Monday, 01 June 2026
Egypt marks annual Feast of Holy Family’s journey as heritage sites restored
Egypt on Monday marked the annual Feast of the Holy Family’s journey into the country, a celebration of one of the oldest and most significant spiritual journeys in Christian tradition.
According to church history, the Holy Family’s stay in Egypt lasted more than four years, travelling from Sinai and the Delta through Cairo and Wadi El‑Natrun, and on to Jabal al‑Tayr in Minya and the Monastery of the Virgin Mary (Deir al‑Muharraq) in Assiut. Many of these locations remain active pilgrimage sites and are central to Egypt’s Christian heritage.
The government has been implementing a national project to restore and develop 25 sites along the route. Several locations have already reopened after extensive conservation work, part of efforts to safeguard heritage and promote religious and spiritual tourism.
In 2022, UNESCO added the Egyptian celebrations linked to the Holy Family’s journey to its list of Intangible Cultural Heritage, recognising their unique spiritual, cultural and human value.
An accompanying icon from the mid‑19th century, preserved in the Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus (Abu Serga) in Old Cairo, depicts the Holy Family in Egypt and stands as an artistic record of a journey that has left a lasting imprint on the country’s history.