Egypt’s tourism & antiquities min., various officials attends screening of "The Path of the Holy Family in Egypt” documentary

CAIRO – 8 November 2020: Egypt’s Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Khaled el-Enany attended and delivered a speech on behalf of the Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly, at the screening of the documentary film "The Path of the Holy Family", which was held Saturday at the theater of Anba Ruiz in St. Mark's Cathedral in Abbasia, to commemorate the passage of the Holy Family through Egypt. The film was prepared by the Nuns of St. George Convent in Old Cairo.

The ceremony was attended by Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of Saint Mark Episcopate, Minister of Immigration and Egyptians Affairs Abroad Ambassador Nabila Makram, a number of statesmen, ambassadors of a number of countries, church bishops and priests of all regions covered by the path.

During his speech, Enany conveyed the appreciation of the Prime Minister on this occasion, and expressed his personal happiness with his participation in the celebration, noting that the anniversary of the entry of the Holy Family to Egypt has great historical and religious significance for Egyptians, as it is considered a world religious heritage that is unique solely to Egypt. 

He said that thanks to it, the Egyptian Coptic Church assumed a special religious position among the Christian churches in the world, due to its connection with this blessed journey to “our beloved Egypt” that lasted more than three and a half years. 

During this time the Holy Family blessed more than 25 spots in different parts of Egypt leaving their blessed traces. The Holy Family traveled from the Sinai coast in the east to the Nile Delta, until it reached the far reaches of Upper Egypt.

The Minister of Tourism and Antiquities affirmed the state’s interest in reviving the path of the Holy Family, and the ministry gives this path an utmost archaeological and touristic importance. 

Furthermore, he added that the Supreme Council of Antiquities is restoring archaeological sites located on this path, in addition to developing tourism services there and raising the efficiency of roads leading to them in cooperation with the Ministry of Local development to develop all points of the Holy Family path, upgrade the infrastructure, new roads to smooth the entry of cars and tourist buses, provide all services and signboards and provide hotels in close vicinity, to have a comprehensive development plan for a number of sites in eight governorates. 

Also, Enany said that he visits the locations of the Holy Family's journey on a regular basis to follow up on the progress of work there, including Virgin Mary's tree, the Hanging Church, the Church of Abu Serga in the Religions Complex in Old Cairo, the Church of the Virgin in Maadi and the Church of the Virgin in Jabal al-Tair in Minya.

The minister added that the ministry has formed a national committee that includes experts from all concerned parties to prepare a file to be submitted to the UNESCO to put the route of the Holy Family’s journey on the World Heritage List, and to register the four monasteries of Wadi El Natrun on the List of World Physical Heritage, under the supervision of the Egyptian Church.

In addition, he pointed out that the Holy Family’s Path is one of the tourist products that is unique to Egypt and that is promoted internationally. 

He stressed that this film will be promoted to address the whole world as an invitation to all Egyptians and foreign tourists to visit the path of the Holy Family. 

Enany added that this will also play an important role in educating Egyptians on the journey of the Holy Family and that God honored Egypt and chose it for the Holy Family to seek its land for protection for more than three and a half years.

During the ceremony, the documentary film "The Path of the Holy Family in Egypt" was screened, as well as the issuance of a book on the same topic, produced by the Nuns of St. George Convent s in Old Cairo. 

The book has been translated into six languages: English, Italian, French, Russian, German and Spanish; and dubbing of the film has been made in the same languages.