The Journey of the Holy Family through Egypt
The arrival of Jesus Christ and the Holy Family is one of the most important events to take place on the territory of our beloved Egypt during its long history.
At that time, there were three routes from Palestine to Egypt. The Holy Family, on their way from Palestine to Egypt, followed none of these known routes but took a special one because it was obvious that to escape the threat of King Herod, they had to take another, unknown route, which God and his angel led them to.
The route that Mary, Joseph, and the infant Jesus traveled when they attempted to leave Bethlehem from King Herod's persecution is known as the Holy Family Route in Egypt. When Herod issued the command to slaughter newborns, the Holy Family was sent into exile in Egypt. They wandered several parts of Egypt, taking shelter at different places, which have now become holy sites for pilgrims.
The journey started from Bethlehem, in Gaza, to Zaranik, located between the towns of Al-Ariche and Port Said. It entered the town of Tel Basta near Zagazig in Sharkiya governorate, then headed south to Mostorod. Then the family moved north to Belbeis, still in Sharkiya.
The next station was in the city of Samanoud. From the city of Samanoud, the Holy Family went northwest in the region of Borullus to Sakha, Khast, and Bekha Isos (currently in the governorate of Kafr El-Sheikh). Then it headed south to Wadi al-Natroun. From Wadi El-Natroun, the Holy Family headed south towards the city of Cairo and crossed the Nile on the east side, heading for Al-Matariya and Ain Shams. In Matariya, the Holy Family took refuge under a tree called “the Tree of Mary.”
Then the Holy Family went to Old Cairo. The area of Old Cairo is considered one of the most important stations of the Holy Family during its trip to Egypt. The Virgin Mary and her son subsequently took a sailboat on the Nile southward to Upper Egypt, from where the church of the Virgin Mary, known as Al-Adawiya, is now located, because from there the Holy Family crossed the Nile to the Upper Nile. Egypt, hence the name of Maadi, and the stone ladder on which the Holy Family descended still exists on the bank of the Nile.
Countless churches and shrines are a testament to this journey within Egypt, marking areas where it is believed the Holy Family stopped or performed miracles.