Egypt’s Development of the Holy Family Trail Close to Completion

Cairo is close to completing its project to develop and renovate the sites on the Holy Family Trail in Egypt. The trail has 25 stops, which begin on the Sinai coast and end in Upper Egypt, passing through to the Nile Delta and Cairo.

On Tuesday, officials from the Ministry of Tourism and Antiques and the Ministry of Local Development opened the first of the stops on the path that encompasses eight governorates. The inauguration comes after the competition of work on developing the Holy Family’s path in the holy city of Samnoud (on the Nile Delta).

Developing this site cost the state 7.5 million Egyptian Pounds. The officials also visited the Virgin Mary and St. Abanoub churches in the same city.

The churches’ façades and entrances were cleaned, and traces of dust and rain were removed from the domes and bell tower as part of the renovation work. Saad Zaghloul Street, which faces the church, was cleared, and the stores on both sides of the street were painted the same color, and their floors were tiled. The design of the stores’ logos was also made uniform and aligned with the churches’ architectural style.

A new fountain was built and expanded in Badrawi Square, and a car park was built at the end of the square.

In a press release obtained by Asharq Al-Awsat, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Dr. Khaled Al-Anani, said completion of work on developing the first stop on the trail was a “breakthrough.”

In the release, he also emphasized the significance of the Holy Family’s journey for all Egyptians, adding, as it is considered one of the world religious heritage that gives Egyptian Coptic Church a unique and special religious status among the churches of the world.

He also affirmed the state’s keen interest on revitalizing the Holy Family Trail. He indicated he is eager to “visit the sites of the Holy Family’s journey constantly and follow the development of development work.”

Dr. Khaled Qassem, the Ministry of Local Development spokesman, stressed that the entire project would be completed within two months.

The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities has allocated 41 million Egyptian pounds for the project, which is being carried out in coordination with the Ministry of Local Development.

Nader Gerges, who coordinated the visits to the Holy Family Trail, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the project to develop the trail, which aims to draw thousands of Christian tourists from around the world, has faced several obstacles, including constant delays.

He added: “The government approved the project in October 2017, and it was supposed to have been completed within a year. But this was not realized due to a variety of administrative issues.”

Still, he sees the completion of the work on the first site as a very positive step, and he lauded the Ministry of Tourism and Antiques and the Ministry of Local Development’s efforts.