Pilgrims Pray Together At Egypt's Interfaith Virgin Mary Feast

ASSUIT, EGYPT - AUGUST 21: During the Virgin Mary Festival in Dronka, Coptic Christians shows the cross tattooed on their right hands, a distinctive symbol embraced by the majority of Egyptian Christians, on August 21, 2023 in Assuit, Egypt. As part of the security measures for festival entry, attendees are requested to reveal their tattoos, verifying their Christian identity. Those without the tattoo are asked to present a national ID card indicating their religion. This practice highlights the significance of the cross as a badge of faith and unity. In Egypt, Christians constitute one of the largest religious minorities across the Middle East and Africa. The festival in Dronka celebrates the Feast of the Assumption, an occasion that reveres the Virgin Mary's ascension into heaven. The interfaith Virgin Mary pilgrimage no longer permits Muslims from entering the site during the event due to security concerns, yet Christians from Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea and Ethiopia continue to visit the sacred site annually. The Virgin Mary Monastery in Dronka in Assiut governorate, built over 1500 years ago, is believed to have been built where Mary, Joseph and the infant Jesus spent their last days in Egypt before returning to Palestine more than 2,000 years ago and where apparitions of the Virgin Mary have been reported in recent times. In 2020 the monastery and the chapel underwent renovations as part of Egypt's plans to revive the Holy Family Trail and promote Egypt's tourism sector. (Photo by Roger Anis/Getty Images)