Advent was bloody with the terrorist attacks on the Coptic Cathedral in Cairo, the assassination of Russian Ambassador Andrey Karlov in Istanbul and the terrorist attack on a Berlin Christmas market. For family members and friends of the victims this won’t be a happy Christmas.  It is important to understand the motives of extremists and counter this. All three terrorist attacks sadly show the need for more security. Arab-West Report offers its condolences to families and friends of the victims.

Around Christmas there are so many beautiful traditions. The Christmas markets in Germany mark such traditions and so does the Holy Family tradition in Egypt. According to the Gospel of Matthew the Holy Family escaped to Egypt, fleeing King Herod who did not hesitate to murder his own children, let alone others he perceived to be a threat to his throne.

Egypt’s Christians speculated throughout the centuries which locations in Egypt had been blessed (=visited) by the Holy Family. One of these locations is the Good Garden, today known as the Holy Virgin tree at Matariya. Dr. Willem Kuiper wrote, in Dutch, a fascinating study about a 14th century Flemmish pilgrim, Jan Boendale, to the Good Garden. For Dutch readers please click here. After the Crusader period more European medieval pilgrims visited Egypt but not many left accounts such as that of Jan Boendale.

American-Austrian photographer and collector Norbert Schiller has made a wonderful account of the history of the tree from the 19th century until today.

The Holy Virgin tree was a large tree in a rural setting in the 19th century. Much of the tree was still there in the year 2000 when I worked with Norbert Schiller on the book ‘Be Thou There; the Holy Family’s Journey in Egypt.’ But in 2013 the tree became the victim of either vandals who, according to conspiracy thinkers cut it down, or rising ground water. Schiller looked at the available evidence and writes: 

It is no secret that the drainage in Cairo and its surroundings is inadequate at best. After a light rainfall, the city is paralyzed as its main thoroughfares and back streets become flooded. The rising water table has also threatened many archeological sites including the Sphinx, where underground water had to be diverted. Therefore, it is most plausible that ground water is the culprit behind the most recent demise of the Virgin Tree and not religious tensions as some may want to believe.

The differences between the tree prior to 2013 and after 2013 are so well seen in the photos Schiller presents. His text made use of research carried out by our Chinese intern Shen Shangyun whose work is focused on the Holy Family tradition.

Please visit the photo orientalist exhibition on the Holy Family tree at  http://www.photorientalist.org/exhibitions/egypts-virgin-tree-story-survival/

and do not forget to continue visiting other exhibitions Norbert Schiller placed online. These are all jewels to see. They feature several online exhibitions including the Palestinian nativity trail, Egypt’s last king, Deir ez-Zor, Palmyra, Aleppo and other subjects.

Wishing you a pleasant tour around Schiller’s exhibitions and wishing our Western Christian readers a blessed Christmas. Our Coptic Orthodox friends celebrate Christmas a few weeks later on January 7.

December 22, 2016

Cornelis Hulsman,

Editor-in-chief Arab-West Report