In August 2016, we went to document the festival of Virgin Mary in Dronka, Assiut. Our Mother’s family is originally from Assiut and had an apartment in the monastery. Our parents and grandparents used to share stories about Moulid Al Adar , where members of our extended family would stay for a whole month. They could attend and see the procession and the ceremony from the confort of their balcony . They talked about the significance of Mount Dronka, believed to be the final stop of the Holy Family’s trip in Egypt. The last time my parents visited was in 1988 before we were even born.
Moulid al-Adra is not very different from other popular religious festivals In Egypt. It takes place from the 7th to the 21st of August, and Egyptian Coptic Orthodox Christians practice the fast of St. Mary during this time. The fast ends with the Feast of the Assumption of Mary into Heaven, which is an important celebration for the church.
During the two-week fasting period, Coptic churches all over Egypt and in other countries have evening prayers and morning masses. The biggest festival in honor of Mary is held in Dronka Monastery in Assiut, in Upper Egypt. People from all over the country come to pray, remember, and celebrate together.
To reach Dronka, pilgrims travel by crowded buses, trains, or cars. It’s also a special time when people of different faiths come together to share their devotion. Muslims also hold Mary in high regard, and many Muslim pilgrims used to attend the Moulid to seek blessing From St Mary, as they do in their own festivals for saints and prophets.
Since 2017 following several terrorists attacks on Copts and churches , the Egyptian authorities banded Muslims from attending the event.
احتفلات المصريين بعيد العذراء بدير درنكة الذى شيد على جبل يعتقد انه كان المحطة الاخيرة لزيارة العائلة المقدسة لمصر بعد هروبهم من اورشليم ..يزور الدير اكثر من مليون شخص سنويا لطلب شفاعة العذراء .
Photos By Georges & Samuel Mohsen – Documentary photographers Based in Egypt © 2016