The Holy Family cave
Beside the sanctuary.
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The Monastery of the Virgin Mary crowns Gebel el-Teir, the «Mountain of the Birds», about 130 m above the east bank of the Nile near Samalut. By Coptic tradition the Holy Family rested here for three days in a cave during their journey through Egypt, making it one of the main stops on the Holy Family trail. The church began as a rock-cut sanctuary and keeps a basilica layout with pillars carved from the mountain; beside the main sanctuary is the cave where the Holy Family is said to have stayed. The first church is attributed to Empress Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine, in the 4th century. Visitors were once hauled up by ropes and pulleys, until a stairway of 166 stone steps was built in the early 13th century; today paved roads, upgraded under the Holy Family trail project, reach it. Every August the monastery celebrates the Feast of the Virgin, when pilgrims arrive in large numbers. Gebel el-Teir has no ticket on the ministry list and is open from 9 am to 5 pm. It is a place of worship, so dress modestly; shoes are often left at the church door, and those after a quiet visit should avoid the August crowds.
Beside the sanctuary.
Carved pillars.
From 130 m up.
Gebel el-Teir, east bank of the Nile near Samalut, north of Minya
Any day from 9 am to 5 pm; it gets very crowded in August for the Feast of the Virgin, and entry is free.