Asyut: Fleeing where Christ Fled

After a strange and glorious day of angels, shepherds, and wise men all serving as witnesses to the birth of Jesus, Joseph laid his head down in the manger’s hay to sleep. As he began to dose off…

“Get up!!”

“Take Jesus and Mary and run to Egypt- do it quickly!”

“Herod is on a rampage, he's coming to kill Jesus now”

Fleeing to Egypt

The flight to Egypt and consequent return to Nazareth are only given 11 verses in the narrative of Christ’s childhood that we receive in Matthew. This can lead us to read over it quickly and think of Egypt as being the next town over.

Tradition tells us something different. In these 11 verses, exist around three years and over 1200 miles traveled as the Holy Family fled Herod’s murderous rage. [1]

Traveling along the coast, the family would have passed the Sinai Peninsula, through the Nile Delta, and south to their final destination of Dronka Mountain, just outside of the city of Asyut in Upper Egypt.

Asyut 2000 Years Later

Today, Asyut is a city best described by what its in-between. Sandwiched between Cairo in the North and Luxor and Aswan in the South, it can often be overlooked by outsiders or tourists.

But Asyut offers a window into Egyptian culture that remains untainted by tour guides and western accommodation.

Sitting in one of many juice shops, you watch the ancient and the modern blend in everyday life everywhere you look. Men in suits walking arm in arm with others in galabeyas. Modern economic infrastructure right next to an ahwa balady. Two men transporting a ram on a motorcycle...

A Holy Hiding Place

The standout attraction of Asyut is the Virgin Mary Monastery. A sprawling complex built into the side of the mountain where the Holy Family fled, the monastery makes Asyut a worthwhile stop on its own.

The main sanctuary is carved into the rock of the mountain itself, forcing you to put yourself in the shoes of Jospeh and Mary, hiding with the toddler Jesus in a cave in the mountain. Walking around, you can watch the story play out in the artwork throughout the church.

As you sit down to eat lunch from one of the many shops on site, you are greeted by one of the best views in all of Egypt. Looking down from Dronka Mountain, you can see much of the green landscape of the Asyut gouvernante stretching out from the Nile.

Here, you can experience both the beauty of Egypt and its rich Christian history in a way that is unique across Egypt.

Things to Expect

• Very little English (or any language other than Arabic)

• A warm, excited welcome from those you meet (Ahlan wa sahlan!)

• A police officer escort

• Some stares, shock, and possibly a selfie request or two 

In the vast world of Egyptian tourism, Asyut is a hidden gem with many untold stories.

[1] De Cárdenas, N. (2025, January 30). The Holy Family traveled more than 1,200 miles from Israel to Egypt and back. Catholic News Agency. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253276/the-holy-family-traveled-more-than-1200-miles-from-israel-to-egypt-and-back