Monasterios del Desierto

Diecisiete siglos de liturgia ininterrumpida, esculpida en los acantilados frente al Nilo, donde las horas canónicas nunca han dejado de rezarse.

  • La piedra del altar en Al-Muharraq, la primera de Egipto
  • Capillas excavadas en la roca en las montañas de Asiut
  • Regla monástica ininterrumpida desde el siglo IV
  • Moulids que atraen a millones de personas cada año

The Virgin Mary's Tree
  • Gran Cairo
  • Monasterios del Desierto

The Virgin Mary's Tree

The Tree of Mary is considered one of the most significant sites along the Holy Family Route, as it was here that the Child Jesus caused a wellspring to gush forth, a well that remains at the site to this day. Beside it grew an aromatic plant known as the balsam; indeed, a street in the area bears its name "Balsam Street" while another is named "Mary's Well." Given the renown of this location, Empress Eugénie of France insisted upon visiting it during her trip to Egypt for the inauguration of the Suez Canal, held during the reign of Khedive Ismail.

The Proposed Plan:

  • Demolition of ten (10) public housing units situated between the Tree of Mary and the Catholic Church.
  • Opening of the road connecting the Church and the Tree of Mary.

Nabaa El Hamra
  • Uadi Natrun
  • Monasterios del Desierto

Nabaa El Hamra - Wadi El Natrun

The Miraculous Spring ("Mary's Well"): According to Coptic tradition, when the Holy Family traversed the harsh desert of Wadi El Natrun, the infant Jesus grew thirsty. The Virgin Mary tried to gather water from the vast salt lake, but it was far too bitter. Upon her prayer, a freshwater spring erupted directly in the very center of this hypersaline lake so the child could drink.

A freshwater spring situated in the center of a saline lake.
The Holy Family visited this site and drank from this pristine spring.
It is located in close proximity to some of the oldest monasteries (St. Macarius, St. Bishoy, the Monastery of the Syrians, and the Monastery of the Romans).
The lake contains Natron salt, a substance utilized by the ancient Egyptians in the mummification process.

Proposed Development Plan:

  • Establishment of a hospital for the treatment of dermatological conditions, situated directly at the spring site.
  • Construction of a high-standard retirement home with a capacity for 100 families, covering an area of ​​5 feddans.
  • Construction of a 4-star hotel featuring 150 guest rooms.
  • Development of a tourism and eco-tourism zone offering traditional meals and artisanal rural products.
  • Installation of a solar power station, spanning 5 feddans, to provide electricity for the entire project.
  • Construction of an access road connecting the site to the Cairo–Alexandria Desert Road and the neighboring monastery districts.