Our tour guide will pick you up from Alexandria port, waiting by the cruise exit door holding a double sign Nile Dream / your name. After that, you will be transferred by an air-conditioned vehicle about 200 km to Cairo to visit the following ;
Mataria, A place where the Lord Jesus created a fountain of fresh water, The Holy Family drank from this water. The water was also used by the Virgin Mary to wash the clothes of the Child Jesus. When the water spilled over onto the land, a beautifully fragrant balsam shrub sprouted. To this day, there is a street in that area named Balsam Street.
The Holy Family rested under a large tree that today is known as ‘Mariam’s tree’, and it still stands strong. Beside this tree, people planted other trees of the same species that survived till this day. The tree and the well of spring water are surrounded by a large fence; they both serve as an important landmark for people through the centuries, it was visited by Empress of France Eugenie, in 1869. Also, many of the French soldiers came to visit this landmark during the French campaign in Egypt, and they also took the blessings of the water of the well. Some soldiers were even healed from various diseases, and they wrote their names and words of gratitude onto the tree.
Next, we continue the day visiting another location called Haret zuela where the Holy Family came, and they drank from water-well there. This church is an ancient, dating back to the fourth century, and it served as a papal residence for 23 patriarchs of the Coptic Orthodox Church, for more than 360 years we continue the tour visiting
The Church of Abu Serga, Old Cairo
The Holy Family arrived in Old Cairo, and they took refuge in a cave beneath the ground, adjacent to the fortress of Babylon, and they lived in this cave for three months. Eventually, this cave was turned into a small church, and another larger church was built above it. Known as Abu Serga Church. This is a famous church that is visited by many people from around the world, as they seek the blessings of the place where the Holy Family lived for some time. It is considered one of the oldest churches that were built in Egypt. Adjacent to this church is a church similar in antiquity, namely, the Moualaqa Church or the ‘Hanging Church’. This church is named the ‘hanging church’ because of the way that it is situated – over the gatehouse of Babylon’s Roman fortress.
Pause for a lunch in a local restaurant Next, we continue the day visiting.
The church of the Virgin Mary in the city of El Maady
The Holy Family arrived in the city of, Maady on the bank of the Nile River. At this location, a church was later built and named: the church of the Virgin Mary ‘Maadiya’ or ‘who passed by’. This is where the Holy Family boarded a boat sailing to Upper Egypt. This whole region was then named, the city of Maady, The Holy Family lived in this area for a few days, until they boarded a boat sailing to Upper Egypt. On March 1976, priests of the church saw a Holy Bible floating on top of the Nile towards the church until it stopped in front of the church. They found that it was open to ...” Isaiah 19 where it is written, “Behold, the LORD rides on a swift cloud, And will come into Egypt'' and also, “Blessed be Egypt, My people.” (Isaiah 19:25). The church placed this Bible in a glass case inside a small shrine within the church, and they left it open to the same page as it was found.
After the tour, you go back to your Cruise ship in Alexandria.
