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Sources indicate that the Holy Family when they came from the land of Palestine, to Egypt did not take any of the three routes known at the time. But it went through another special this is a truism because it is a fugitive from the evil of Herod
Resorted to the path is not known.
Rafah
A border city since ancient times and from the eastern town of El Arish to a distance of 45 km.
Arish |
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Cities located on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea have descovered the remains of churches on the streets of the city. A farama |
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Is an archaeological site and is an important port and commercial center as well. The Afarama centers Monasticism. The most important thing of Afarama is that it was the last leg, where the Holy Family was in when they were in Sinai. |
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Tel Basta
Is one of the cities & an ancient Egyptian city known as the gods. The Holy Family had entered Tel Basta near the Delta town of Zagazig, and sat under a tree and asked for water for the child Jesus to drink but they did not welcome the family, so the Virgin and Joseph took a piece of iron and hit the ground next to the tree and water exploded from the ground making a fountain, which is still there till now. 
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Mostorod (Mahamma)
After leaving Zagazig; the Holy Family arrived there & shaded under a tree and also found a fountain of water where Virgin Mary bathed the Christ Child and washed his clothes; that's why it is also called "Mahmh." The Holy Family returned back to this place again on her way back to the Holy Land.
Bilbeis After leaving Mostorod; they managed to arrive in the town of Bilbeis . |
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They rested there in the shade of a tree which came to be called, "The Virgin Mary’s Tree" Samannoud |
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Having left their mark on Belbeis, the Holy Family set off in a north-westerly direction and, reaching the small township of Meniet Samannoud (known also Meniet Genah), they crossed the Nile to the city of Samanoud (or Jemnoty) in the Delta, where the local population received them with kindness and hospitality that earned their deserved blessing. |
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There is in Samannoud, to this day, a large granite trough which, according to local belief, was used by the Virgin for kneading dough, and a water-well which the Christ Child Himself hallowed.
Burullus
After leaving Samannoud, they continued to move west to the Burullus and landed in a village called "fig tree" Fassaroa her family did not accept them until they reached the village of "Insider", where they were met by a man of the people of the village and brought them what they need.
Sakha
Sakha, a city of present and there was the Holy Family thirsty and did not find water. There was a stone pillar of a beloved Jesus stand by his feet on the stone comb his feet. The springs water run from the stone
The Coptic name of the town, 'Pekha -Issous', (vernacularized to Lysous) means, 'the foot of Jesus'; for the Holy Child's foot-print was marked, here, in bas-relief on a rock. The rock was preserved, but hidden for centuries for fear of robbery, and only unearthed again 13 years ago.
The area was known as the "Beja Eyessus," which means Jesus is mighty
The Natrun |
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After the Holy Family traveled from the city of Sakha crossed the western section of the Nile until they reached Wadi al-Natrun. This place now includes four monasteries: the Monastery of St. Abu headquarters, Syriac Monastery, Paramous Monastery |
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Ein Shams Interiors of the Monastery Chapel at the time of the Holy Family's arrival there, Ain Shams was home to a large Jewish community, who had erected a temple - the Synagogue of Unias, - for their worship. |
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In Mataryah, a tree still stands to this day, still regularly visited called 'Mary's Tree", for the Family is believed to have rested in its shade. Here, too, the Infant Jesus caused water to flow from a spring, from which He drank and blessed, and in which the Virgin washed His clothes. She poured the washing water onto the ground, and from that spot, the fragrant balsam plant blossomed: besides the healing and pain-soothing properties of this balm, its essence is used in the preparation of the scents and perfumes of which the holy Chrism is composed. Zeitoun |
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Setting out next towards Old Cairo, the Holy Family rested for a while in Zeitoun, on their way; then proceeded along a course which traverses what are now crowded, bustling quarters of Cairo, within which the serene landmarks of an earlier Coptic heritage still stand, marking the paths the Holy Family followed. |
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A listing of these landmarks, at this point, may be of pertinent interest.
Fostat
The area now called Old Cairo, known as Misr EI Kadima, is among the most important locations visited by the Holy Family where the spiritual impact of their presence is most felt still. They took shelter from his wrath in a cave above which, in the later years, the Church of Abu Serga (St Sergius) was built. This, and the whole area of the Fort of Babylon, is a destination of pilgrimage not only for the Egyptians but for Christians from around the world. An air of piety and devotion pervades the whole district
Maady
After their short stay in Old Cairo, the Holy Family moved in a southerly direction, reaching the modern Cairo suburb of Maadi which, in earliest Pharaonic times was an outlying district of Memphis, the capital of Egypt then; and, at Maudi, they boarded a sailing-boat which carried them up the Nile towards southern Egypt. The historic church built upon the spot from which they embarked, also was dedicated to the Virgin, is further identified by the denominative 
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Al Behnsa region
The sail-boat docked at the village of Deir Al- Garnous (the later site of the Monastery of Arganos) 10 kms west of Ashnein el Nassara (a small village near the town of Maghagha). Outside the western wall of the Church of the Virgin there a deep well is believed to have provided the Holy Family with the water they needed. They went on from there to a spot later named Abai Issous, "the Home of Jesus", the site of present-day Sandafa village, east of Al-Bahnassa which, itself; stands some 17 kms west of the town of Beni Mazar. Gabal El Tair (Mount birds)
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On towards the south they went from Bahnassa to Samalout and crossed the Nile again from that town to the spot on the east bank of the River where the Monastery of the Virgin now stands upon Gabal El-Tair ('Bird Mountain') east of Samalout, 2Kms south of Meadoyat Beni Khaled. It is known by this name (Gabal El-Tair) because thousands of birds gather there. |
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The Holy Family rested in the cave which is now located inside the ancient church there. Gabal El-Tair is also called Gabal El-Kaf ('Palm Mountain'). Coptic tradition maintains that, as the Holy Family rested in the shade of the Mountain, Jesus stretched his little hand to hold back a rock which was about to detach itself from the mountain-side and fall upon them. The imprint of His palm is still visible. When they resumed their travels, the Holy Family passed a laurel tree a stone's throw south of Gabal El-Tair, along the pathway flanking the Nile and leading from the Mountain to Nazlet Ebeid and the New Minia Bridge of today. It is claimed that this tree bowed for worship the Lord Christ - glory be to Him as he was passing. The configuration of the Tree is, indeed, unique: all its branches incline downwards, trailing on the ground, and then turn upwards again, covered in a cloak of green leaves. They call the tree Al Abed-"The Worshipper Dirout the village of Al Sherif |
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Once more crossing the Nile, back to its west bank, the Holy Family traveled southward to the town of Al-Ashmounein but it seems that they did not tarry long there. Leaving behind them the rubble of fallen idols, they continued still in a southerly direction, for another 20 K.m. or so to Dairout Al-Sharif and thence to Qussuam Here, too, the recorded events testify that the town folks were infuriated when the stone statue of their local deity cracked and fell, and evicted the Holy Family from the town. |
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| A historically recorded incident dating to that period refers to the devastation of Qussqa town and Coptic tradition asserts that the min that he fell the town was the consequence of its violent rejection of the gentle visitors.
We have an entirely different story in the warm welcome with which the holy refugees were met at their next stop at Meir (or Meira) only 7kms west of Qoussia. Here, they found only consideration and hospitality wherever they went, for which treatment the town and its people were signally blessed. Al Muharraq Monastery |
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It was built around the area where the Holy Family remained just over six months Their time as spent mainly in cave which became in the Coptic era the altar of the Church of Virgin Mary built at the western d of the Monastery compound The altar-stone was the resting place of the Child Jesus during the months He dwelt there. It was here where Al-Muharraq Monastery stands that the Angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said "Arise, and take the young Child and His mother, and go into the land of Israel; for they are dead which sought the young Child's life" (Matthew 2:20 & 21). |
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Mount Dronka
8 Kms south-west of the city of Assiut, and their blessing of this location was commemorated. The Christian era by the building of the mountain-top Monastery of Dronka. There was an old cave carved in the mountain where the Holy Family stayed & it was the last station for the Holy Family in Egypt |
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