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When Herod sought the child's life, an angel warned Joseph to take Mary and Jesus to Egypt (Matthew 2:13-15).
Egyptian tradition traces their journey through many places where churches and monasteries now stand. These include Coptic Cairo and the crypt at Abu Serga, the tree of Mary at Matariya where they are said to have rested, and sites further south along the Nile.
In 2017 the route was recognised as an official pilgrimage trail.
The flight into Egypt reminds us that the Lord himself was once a refugee, carried to safety in a foreign land that welcomed him.
For Egyptian Christians it is a point of deep pride that their country sheltered the child Jesus. Pilgrims follow the trail to walk, in part, the road the Holy Family walked, and to honour the quiet years the Gospels pass over in silence.
What is the Holy Family trail? The route of the flight into Egypt described in Matthew 2.
Is it an official pilgrimage? Yes, the route was officially recognised in 2017.
What are the main stops? Coptic Cairo, Abu Serga, Matariya, and sites along the Nile.
Holy Sites
Tell us which sites you hope to see and we will shape a journey around them.
