Every year on 1 June, together with the whole world, Copts celebrate a journey recorded in the Bible and Egyptian popular literature. It is the longest and most famous escape in world history, undertaken in fear of the cruel tyrant, Herod, who — scared that the awaited Jewish king should be among them — murdered the children of Bethlehem. According to Jewish law, on coming, that king would take away all earthly power but eventually turn against his iwn throne.
On this occasion, the famous cyclist Amr Selim embarked on a bike journey to the places visited by the Holy Family in the Nile valley. Their trip lasted three years, but he undertook it in over 20 separate days over a period of months. His aim was to document and familiarise Coptic Egyptians with those holy places that Egypt’s Ministry of Antiquities and Tourism has registered as tourist sites.
“The Holy Family Flight into Egypt” is the title of Selim’s book, recently published by Ida’at press. In 78 pages, using simple langauge, he conveys the most important impressions of his journey as an Egyptian citizen.
In the introduction, Selim reminds us of the reason for the flight of the Holy Family, as the angel of the Lord told St Joseph, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy him.” (Matt 2: 13).
The flight began from Bethlehem, passing through Gaza and then to the city of Farama, where many Coptic artefacts have been discovered, such as a circular church, of which there are only four in existence. Farama is a resting spot on the long journey before reaching Tel Basta.
The archaeological site is associated with the city of Zagazig, some 35 kilometers from Belbeis. This place is considered the first stop of the Holy Family in Egypt, where they stayed for five months. Named after the goddess Bastet, or the cat, Tel Basta remained, for a long time, a sacred place — with its temple, its ruins, and its role in spreading wisdom. On entering this venue, now an open museum, you will notice many broken stones that are said to be idols that shattered on seeing the Holy Family: the Child Jesus, His mother Mary, and St Joseph.
Among those stones is the restored statue of Queen Meritamun, daughter of Ramses II, made of limestone, the tallest known statue of a crowned Egyptian queen in history. That open museum contains many artefacts that reflect the history of the governorate. Because the people of the city refused to give the Family water, as they were strangers, the Child Jesus created a fresh water well from which they drank.
The Holy Family then headed to Gharbiya Governorate where, in the city of Samanoud, the Church of the Virgin Mary and St Abanoub is located. They rested in that place for 17 days, and the people of the city welcomed them so enthusiastically that everyone called on the Family to stay in their house. The church was named after the Virgin Mary and the martyr Abanoub, whose relics were brought to it in the fourth century. The current church was built in the Byzantine style with a central dome and several other domes around it.
Visitors can also see the large dough bowl with ehich the people of Samanoud gifted the Virgin Mary to help her bake. Stepping past the entrance of the Church, visitors will be thrilled to see images of the 8,000 martyrs; the largest number martyred in one day, when the Roman Emperor Decius ordered their execution, turning the streets of Samanoud into pools of blood.
Selim says, “At one of the Holy Family’s sites, the Church of Sakha welcomed us just as it welcomed the Holy Family for about seven days. The church possesses a stone from which water flowed, and the footprint of Christ is imprinted on it, still present to this day. The stone that bears the footprint of the Child Jesus is 80 cm in length, and the place is named Beikha Isous in Coptic, that is “Jesus’s foot”.
The church dates back to the fourth century AD, built on the site of a monastery called the Monastery of the Baptism, which was submerged in water. The church was restored but later demolished until Muhammad Ali ordered its reconstruction in 1846, preserving its archaeological character.
Selim’s next stop was Naba al-Hamra, literally the Red Spring, so called because its water turns red in summer. Located in Wadi al-Natrun, this place is completely different. Unlike other places visited by the Holy Family, where there are established churches and monasteries, this place is open for visits.
It is the second saltiest lake in the world after the Dead Sea. When the Holy Family arrived, St Mary sought a source of freshwater for the Child Jesus to drink, and a spring of fresh water emerged from a quantity of the lake’s water, set aside. This spring still exists today and many people visit it to seek healing.
The next stop was the ancient tree of Mary in Matariya, located in northern Cairo near the obelisk of Senusret in the city of Oun, one of the oldest in Egypt. On entering the site, visitors see a large well and a depiction of the Holy Family on the walls, as well as a large tree surrounded by a small fence. It is said that this tree is a descendant of the tree where the Holy Family rested, as the original tree weakened and fell in 1656. A group of priests took a branch from this tree and replanted it, allowing it to grow anew, and then they took another branch and planted it next to the original tree, which is now thriving with leaves and fruit.
History records that, during the French campaign in Egypt, French soldiers visited St Mary’s tree and many of them carved their names into its branches with the tips of their swords, which is still visible today.
The Islamic historian Al-Maqrizi, who lived in the mid-15th century, noted that the Holy Family stopped near Ain Shams, close to Matariya, where they rested by a spring, and Mary washed the Child Jesus’ clothes there. The water in that area caused the balsam plant to grow.
In the downtown area, Selim reached the Ramses area and arrived at Claude Baik street, where the Old Cathedral headquarter once lay. There, he visited Al-Izbawiya, the site of a watermelon miracle. A farmer planting seeds hosted the Family, and Mary promised a blessing. The next day, watermelons had fully ripened.
When Herod’s soldiers arrived, the farmer’s account misled them into believing the Family had passed months earlier. In this place, a beautiful small church was built inside a great building, containing an ancient icon of the Virgin Mary called the Icon of Miracles, to which people make pilgrimages from all over the world. It is said to be one of the three icons painted by Saint Luke, the author of one of the four Gospels.
At the Church of Abu Serga in Old Cairo—part of the religious complex of Fustat—the Holy Family found refuge in a cave. The basilica-style church features 12 columns, some taken from ancient pagan temples. One column without a capital symbolizes Judas. The cave where they hid and drank from a sacred well is accessible via stairs.
In Maadi, the Church of the Virgin Mary stands on the Nile’s eastern bank. Known for its beautiful Nile view, it includes a convent and ancient icons. In 1976, a Bible was found floating near the church, opened to the verse: “Blessed is my people Egypt.” From this spot, the Family crossed the Nile to Memphis (Mit Rahina), heading towards Upper Egypt.
Selim then travelled to Minya to visit Mount al-Tair, where the Holy Family stayed in a cave for three days. Climbing the 166 stone steps, he reached the monastery carved into the mountain. It’s called Mount al-Kaf (“Palm Mountain”) in reference to the fact that Jesus stopped a falling rock with His hand, leaving a print. The altar and church were built by Queen Helena in 328 AD.
In Banhasa, known as the land of martyrs, Selim visited a sacred tree that once sheltered the Holy Family. Nearby is the shrine of the Seven Daughters and the mosque of Sidi Al-Jamal, where Muslim and Christian heritage harmoniously converge.
The final and longest stop was the Monastery of Al-Muharraq in Assiut, where the Family stayed for 185 days. The monastery features a fortress built in 481 AD to protect monks, with well-designed ventilation and defense structures. The ancient church here is built over the house that St Joseph had built. It also houses a fourth-century icon of the Archangel Michael and an altar dating to the sixth century.
The monastery’s name, Al-Muharra, means “burned” or “scorched,” referring to nearby grass-burning areas. Its significance is referenced in Isaiah 19:19: “In that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt…”
After Herod died, an angel appeared to Joseph again, instructing him to return. On their return journey, the Family stopped at what is now the Monastery of Durunka in Assiut. Located 10 kilometers from the city on a high mountain, it includes churches and the ancient Cave Church dating to 2500 BC. The Holy Family stayed here for three weeks before returning via the Nile.
Through his travels, Selim shared moments of struggle, rest, hospitality, and spiritual reflection, making the Holy Family’s Flight feel vivid and present.
The book offers heartfelt insights but lacks a Biblical exploration of the journey and makes no reference to ancient and popular books that have conveyed and recorded the places and the miracles.
In addition, it would benefit from referencing what the monasteries and churches visited by the Holy Family have published regarding the description of the churches and ancient relics with which Egyptians are blessed, as well as documenting the observations and lived experiences of people when they visit these sacred places which Copts believe to be significant for them and for all of Egypt.
This unique work was introduced by Sami Sabri, the former dean of the Institute of Coptic Studies and a professor of architecture at the Faculty of Engineering, who writes, “The traveler Amr Selim has made an outstanding physical effort using his bicycle, covering a distance of over a thousand kilometers in 20 days across various phases. He has proven to be a successful writer and a distinguished traveler who achieved a noble goal, all in record time.”
* A version of this article appears in print in the 29 May, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
Short link: