Places sacred to three faiths
Religious heritage & the Holy Family
Historic mosques and madrasas, the churches of Coptic Cairo, desert monasteries, and Saint Catherine's Monastery below Mount Sinai. Coptic tradition records the Holy Family's journey through Egypt; on Beyond Egypt each station is labelled as tradition or documented history.
Ideas to start with
- Coptic Cairo and the Babylon fortress
- The monasteries of Wadi El Natrun
- Deir al-Muharraq
- The mosques of historic Cairo
- Saint Catherine and Mount Sinai
Travel responsibly
- Dress modestly and follow each place's visiting times; services take priority over visits.
- Ask before photographing worshippers.
Places
- Coptic Cairo & Abu SergaHistoric churches inside the Babylon fortress, including the crypt linked in tradition to the Holy Family.
© Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons - Coptic MuseumChristian art of Egypt — icons, textiles, manuscripts — inside the Babylon fortress area.
© Radosław Botev · CC BY 3.0 pl · Wikimedia Commons - Wadi El Natrun monasteriesDesert monasteries at the heart of Coptic monastic life, a station on the Holy Family route.
© Berthold Werner · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons - Deir al-MuharraqMonastery near Al-Qusiya held in tradition as the longest stay of the Holy Family.
© Roland Unger · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons - Historic Cairo & Khan el-KhaliliMedieval mosques, workshops and bazaars of the UNESCO-listed historic city.
© Hassan Hamdy wahidy · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons - Museum of Islamic Art, CairoA thousand years of Islamic art from Spain to India: glass, metal, wood, manuscripts.
© Hassan Hamdy wahidy · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons - Cairo CitadelSalah al-Din's fortress, seat of Egypt's rulers for seven centuries, crowned by the Mosque of Muhammad Ali.
© Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons - St Catherine & Mount SinaiSixth-century monastery below Mount Sinai, a UNESCO site sacred to three faiths.
© Berthold Werner · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Combine it with another way to travel
© Berthold Werner · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons Sinai's sacred mountain + a Red Sea beach
Sunrise on Mount Sinai and Saint Catherine's Monastery, then reefs and rest in Sharm El Sheikh and Ras Mohammed.
Religious heritage & the Holy FamilyBeaches & the Red SeaDiving & snorkelling
Build this journey →
Sustainable Development Goals
- SDG 11Sustainable cities and communitiesTarget 11.4: strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world's cultural and natural heritage.
- SDG 8Decent work and economic growthTarget 8.9: devise and implement policies to promote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products.
Sources
Editorial overview. Opening hours, prices, permits and access rules change: confirm them with the responsible authority or a licensed operator before you travel.