastery in Assiut.

Today, the government is working diligently to preserve and promote the Holy Family’s sacred journey in Egypt, aiming to establish the Holy Family Trail as a cornerstone of spiritual tourism and cultural heritage.

All the archaeological sites on the path have been restored, and many others have been developed, making them more tourist friendly through providing facilities and services to visitors.

Over the past six years, several further sites have been opened to the public, marking a significant step in the ongoing project to revive the trail of the Holy Family in Egypt and enhancing the quality of services provided to visitors.

This represents another milestone in the development of the Holy Family Trail, which has already seen the inauguration of key stops, including Sakha in Kafr Al-Sheikh, Tel Basta in Sharqiya, Samanoud in Gharbiya, the Wadi Al-Natroun Monasteries in Beheira, and Gabal Al-Teir in Minya.

The project focuses on upgrading facilities and installing infrastructure to support visitors tracing the Holy Family’s journey through Egypt. Beyond attracting pilgrims, the initiative aims to foster development in underprivileged areas and communities across the Delta and Upper Egypt, restore archaeological sites, and ensure modern amenities for travellers at each stop along the trail.

This effort is part of a broader strategy to promote spiritual tourism, offering year-round appeal rather than being limited to specific seasons.

Among the inaugurated sites are the following:

The Virgin Mary Tree in Matariya: Planted as a result of a miracle. According to the 5th-century Coptic Pope Theophilus, Joseph carried a wooden walking stick that the infant Jesus broke into pieces. Joseph then buried the fragments at a site in what is now Matariya. When Joseph placed his hand on the ground, a spring miraculously gushed forth beside a sycamore tree that had offered shade and respite to the Holy Family. The fragments of the stick sprouted, releasing a fragrant aroma, while Jesus drank from the spring. The area soon flourished with balsam trees.

Centuries later, the Arab historian Al-Maqrizi, writing in the mid-15th century, described the Holy Family’s time in Matariya. He recounted that they settled by a stream where the Virgin Mary washed Jesus’s clothes. The water from the stream overflowed, irrigating the land and encouraging the growth of balsam trees. Al-Maqrizi noted that the balsam oil from these trees became highly prized, particularly for use in baptism.

A local legend tells of a miraculous event during their stay. When the Holy Family were pursued by two brigands, the sycamore tree’s trunk opened to hide them, allowing them to escape. This tree is also believed to possess healing properties, leading pilgrims to take its branches over the years. Nearby, the spring where the Virgin Mary is said to have bathed Jesus is similarly associated with miraculous healing powers.

Today, the Virgin Mary Tree site in Matariya serves as both an archaeological and spiritual attraction. The site features the ancient sycamore tree, a nearby well, and several stone water basins. A modern visitor centre has been established to enhance the experience, featuring interactive screens that provide information about the Holy Family’s journey in Egypt, restoration projects, and related monuments. A short film narrating the Holy Family’s story is also shown.

The site includes a small museum displaying religious icons, artefacts, and a photogrammetric map of other locations linked to the Holy Family in Egypt. As part of recent development efforts, a wooden fence now protects the sycamore tree, and the well has been cleaned and reopened. Upgrades to the surrounding roads, the addition of eco-friendly recycling bins, sunshades, wooden seating, and a landscaped garden have improved the site for visitors. New lighting, security systems, and descriptive signage have also been installed.

Tourist services now include brochures in both English and Arabic, as well as materials for visually impaired visitors. The Virgin Mary Tree site stands as a testament to the Holy Family’s journey and its enduring significance in Egyptian history and culture.

The Gabal Al-Teir Church at the Virgin Mary Monastery in Minya: It is where the Holy Family stayed for three days during their journey in Egypt, and is another stop on the trail.

The monastery was inaugurated after the completion of its restoration and development over four years. Worshippers and visitors to the monastery will be able to enjoy not only the serenity of the area but also the distinguished architecture and wonderful view out across the Nile Valley with its carefully cultivated fields and lush palm groves.  

The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities has allocated LE7.5 million for its development to upgrade the facilities and infrastructure installed to assist visitors following the route of the Holy Family’s sojourn in Egypt. Roads leading to it have been extended and paved, sunshades, seats, and signage have been installed, and landscaping work has been done on the area surrounding the monastery.

The Church of the Virgin Mary at Gabal Al-Teir was built in 328 CE by the Byzantine Empress Helena, mother of the Emperor Constantine, in memory of the passage of the Holy Family in Egypt.

In 1938, Severus, the Bishop of Minya, restored the church and removed the original stone roof in order to enlarge it. The church consists of a nave with three sanctuaries and two side aisles and a western return aisle separated from each other by 10 rock-cut columns. On the south side of the church, the baptismal font is carved out of a column. The area in front of the middle sanctuary serves as a choir.

The restoration project at the monastery and church began in 2018 and lasted for four years until their inauguration in 2022. The work was carried out in two phases, the first covering the western corridor. The second includes the southern corridor. The work has included the restoration of the walls and ceiling of the church, removing cracks, consolidating the walls, and repairing the bell in the tower and the building’s four arcades and domes.

The façades of the church have been mechanically cleaned, and the modern mosaic set up in 1987 on the eastern wall of its southern entrance has been replaced with another showing the journey of the Holy Family.

The Monasteries of Wadi Al-Natroun in Beheira: They include the Syrian, St Pishoy, and Paromeos Monasteries. Development work here has included the paving of roads leading to points on the Holy Family Trail, new landscaping, the installation of a new lighting system, and new signage, seats, and sunshades.

The restoration work carried out at the Wadi Al-Natroun Monasteries since 2016 has included the restoration of the Al-Sheyoukh and Abasekhiron Churches at the St Macarius Monastery and the restoration of the St Pishoy Church, the monks’ cells, and the mill and outer wall of the St Pishoy Monastery.

The main church at the Paromeos Monastery and its eastern outer wall and monks’ cells were also restored, along with the Virgin Mary Chapel and 14 other chapels at the Syrian Monastery. Facilities are being upgraded and infrastructure installed to assist visitors.

The Syrian Monastery was originally built during the 6th century CE in the aftermath of a theological dispute between the monks of the neighbouring St Pishoy Monastery over the incorruptibility of the body of Christ. The monks, who refused to abide by the so-called “Julian heresy” that spread in Egypt during the papacy of Pope Timothy III of Alexandria, left the monastery and established a duplicate one and called it the Monastery of the Holy Virgin Theotokos.

The St Pishoy Monastery was founded in the 4th century CE on the spot where the bodies of St Pishoy and St Paul, Coptic saints, lie in the main church along with those of other saints.

The monastery has five churches, the main one being named after St Pishoy. The others are named after Mary Abaskhiron, the soldier saint St George, and the Archangel Michael. The monastery is surrounded by walls built in the 5th century to protect it against attacks by Berbers. A keep was built early in the 20th century and was later replaced by a four-storey structure built by the late Pope Shenouda III.

The monastery also contains the Well of the Martyrs, which according to a Coptic tradition was used as a burial place for the bodies of 49 martyrs killed by the Berbers. Tradition says that the Berbers also washed their swords in the well after the assassinations.

The Paromeos Monastery is probably the oldest among the four existing Monasteries of Wadi Al-Natroun. It was founded by St Macarius the Great, and its name refers to the saints Maximus and Domitius, children of the Roman Emperor Valentinian I, who had cells in the present monastery rebuilt in the 5th century CE after the destruction of the old one by the Berbers.

The monastery still preserves much of its ancient character and has five churches. The oldest is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and dates back to the 6th century. The second is dedicated to St Theodore of Amasea, the third to St George, the fourth to St John the Baptist, and the fifth to the Archangel Michael.

It also contains a keep, a tower, two refectories, and a guest house.

The Tel Basta site in the Sharkia Governorate: It contains the site of a well that the Holy Family used, which is located in the middle of an archaeological area surrounding it.

A set of information panels had been installed, palm trees cultivated in the vicinity of the archaeological site, and signs that list the contents of the site installed. There are also pergolas and umbrellas. The toilets have been renewed and the internal exhibition hall with advanced technological components to display the contents of the archaeological site rehabilitated.

Wooden sunshades and seats in the outdoor courtyard align with the overall ambiance of the area. Informational and directional signs have been installed. A modern lighting system has also been added and parking spaces and a pedestrian walkway for visitors have been provided.

The Church of the Virgin Mary in Sakha in Kafr Al-Sheikh: The street leading to the church has been upgraded, including repaving the pavements, installing waste bins, and converting the street into a pedestrian-only zone. The facades of buildings along both sides of the road leading to the church have been repainted and illuminated, and palm trees have been planted along the main pathway of the Trail.

The history of the church site dates back to the 4th century CE, when it was known as the Monastery of the Baptism. The church was built in the same area where the Holy Family stayed, adjacent to a Roman baptistery. A monastery, later named the Monastery of the Baptism, was established and remained inhabited by monks. In the 11th century, the church was restored by order of the Fatimid Caliph Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah.

However, in the 16th century, the church was destroyed and remained in ruins until Muhammad Ali Pasha ordered its reconstruction in 1846. In 1968, the nave of the Church was rebuilt. During the reconstruction process, the remains of several saints were discovered, including Saint Patriarch Anba Severus of Antioch and Saint Anba Zacharias, Bishop of Sakha in the 7th century CE.

* A version of this article appears in print in the 9 January, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly