This came during a celebration marking the Feast of the Entry of Christ into Egypt at St. Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in Abbassia, Cairo.
"Egypt holds a unique place in Christian history because Jesus Christ himself entered and lived in the country," Pope Tawadros II said during the event, which was organized by the Monastery of the Virgin Mary at Gabal Qussqam (Al-Muharraq Monastery).
The event featured the premiere of The Second Jerusalem, a film depicting the period when Christ and the Holy Family stayed at the Al-Muharraq Monastery in Assiut.
"Christianity entered most countries around the world, but Egypt was distinguished because Christ himself entered it and lived here," Pope Tawadros said. "That is why Egypt became a blessed land filled with grace, history, and divine blessing."
The pope said the annual feast commemorates the arrival of the Holy Family in Egypt on 1 June, corresponding to 24 Bashans in the Coptic calendar, noting that the journey included 25 stations across the country.
He stressed that the Holy Family Trail has been preserved for centuries by monks and priests serving monasteries and churches located along the route.
"The trail is protected and maintained through the generations by those who live and serve in these sites," he said. "Unlike many other historical monuments, these places have remained alive and safeguarded by their communities."
The pope also highlighted Egypt's historic role as the birthplace of Christian monasticism, noting that Saint Anthony the Great, regarded as the father of monasticism, was Egyptian and that the monastic tradition later spread worldwide.
He described Al-Muharraq Monastery as one of Egypt's most important monasteries, noting that the Holy Family is believed to have stayed there for more than six months during their journey through Egypt.
The event was attended by Supreme Constitutional Court President Boulos Fahmy Eskandar, Civil Aviation Minister Sameh El-Hefny, Culture Minister Jehan Zaki, the governors of Cairo, Dakahlia, Assiut, and Beni Suef, lawmakers, ambassadors, religious leaders, public figures, and representatives of several Christian denominations.
The celebration began with a historical presentation on Al-Muharraq Monastery, followed by the signing of a commemorative document marking the premiere of The Second Jerusalem.
Pope Tawadros said the Holy Family's journey, particularly its extended stay at Al-Muharraq Monastery, represents a national heritage that deserves wider recognition both within Egypt and internationally.
He added that he frequently encourages foreign visitors to explore Egypt's monasteries, some of which date back to the fourth century AD and contain centuries of religious, historical, and cultural heritage.
According to Christian tradition, the Holy Family — Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, and Saint Joseph — fled to Egypt to escape King Herod's persecution after Christ's birth.
The journey is believed to have lasted several years and followed a route stretching from northern Sinai through the Nile Delta and Upper Egypt before the family's return to Palestine.
The route, known as the Holy Family Trail, includes around 25 sites across eight governorates, including North Sinai, Sharqia, Beheira, Cairo, Minya, and Assiut.
The trail features churches, monasteries, caves, wells, and archaeological sites associated with the family's stay in Egypt and is regarded as one of the world's most important Christian pilgrimage routes.
A key station on the route is Al-Muharraq Monastery in Assiut Governorate, where Coptic tradition holds that the Holy Family stayed for more than half a year, making it the longest stop during the journey.
The monastery is often referred to as the "Second Jerusalem" for its spiritual significance and association with the Holy Family's stay.
Over the past decade, Egypt has intensified efforts to develop and promote the Holy Family Trail as a major religious, cultural, and tourism destination.
The government has undertaken restoration, infrastructure, and visitor-service projects at several sites along the route as part of a broader strategy to diversify Egypt's tourism offerings beyond traditional archaeological attractions.
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