To Cairo: Following the Trail of the Holy Family

In recent years, the Ministry of Tourism and the Coptic Church of Egypt have been actively promoting and developing a pilgrimage tour – the route of the holy family. It is proposed to walk through the baby Jesus, Virgin Mary and Joseph, who were in Egypt for several years, hiding from King Herod. The route itself stretches from North Sinai through Cairo and its suburbs to the city of Asyut, includes 25 revered places, it will take 5-8 days to fully travel the entire route (excluding North Sinai for security reasons).

Cairo and its districts occupy a significant part of the route, it begins with a visit to the tree of the Virgin Mary in Mataria, a branchy evergreen sycamore tree, in the shadow of which the Holy Family stopped to rest. The tree is not allowed to die and shoots are constantly planted, the last time it was done in 1906. Continue reading →