Eternal Egypt Easter Special
Following the trail of the Holy Family in Egypt...
On Easter Sunday, Christians celebrate the resurrection of the Lord,
Jesus Christ. It is typically the most well-attended Sunday service of the
year for Christian churches. Christians believe, according to Scripture,
that Jesus came back to life, or was raised from the dead, three days after
his death on the cross. As part of the Easter season, the death of Jesus
Christ by crucifixion is commemorated on Good Friday, always the Friday just
before Easter. Through his death, burial, and resurrection, Jesus paid the
penalty for sin, thus purchasing for all who believe in him, eternal life in
Christ Jesus.
To commemorate the Easter-period, EGYPTAIR is proud to introduce a
special called the
ETERNAL EGYPT EASTER SPECIAL. This special excludes
land arrangements.
According to the Gospel of Matthew, the Holy Family (Joseph, Mary and
baby Jesus) fled Bethlehem upon hearing of King Herod's decision to have all
the first born male infants killed in order to prevent a potential threat to
his position as king. "Take the young child and his mother, and flee
into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word." (Matthew
2:13 - KJV).
The Holy Family is said to have fled to Egypt, where King Herod could
exert no political powers and subsequently, would not be able to harm baby
Jesus. Upon arriving in Egypt, the Holy Family moved locations frequently to
avoid the reach of Herod's spies. There are 26 locations throughout the
country where it is believed that the Holy Family passed through or sought
refuge during their three-and-a-half-years in hiding. They were eventually
able to safely return to Palestine after the death of King Herod.
The journey of the Holy Family in Egypt is of great importance to the
Coptic Church and all Christians across the world and its common practice
for church groups to arrange tours following along the exact path that the
Holy Family is said to have taken.
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| The stairway and cave where
the Holy Family took refuge in the Church of Abu Serga. |
The first main city that the Holy Family stopped in after arriving in
Egypt from Bethlehem was Farma, or ancient Pelusium, on the eastern
most mouth of the Nile River. Outsiders rarely visited this once thriving
old port city in the Sinai Peninsula, still host to a number of
archaeological excavations one of which unearthed and began restoring a
first century church that was built after the introduction of Christianity
to Egypt by St. Mark.
After visiting Farma, those following the path of the Holy Family will
then take to Mostorod, north of Cairo. There are remains of a church
and a cave being restored, said to have been where the Holy Family stayed
during their time there. In Tel Basta (a small town near Mostorod),
there is also a spring, which supposedly sprang from the earth upon the
arrival of the Holy Family.
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| Maadi Church where the Holy
Family boarded a sailboat. |
The third main stop was in Sakha, otherwise known as 'Pekha-Issous,'
or 'The Foot of Jesus.' The name is literally inspired by a rock with a
relief of baby Jesus. foot on it, which has been preserved and kept in Sakha
over the years.
Wadi El Natroun was the next important stopover. Boasting four
ancient monasteries (of which there were originally fifty in the area). It's
a well known attraction for religious visitors and curious tourists alike to
visit, due to the well-preserved Coptic art in the monasteries.
 |
| The Fortress of Babylon is
where several of the oldest Christian churches are built into or on
its walls. These include El-Muallaqa (the Hanging Church) and the
Greek Church of St. George. |
The fifth main point of interest is closer to Cairo, in the neighbouring
districts of Ain Shams and Matariya. The famed sycamore known
as the Virgin Mary's Tree is located there and is also said to have provided
shade for the Holy Family. There is also a balsam tree that supposedly
sprouted from the spot where Mary threw out some water that she had used to
bathe baby Jesus with.
Next on the list is Old Cairo, formerly known as Babylon, where
the Holy Family took refuge in a cave after inciting the wrath of the
governor of Babylon. The church of Abu Sirga was built on top of the site
and is a major pilgrimage attraction for Egyptians.
The very same steps that the Holy Family used to reach the water are
still present on the grounds. A notable event occurred in March when a Holy
Bible of origin was washed up to the banks of the Nile directly below the
Virgin Mary Church. It was open on the page of Isaiah 19:25, 'Blessed be
Egypt My people.' The Bible is on display in the church.
 |
| The Laurel tree near Gabl El
Teir with the uniquely inclined branches. |
The sailboat that carried the Holy Family from Maadi arrived in the
village of Deir El Garnous, however they stayed only for a short time
before heading to Gabal Al-Teir. There, the Holy Family sought refuge from
the elements in a shaded cave, where the ancient Monastery of Virgin Mary
was later built. They also passed a Laurel tree near Gabl El Teir and its
claimed that the tree bowed to Jesus Christ as He was passing. The Laurel
tree is still standing and its configuration is indeed unique; all its
branches incline downwards. It is commonly referred to as 'El Abed' or 'The
Worshipper.'
 |
| North Western view of the El
Muharraq Monastery, the first Church in Christian history. |
The Holy Family continued heading south, reportedly not staying for very
long in any village or town that they stopped to rest in. The next main
point and the one where the Holy Family resided for a period of six
months is Gebel Qussqam. Here, visitors can still visit El Muharraq
Monastery, which is where they stayed for six months. Following the death of
King Herod, an angel appeared to the Holy Family and told them it would be
safe for them to return home. The site is considered very holy to Egyptian
Copts who have nicknamed the location the "Second Bethlehem." They
did make one final stop in Assiut before retracting their path to
Palestine, and it is here where the final stop of the Holy Trail is
located.
Eight kilometres south of the center of Assiut is Mount Dronka,
which is where the Holy Family stopped to restore their strength in another
cave. A monastery was later built.
In recent years, great efforts were made to restore and preserve many of
the significant sites along the Holy Trail. NGOs, such as the St. Mark
foundation, in cooperation with government offices have succeeded in
carrying out many renovations, however there is still a great deal of work
to be done, as the number of sites along the trail is quite large.
Nevertheless, the trail taken by the Holy Family in Egypt remains a popular
attraction among Christian and curious travellers.
 |
St. Catherine's Monastery
(the largest Christian library in the world) at
the foot of Mount Sinai in the early morning. |
Tour Arrangements
EgyptAir is proud to announce the special offer called 'ETERNAL
EGYPT EASTER SPECIAL.' Each offer includes ONLY the airfares with
flights out of Johannesburg into Cairo, as well as one domestic sector in
Egypt. Land arrangements (accommodation and tours) should be requested from
your travel agent or tour operator, it is not included in these
offers.
To make arrangements for your accommodations and tours, call Cecelia at the Egypt
& Beyond office on tel: 011 678 6165/4777 or fax: 011 678 5789 or
e-mail: cecelia@egyptandbeyond.co.za
/ info@egyptandbeyond.co.za.
With her years of experience and expertise in all matters Egyptian,
Cecelia will be able to put together a wonderful and memorable tour for you!
First Offer:
Johannesburg Cairo Sharm El Shaikh Cairo
Johannesburg
Places to visit:
- Hanging Church (Coptic Cathedral)
- Ben Ezra Synagogue
- Saint Catherine
- Mount Sinai
- Sharm El Shaikh and Red Sea
Second Offer:
Johannesburg Cairo Alexandria Cairo Johannesburg
Places to visit:
- St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Cathedral of Alexandria
- Wandi El Natrun Monastery
- Alexandria Library
Third Offer:
Johannesburg Cairo Assiut Cairo Johannesburg
Places to visit:
- Church of Saint Sergius and Bacchus
- El Muharraq Monastery (Virgin Mary Monastery)
- Coptic Museum of Cairo
Fourth Offer:
Johannesburg Cairo Assiut // Aswan Cairo
Johannesburg
Places to visit:
- St. Barbara Church
- Fortress of Babylon
- Karnak Temple Complex
- Nile Cruise
- Aswan
Call Cecelia at the Egypt
& Beyond office on tel: 011 678 6165/4777 or fax: 011 678 5789 or
e-mail: cecelia@egyptandbeyond.co.za
/ info@egyptandbeyond.co.za.
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