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The Flight to Egypt: Maria's route through the lands of the Nile

Egypt

According to the Gospel of Matthew (2:13-15), the Holy Family fled to Egypt to escape the Massacre of the Innocents ordered by Herod. Coptic tradition has preserved for centuries a route of places associated with that stay, making Egypt a Marian land par excellence.

The angelic mandate

The evangelist Matthew recounts how an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child to kill him” (Mt 2:13). Tradition places their departure from Bethlehem in the middle of winter, with Mary, Joseph, and the Child embarking on a journey of more than 600 kilometers across the Sinai Desert.

Matariya-Heliopolis: The Tree of the Virgin

The first great place of Marian memory in Egypt is Maviticityin the current Heliopolis district, north-east of Cairo. The Coptic tradition tells us that the Holy Family rested in the shadow of a sycomore and that Mary washed the clothes of the Child Jesus in a spring that sprung miraculously. The so-called "Tree of the Virgin" (Shajaret Mariam) is venerated from ancient times by Christians and Muslims. The present tree, a sycomore surrounded by a gate, is located on the outskirts of the Coptic Church of San Sergio and San Baco.

The Coptic Quarter of Cairo: The Hanging Church

In the heart of the Coptic neighborhood of Cairo, the Pendant Church (Al-Mu’allaqa), dedicated to the Virgin Mary and built on the ancient Roman fortress of Babylon. The tradition here places a stay of the Sagrada Familia. It is one of the oldest churches in Egypt (III-IV century) and retains a Coptic 8th century Marian icon known as the Theotokos.

The Church of Saint Sergius (Abu Sarga)

The church of San Sergio and San Baco, known as Abu Sarga, it was built on the cave where, according to tradition, the Holy Family slept. It is considered one of the oldest churches in Cairo (IV-V century) and its crypt is a place of constant pilgrimage.

The journey to Upper Egypt

Coptic tradition describes a progressive journey of the Holy Family southward:

• Mostorod (north of Cairo): where Mary would have washed the children's clothes.
• Belbeis (Delta): resting point on the road.
• Poverty (Western Delta): where a stone is preserved with the mark of the Child Jesus.
• Wadi El Natrun: desert that would later host the great Coptic monasteries.
• Asiut: city of Upper Egypt where the Holy Family would have remained extensively.

The Monastery of Al-Muharraq

El Monastery of the Virgin of Al-Muharraqlocated at the foot of the Qusqam mountain, near Asiut, is the highlight of the Marian route. The Coptic tradition states that the Holy Family lived here six months and eleven days, and that it was the last place they left before returning to Palestine after Herod's death. The monastery, one of the oldest in Egypt (4th century), is a great pilgrimage center every summer.

Dronka: the grotto of the Virgin

A few kilometers from Asiut, el Dronka Monastery it conserves the grotto where the Sagrada Familia allegedly took refuge. On August 15 (Asunción de María) there is one of Egypt's greatest Marian pilgrimages, with tens of thousands of Coptic faithful.

The return to Palestine

According to Matthew 2:19-20, another angel appeared to Joseph in Egypt to announce Herod's death and command him to return. Coptic tradition marks the return route, which would have passed through the same places in reverse. The Feast of the Return is celebrated on June 1st in the Coptic calendar.

Marian meaning of Egypt

The Holy Family's stay gives Egypt a unique Marian character:

• Egypt is called "the Land of the Theotokos" in the Coptic tradition.
• Thousands of Coptic churches and monasteries bear the invocation of the Virgin Mary.
• Marian devotion is the strongest point of union between the Coptic Orthodox Church and the Coptic Catholic Church.
• Muslims and Christians share the veneration by Maryam (Mary) and the places of La Huida.

Modern pilgrimage

In 2017, the Egyptian government officially Sagrada Familia Route in Egypt as a tourist-religious itinerary, with signs and protection of the main places. It is an unprecedented interreligious dialogue project in the Arab world.

Prayer for the Christians of Egypt

Lord Jesus, who with Mary and Joseph fled to Egypt and sanctified that land with your presence, today protects the Christians of Egypt who guard the places of your childhood. May the Virgin Mary, who walked on the banks of the Nile carrying you in her arms, intercede for the peace and freedom of the Coptic Church. May the sanctuaries of your flight be headlights of hope for all peoples. Amen.