Pick up from your hotel at 9AM By Our Private Tour Guide and Private A/C Bus Drive to The Holy Family trip Wadi Al Natrun Churches . The history of the Wadi and its importance to the Copts goes back to the 4th century. Anchorites inhabited caves around the valley and built monasteries. After the Arab invasion of Egypt, the Khalifa of Moslems in Arabia gave Christian monks in Egypt the amnesty to practice their religion. For that reason, the area became the official residence of the Coptic patriarch. Even now the patriarch is elected from Wadi Natrun monks. A Coptic monk has to wait for ten years before being considered as a hermit monk. After that time he quests for a cave around the area or digs one for himself. This tradition has been carried out for centuries among Copts. Most of the monasteries in the area have been rebuilt and restored between the 8th and 11th centuries. The early churches had similar Roman/Coptic Architecture. The monasteries were divided on the inside into three sections, including communion, reading catechism, and a basin for sinners to bath. The word Wadi stands for valley. The reason that this area is called a valley is because it is a flat land surrounded by 10 lakes. The water mainly comes from the rainwater of desert storms. The area is rich with salts and carbonates of sodium, which ancient Egyptians used to mummify their dead. The Romans extracted silica for glass from here. During the British occupation era, a railroad system was built to move the salt in the valley to Cairo. Back to Cairo your Lunch With Middle Egyptian Family Enjoy Learn How to Cook the Egyptian Food and test what you Prepare take Lunch with with Family - Tea & Coffee General talk Transfer Back to Your Hotel