Egypt wants 'Way of the Holy Family' declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Source: Fides News

The Egyptian Ministry for Antiquities has produced a publication, in English and Arabic, of an illustrated booklet on the 'Way of the Holy Family', listing the places visited - according to tradition - by Mary, Joseph and the child Jesus when they found refuge in Egypt to escape the violence of Herod. The dossier, entitled 'Stations of the Journey of the Holy Family' is one of the initiatives of the Egyptian authorities add the 'Way' of the Holy Family into the list of sites recognised as 'World Heritage' by UNESCO. They also hope to increase tourism to Egypt.

The file contains documentation and photos of such places as the monasteries of Wadi Natrun, the so-called 'Maria's Tree' in the el Matariya (suburb of Cairo), the Church of the Virgin Mary in Jabal al-Tayr (province of Minya). Also, the monastery of Deir al Muharraq, in the governorate of Assiut, where the Holy Family, according to local tradition, settled for more than six months in a cave, later incorporated into the ancient Church of the Virgin.

Khaled al Anani, Egyptian Minister of Antiquities, underlined in recent public speeches the historical and ecclesial relevance of the Holy Family's stay in Egyptian territory, re-launching the historical hypotheses that the Child Jesus, the Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph remained in Egypt for several years, and returned to Palestine after the death of Herod. There are at least 25 places that claim to have been touched by the Holy Family during their flight to Egypt.

Read about Aid to the Church in Need's Pilgrimage to Egypt: https://acnuk.org/event/annual-pilgrimage-to-egypt/