The Holy Family left the village of Meir and headed to Mount Qasqam, which is about 12 km west of the town of Al-Qusiya, located in the governorate of Assiut, about 327 km from Cairo, and 48 km north of the city of Assiut.
The Virgin Monastery, known as the Muharraq Monastery, is located at the foot of the western mountain, which the people of Upper Egypt call Mount Qusqam. The desert, hills, and sandbanks extend west of the monastery over vast distances along the desert. As for the north and east of the monastery, you can see the beautiful green fields that delights the soul.
The monastery was named after Mount Qusqam because it is located next to a city that was called Qusqam and it was destroyed a long time ago, and only Mount Qusqam remains.
The Monastery of Mount Qasqam or the Monastery of Muharraq is one of the most important stations where the Holy Family settled on their flight to Egypt.
This monastery is considered one of the largest monasteries in the desert of Egypt, where the area of the land of this monastery is more than 20 acres.
Al-Maqrizi mentioned in the 15th century AD that Jesus lived in this monastery for six months.
French traveler Vancelip visited the city of Qusqam and found it in ruins at the time. He spent a month in the monastery in 1664 AD.
ِAlso Father Vancelip and the traveler Charles mentioned it in the 17th century AD.
