The monastery of the Holy Virgin of al–Muharraq lies at the foot of Qusqam Hill, 327 kilometers south of Cairo. This monastery is unquestionably the most prominent location in the Holy Family’s itinerary. Dayr al-Muharraq means the monastery scorched by fire in Arabic referring to the desiccated desert around as well as occasional burning of ruderal vegetation. According to tradition, this is the place that the Holy Family stayed for six months and five days, and where Jesus, after his Resurrection, returned and consecrated an altar in order to fulfill the prophecy in Isaiah 19:19, in that day there will be an altar to the LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt. The location of the monastery is roughly the geographical center of the African Egypt.

The holiest place in the monastery is the Church of the Holy Virgin whose altar is believed to be consecrated in the first century A.D making it the first church in the world. It has a beautiful collection of the icons from the 18th and 19th century.  In 1880 and 1964, the monastery subsequently erected two other churches and dedicated them to the Holy Virgin as well. Besides these places of worship, Dayr al-Muharraq also has a century old episcopal palace and a keep dating back to the 6th century. It was constructed mainly to protect the monks from the attacks launched by nomadic tribes in the area.

Dayr al-Muharraq is surrounded by a wall modeled after the one of Jerusalem. For Copts, pilgrimage to this monastery is equal to that of Jerusalem.

Dayr al-Muharraq in the year 2000

Photo: Norbert Schiller, the section of the monastery that houses the monks’ cells. Laundry can be seen drying on the rooftop.; in the background is a Christian cemetery.

Photo: Norbert Schiller, visitors at Dayr al-Muharraq.

Photo: Norbert Schiller, aerial view of Dayr al-Muharraq.

Photo: Norbert Schiller, Dayr al-Muharraq sits in the middle of the Nile Valley surrounded by farms

Photo: Norbert Schiller, the bishop gives blessings to monks and pilgrims during the feast of Epiphany in the Church of the Holy Virgin at Dayr al-Muharraq

Photo: Norbert Schiller, a monk reads holy texts to a blind deacon in the grounds of Dayrs al-Muharraq.

Photo: Chinese Delegation, Day al-Muharraq in night.

Photo: Popko van Meekeren, Coptic monks reposing on the rooftop of Dayr al-Muharraq.

Dayr al-Muharraq in the year 2017

Photo: Shangyun Shen, grand gate of the Monastery of Dayr al-Muharraq..

Photo: Shangyun Shen, episcopal palace in the Monastery of Dayr al-Muharraq.

Photo: Shangyun Shen, a monk standing in front of the acient iconostasis.

Photo: Shangyun Shen, altar alleged to the first one in the whole word.

Photo: Shangyun Shen, the Church of the Holy Virgin in the Monastery of Dayr al-Muharraq.

Photo: Shangyun Shen, ceiling paingting of the church in the Monastery of Dayr al-Muharraq.

Photo: Shangyun Shen, boy peddling the goods in the Mulid.

Photo: Shangyun Shen, Mulid market surrounding the Dayr al-Muharraq.