Sign up before November 12th for our unique day tour exploring Coptic heritage

The Center for Arab-West Understanding is organizing a unique day tour for Saturday 21st November to important but relatively little known Coptic pilgrimage locations south of Cairo. This visit requires a security clearance and thus anyone interested in joining needs to sign up before noon Thursday November 12th.

The Monastery of Antonius is well known, but did you know that St. Anthony came from a village close to Dayr al-Maimoun (around 100 km south of Cairo) where he spent the first 20+ years as a hermit? Dayr al-Maimoun was once a monastery with a church dating to the fourth century. Local Copts believe this is the oldest church in Egypt. The monastery of Dayr al-Maimoun changed centuries ago into a Christian village with two ancient churches, a cave where St. Anthony lived, a tree that offered him shade and a place where he made his baskets along the Nile. Father Girgis of Dayr al-Maimoun will be welcoming us.

After Dayr al-Maimoun we visit Dayr al-Bayad, a former Coptic Monastery that was turned into a flourishing Coptic Orthodox conference center along the Nile. Bayad is used by groups but also individuals. If you want to leave the busy city of Cairo for a weekend then Bayad would be an excellent choice.

We often hear media reporting about problems with church building. However, in Beni Suef we see a magnificent new Cathedral that was only recently completed, on land donated by the government. We hope to meet Bishop Ghubrial of Beni Suef here.

After Beni Suef our tour goes to Dayr al-Rusul, the Monastery of the Apostles. This historical church was badly damaged during an earthquake in the early 1990’s, but has been fully restored by Egyptian antiquity authorities. Here you can find the cave of the hermit St. Paul inside the church. This saint is relatively unknown outside the Coptic Orthodox Church, but when you see this cave, you can only admire the tremendous dedication and faith this man must have had.

After Dayr al-Rusul we return to Cairo.

We are leaving on November 21 at 8.00 am from the entrance of St. John the Baptist Church, Sharia Port Said and expect to be back at the same spot at around 7.00 pm. You cannot just join, but need to sign-up and pay costs in advance. This is 200 EgP and includes the bus, drinks and lunch on the road, security clearance and guidance by Coptic Egypt expert Cornelis Hulsman. The number of seats in the air-conditioned Mercedes bus is limited to 25 and we’re operating on a strict first come, first served basis!

This visit is so unique that Egyptian TV, Channel 1, is joining us. They will use this opportunity to film the locations we are visiting, but might also ask participants their opinions of this visit.

In other words this visit is unique!! Don’t miss this chance!!

Adel Rizqallah

On behalf of the board of the Center for Arab-West Understanding

To sign up, we require the following information:

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