Egypt Guide
The Nile Valley
The Convent of the Virgin at Dirunka
Copts believe that the Holy Family sought refuge in caves at DIRUNKA, 12km outside Assyut – as did later Christians. From such troglodyte origins, the present Convent of the Virgin on the site has grown into what resembles a fortified campus – cynics might say a refuge for Assyut's Coptic population, should the worst ever occur.
The expansion is justified by the nearly one million pilgrims who attend the Moulid of the Virgin (August 15–30). This occasions the parading of icons around the spacious cave church where they stand for most of the year. Coptic altars face east because it's from there that Jesus will return, but also because he is "the sun" of their religion. Pilgrims are photographed against a huge portrait of the Virgin, or the verdant plain overlooked by the convent's terrace, below which is a Coptic village where nuns operate a dispensary. About fifty nuns and monks live in the convent.
As the police might wish to escort visitors and may frown on you travelling by minibus (50–75pt) from Assyut, a private taxi (£E30–35 round-trip with 1hr waiting) is the best way of getting there, and saves you a fifteen-minute uphill slog from the roadside. If you don't retain your taxi, returning minibuses can be flagged down on the main road.