As told in the Bible, the Holy Family, Joseph, Mary and the baby Jesus Christ fled from Palestine to Egypt to seek refuge from the persecution of the Jewish King Herod the Great. As they stayed in Egypt for three years, they lived a nomadic life, traveling through a total of 11 of Egypt’s modern-day governorates, starting from North Sinai going all the way south to Assiut. During their time in Old Cairo, the Holy Family rested in a cave for three months, and like many other holy sites, a church was built on it; the Church of Abu Serga. Popularly known as the Church of Abu Serga, the Cavern Church or the Church of the Martyrs Sergius and Bacchus dates back to the late fourth to early fifth centuries AD. The church was named after Saints Sergius and Bacchus who served as soldiers in the Roman Army and were both martyred in Syria for their Christian beliefs. Their relics are now kept in the church. To make it easier for people to pronounce, the names of the two saints were combined and the church was named “Abu Serga” as…
Inside the Church of Abu Serga: a Hidden Gem Where the Holy Family Sought Refuge
December 17, 2021
