About The Monastery of the Virgin Mary in Asyut, Egypt
The Monastery here in southern Egypt is built over what is considered to be the final stop of the Holy Family’s journey in Egypt and includes an ancient cave where Jesus, Mary, and Joseph are believed to have lived.
The monastery complex includes several churches, but the historic Cave Church is surrounded by particular reverence. Oral tradition recounts that Joseph the Patriarch once used the cave to store grain and that the Holy Family later lived there. In subsequent centuries, the cave served as a refuge for Egypt’s Christians fleeing persecution, many of whom turned these shelters into churches.
It is unusual to find statues of Christ, the Virgin Mary, or the saints in Coptic Orthodox churches, which traditionally venerate them through icons; however, in 2023 the Asyut monastery witnessed the raising of Egypt’s largest statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary, cast in bronze and modeled after the famous Our Lady of Lebanon statue, to coincide with the celebration of her birthday.
The Egyptian Mint also issued a commemorative series of 12 coins representing major sites along the Holy Family’s journey through Egypt, including the Asyut site, known as Durunka.
Note: The Coptic Orthodox Church is not in communion with Rome; so this is not a Catholic Church, but still well worth the visit due to its historical significance. The Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church announced a suspension of its theological dialogue with the Roman Catholic Church on March 7, 2024. Their accompanying statement and follow-up cited Rome’s new guidelines that allow blessings for same sex-couples.
Traveling to The Monastery of the Virgin Mary in Asyut, Egypt:
Asyut (also spelled Assiut) is located in southern Egypt, 241 miles (389 km) south of Cairo. Asyut International Airport (code ATZ) serves the city. In addition to that it can be reached by bus or by train from Misr Station in Ramses Square.