Monastery of St. Mary at Muharraq
A major ancient Coptic monastery at Mount Qosqam, revered in Church tradition as a place where the Holy Family stayed in Egypt.
- Location
- Mount Qosqam, Al Qusiya, Assiut Governorate, Egypt
- Jurisdiction
- Coptic Orthodox Church
- Founded
- Monastic community by the late 4th century
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-27
History
The official account places Pachomian ascetics at Qosqam in the fourth century and says the monastic community reached about 300 monks by that century's end.
The story of this place
The Holy Family tradition
The Church profile identifies Qosqam as a safe haven of the Holy Family and records a tradition that they remained in the house there for 185 days.
A house of liturgy and manuscripts
The monastery preserved daily liturgy, Coptic-language worship, manuscript copying, ancient icons, and later theological and cantor education.
Map-pin precision
Reviewed site pointCoordinate source: Wikidata Q2177194 (monastery property coordinate, CC0) · checked 2026-08-27
Claims and sources
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A major ancient Coptic monastery at Mount Qosqam, revered in Church tradition as a place where the Holy Family stayed in Egypt.
Official Coptic Orthodox Church monastery profile ↗