Virgin Mary Church in Maadi

The Church of the Blessed Virgin is situated in Maadi, a suburb of Cairo. It is located about 13 km south of Ramses Square and is positioned directly on the eastern side of the Nile. The building of the current church dates back to the eighteenth century and is full of many beautiful icons dating back to the nineteenth century.

This makes it a popular tourist and archaeological site, as it holds significance due to the Holy Family passing through this area. The stone staircase that the Holy Family used to descend to the Nile's bank still remains, and there is a shrine that can be accessed from the churchyard. To protect it, there is an iron gate. The church is known for its three domes, which serve as a model for Coptic churches.

-The reason for naming Maadi :
Throughout history, this area has been known by various names. It was called "Ti Kalabi" and "Bustan Al-Adawiya" in reference to a wealthy woman named Adawiya who came from Morocco during the time of Al-Muizz Li-Din Allah Al-Fatimi. Sudanese soldiers camped there, so it was also known as "Miniyat al-Sudan". Later, it was called "Maadi al-Khubari" after Ali al-Khubari, who was in charge of the Nile Ferry in the 16th century. Finally, it became known as "Maadi", meaning a collection of ferries, due to the presence of ferries to cross the Nile.

In this church, something strange happened on Friday, March 12, 1976, AD. After attending the Divine Liturgy, people saw a big book floating on the Nile. When they took it out, they found it open to chapter 19 of the book of Isaiah, with the verse "Blessed be my people of Egypt." The book is still kept in a glass cupboard, open to that page for blessings.

The church is considered the first starting point for the Holy Family’s journey to Upper Egypt via a ladder, from there to a boat, and then to Upper Egypt via the Nile.

Very peaceful. Whether you're there to visit the historic place or to pray or to attend a service or to just sit by the nile and enjoy the sun, being there gives you this feeling of inner peace that floods you and surrounds you. Visiting this church is a very interesting experience, highly recommended.

Now You Can Book A Trip With Us To Visit The Places Where The Holy Family Crossed In Egypt.