• Cairo Tower - In the morning, the guide will greet you at the airport and then take you to your hotel in Cairo for accommodation and lunch. Afterward, you will begin your Coptic tour, starting with a visit to the Church of the Virgin Mary in Faggala. This is the first church built in Cairo in the modern era, following the Church of St. Mark, which was constructed in 1800 AD. Nestled in one of Faggala’s winding lanes, the Church of the Blessed Virgin, located in Mikhail Alley, is one of the most beautiful ancient Coptic churches. It was inaugurated in 1886, and its icons, mostly from the 19th century, were painted by an Italian artist. The next stop will be the Virgin Mary Church in Maadi. According to tradition, the Holy Family embarked for Upper Egypt from here to escape Herod’s soldiers. The local priest believes that the Church of the Virgin Mary in Maadi is situated on the site of an ancient synagogue used by Jews who sought refuge in Egypt. Like other holy sites, the church in Maadi is known for its miracles. On Friday, March 12, 1976, a deacon found a Holy Bible floating on the water. It was salvaged immediately, and to everyone’s surprise, the Bible was open to Chapter 19 of Isaiah, which reads, “Blessed be Egypt my people.” The Bible is now displayed in a reliquary in the church. Your final stop will be the Monastery of Simon the Tanner, a saint associated with the story of moving the Mokattam Mountain in Cairo during the rule of the Muslim Fatimid Caliph al-Muizz Lideenillah. The monastery is carved into the mountain’s rocks and contains all the discoveries found in Simon’s tomb, as well as beautiful rock carvings. Many tourists visit the monastery to see the mountain that was moved. Saint Simon the Tanner, a saint of the Coptic Orthodox Church, lived during the reign of the Fatimid Caliph al-Mu’izz. He was a good man who worked in leather tanning and shoe repair and is known for the miracle of moving the Mokattam Mountain after a terrible earthquake. After your tour, the guide will take you to have dinner on a floating boat, and then you will be transferred back to your hotel in Cairo for the night.

Day 2: Visit (The Hanging Church, the Church of St. Abu Sarjeh, St. George’s Church, the Church of Saint Barbara, Abu Seifain Church, the Church of St. Mary known as Kasriah al Rehan, and Tadros Church inside the Monastery of Prince Tadros). In the morning, after breakfast, you will check out from your hotel and take your bags with you in a private car to visit the ancient churches of Egypt. You will start your tour by visiting the Hanging Church, located in the ancient area of Coptic Cairo, close to the Mosque of Amr ibn al-As, Ben Ezra Jewish Temple, the Church of St. Mina next to the fortress of Babylon, the Church of Martyr Mercurius “Abu Seifin,” and many other churches. It is called the Hanging Church because it was built on two of the ancient towers of the Roman fortress “Fort of Babylon,” constructed by Emperor Trajan in the second century AD. The Hanging Church is the oldest surviving church. Next, you will visit the Church of St. Abu Sarjeh, also known as the Church of the Two Martyrs Sergius and Laches. This archaeological church is built above the place where the Holy Family resided during their trip to Egypt and has a cave at the altar for escape. It is located in what is known as the compound of religions in old Cairo, inside the Babylon fortress near the Jewish Ezra. Then, you will visit St. George’s Church, one of the oldest Christian and Egyptian churches, dating back to the first Christian era. It is the headquarters of the Pope and Patriarch of the Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria and includes an important religious museum recently developed by the Ministry of Antiquities. The church building has a room called the Torture Chamber, filled with pictures and instruments of torture of Jesus and St. George. After a short break for lunch at a local restaurant, you will resume your visits with the Church of St. Mary, known as Kasriah al Rehan. This church, known in history as the Church of the Virgin Mary, is located in a hippocampus. One of the patriarchs lived there around 865 AD. Next, you will visit the Church of Saint Barbara, located on the eastern side of the fortress of Babylon, close to the Roman wall. It is surrounded by many simple buildings and church facilities that have changed over time. The church is named after St. Barbara, a beautiful virgin born in the early third century AD in Asia Minor. She was educated by the Egyptian theologian Origen, converted to Christianity, and chose to dedicate her life to serving God. Then, you will visit Abu Seifain Church, also known as the Church of St. Mercurius. This church was established in the eighth century AD and was later demolished during the tenth century, leaving only a small church on the sea side. It was renewed by Anba Abram Al-Syriani, the 62nd Patriarch during the reign of the Fatimid Caliph al-Mu’izzuddin Allah. The church was burned in 564 AH – 1168 AD during the fire of Fustat and was later repaired by Sheikh Abu Barakat bin Abi Said. The final church on your tour is St. Tadros Church inside the Monastery of Prince Tadros. On the north side of the monastery, there is a door that connects to a small church, the Church of St. Tadros, which has a water well believed to cure diseases. This church is unique as it contains the largest number of Coptic icons in the Republic, with nearly 250 archaeological icons, some dating back to the thirteenth century AD. At the end of your visit, the guide will take you to travel to Hurghada and accommodate you in a hotel.

Day 3: Check out from the Hurghada hotel and visit St. Anthony and St. Paul Monasteries in the Red Sea, then return to Cairo. In the morning, after breakfast, you will check out from your hotel and take your bags with you in a private car to start your Coptic tour. You will begin by visiting the Monastery of Saint Anthony, a Coptic Orthodox monastery in an oasis in the Eastern Desert of Egypt, hidden deep in the Red Sea Mountains. It is the oldest monastery in the world, founded by St. Anthony, the founder of monasticism. The Church of St. Anthony, the oldest part of the monastery, is built over the saint’s tomb and contains one of Egypt’s most significant collections of Coptic wall paintings, demonstrating the connection between medieval Coptic art and the arts of the wider Byzantine and Islamic eastern Mediterranean. The Monastery of Saint Anthony was established by the followers of Saint Anthony and has strongly influenced the formation of several Coptic institutions and promoted monasticism. Several patriarchs have come from the monastery, and it attracts hundreds of pilgrims daily. Monks who guide tours will take you up onto a section of the monastery’s fortified walls for a short walk to see the large basket and wooden winch that were the only means of entering the complex during attacks. You will also get an excellent view of the monks’ impressive cultivated gardens. Next, you will head to the Monastery of St. Paul the Anchorite, which probably dates to the fifth century and was founded in memory of one of Egypt’s greatest saints and anchorites, who is said to have lived in a cave over which the monastery was built for about eighty years. We know of his life from the writings of St. Jerome and his work, Vita Pauli (Life of Paul). St. Jerome tells us that while St. Anthony inspired others to found the monastic way of life, Paul of Thebes was actually the originator of the practice. St. Paul sought refuge in the wilderness of Egypt’s Eastern Desert, where he lived until the age of 113. Tradition holds that a raven brought him half a loaf of bread each day. The Monastery of St. Paul (Deir Anba Bula), also known as the Monastery of the Tigers (Deir al-Numur) due to its wilderness location, has always been associated with the Monastery of St. Anthony. The first travel narrative of the monastery was provided by Antoninus Martyr, who visited the tomb of St. Paul between 560 and 570 AD. The first monks may have been Melchite, followed by Egyptian and Syrian monks. The Syrians may have had a sustained presence at the monastery during the first half of the fifteenth century. According to an Ethiopian reference, the seventieth patriarch of the Coptic Church, Gabriel II (1131-45 AD), was banished to the monastery for three years. After finishing your tour, you will have lunch and then be transferred to Hurghada airport.

• Lunch in Cairo
• 1 night in Hurghada hotel with all meals included
• Pick up and drop off services
• Inclusive of all taxes
• Complimentary mineral water
• 1 night in Cairo hotel, breakfast included
• Expert Tour Guide assistance
• Smooth reception and travel arrangements
• Private car transfer from Cairo to Hurghada

• tipping

In a state of serenity and tranquility, in which man retires from the physical world to move to the spiritual world in which he completes the rest of his life
Monasticism was established globally in Egypt in the late third century and flourished in the fourth century. At the end of the fourth century, there were hundreds of monasteries, and thousands of castles and caves scattered throughout Egypt where believers worshiped

Join us in this amazing Coptic tour to Cairo and hurghada monasteries for 2 nights / 3days

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