Tourism promotes the Holy Family Trail in Oued Natroun

Engineer Adel El-Gendy, Director General of the General Administration of Strategic Management at the Ministry of Tourism, said: The Ministry of Antiquities and the National Coordinator of the Project to Revive the Holy Family’s Journey pointed out that the itinerary of the Holy Family’s journey in Egypt includes 25 points that the Holy Family passed through during its journey in Egypt, and the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities has completed the development of these points and ensured that they are ready to operate and receive visitors, stressing that the production The promotional content for Wadi El-Natroun is a continuation of the series of virtual tours to promote the trail, which began with a tour of the Jabal al-Tair area in Minya. It also represents an important transitional stage for the project, which is the international tourism promotion of the trail. He pointed out that Wadi El-Natroun is an integrated tourism component that includes the 4 most important and largest monasteries, not only on the trail but also at the global level.

Learn about the monasteries of Wadi El-Natroun: 

– The Monastery of Anba Makar

It is located to the southwest of the Monastery of Anba Bishoy. Facing the southwestern entrance to Sadat City, and on the edge of the Wadi El-Natroun depression, it is attributed to Anba Makar, a student of Anba Anthony, the founder of the Christian monastic order. The total area of ​​the monastery is about 11.34 km2.  The monastery contains seven churches; Three of them are inside the monastery and four are on top of the monastery’s fortress. There are also dwellings for the monks known as qalali, as well as a table for the monks attached to a kitchen, and annexed to the monastery is a library containing rare manuscripts and books. This monastery is considered one of the most important monasteries in Wadi El-Natroun, as the holy books were translated from Greek into Coptic and from Coptic into Ethiopian.

– Deir el-Syrian< /p>

It is located (500 meters) northwest of the Monastery of Anba Bishoy. Although it is currently the smallest of the monasteries in Wadi El-Natroun, it is the most famous among clergy and literature in most countries of the world. Its name goes back to a group of Syriac monks who settled in it in 984 AD. The beginning of the monastery dates back to the fourth century AD, as the monastery includes a group of archaeological buildings that include a fortress, three major churches named after the Virgin Mary, the second in the cave named after the Virgin Mary, and the third named after the Archangel Michael, a group of cells for the monks to live in, and the tree of St. Ephrem the Syrian.

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– The Monastery of Anba Bishoy

It is located next to the Monastery of Al-Suryan, and it is about 10 km away from the Monastery of Abu Makar, and is attributed to Saint " Bishop Bishoy" He was a student of Saint Macarius, one of the ascetic leaders in the valley. The establishment of the monastery dates back to the late fourth century AD, and it was rebuilt around the year 840 AD. The monastery includes a group of buildings that include five churches, including the Church of Bishop Bishoy, the Church of Pope Benjamin II, the Church of the Martyr Abskhiron and the Baptistery, and the Church of St. George. As for the western sea corner of the building, there are rooms and storerooms used for chrism, and to the west of the Great Church and its annexes is the Round Table with its five domes. The monastery also includes a huge fortress consisting of three floors with a number of rooms and two churches.

– Al-Baramos Monastery

It is located At the northwestern end of Wadi El-Natroun, on an area of ​​about 14 km west of the “Cairo-Alexandria” desert road, it dates back to the fourth century AD, and is named after the Monastery of the Virgin Mary “Parmus.” In reference to the naming of the ancient church after the Virgin Mary, whose construction dates back to the time of Saint Macarius, when the first monastic group was formed in the Wadi Natroun region.  The monastery includes several landmarks, including the ancient church, named after the Virgin Mary. It is considered one of the oldest churches in Wadi El-Natroun. It also follows the basilica plan, which consists of three sections: the courtyard, the choir, and the structures that include various architectural and artistic elements, such as the nabel and the laqan basin. The walls of the courtyard are decorated with a group of wall drawings, the most important of which is a depiction of The Annunciation, the Nativity, the entry into Jerusalem, and the most important events of the life of Jesus Christ. It also includes a table, a fort, and a valuable library containing a large collection of manuscripts and books in different ancient languages. The monastery contains the relics of Saints Maximus and Demadeus, as well as the relics of two famous early monks, Bishop Moses the Black and Father Isidoros.

It is worth noting that the ministry, represented by the body, was launched in the month of October   The past is a virtual tour of the Jabal al-Tair area in Minya Governorate, which is one of the important points on the Holy Family’s itinerary in Egypt.