Every year on June 1st, Egypt honours the historic journey of the Holy Family through its lands, marking one of the oldest recorded religious travels in history. This exceptional spiritual passage began in Rafah, in the eastern flank, and passed through key locations such as Al-Farma, Tel Basta, Sakha, Samanoud, and Wadi Al-Natroun, home to renowned monasteries like St Bishoy, the Syrians, Abu Macar, and Baramos.
The Holy Family’s route also included stops at Mostord, Mary’s Tree in Al-Matariya, Al-Zuwaila Church, Abu Serga Church in Old Cairo, and Al-Maadi Church, eventually leading them to Mount El-Teir in Minya. Their journey culminated at the Monastery of Al-Muharraq in Asyut, which holds the distinction of being the first church consecrated by Jesus Christ himself.
Egyptian Christians commemorate this sacred journey through the traditional celebrations known as “Mawlid”, where large crowds gather along the Holy Family’s path to mark the occasion, with particularly high attendance at key pilgrimage sites such as the Drenka Cave, Al-Muharraq Monastery, and the Virgin Mary Church at Mount El-Teir.
The annual festivals making Holy Family’s journey through Egypt represent such a unique world heritage that has been included in the Unesco’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
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