civilizations ..

The Saints and the hermits who retired to the desert to lead a life of contemplation, often living in ancient tombs, were deeply revered. St Mark, who took Christianity to Egypt; St Anthony; St Catherine of Alexandria; and St Athanasius are honoured by the churches of the East and West today. During the Middle Ages Egypt and Sinai were included in the pilgrim route to the Holy Land. On the island of Roda, near Cairo, pilgrims were shown the place where Moses was found by the daughter of Pharaoh.

The tree where the Holy Family rested on the flight into Egypt flourished at Heliopolis the 19th century. This Biblical background continued to be influential and was one of the major inspirations for early archaeological work in the country.
The civilization of western Europe Owed much to its classical inheritance, which was continually being revived during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. In the preserved books of Greek and Roman authors there was a great deal of information on Egypt, which confirmed and added to the importance accorded to the country in the Biblical traditions. Albeit garbled and, when detailed, confined to the latest periods of Egypt's ancient history, these works were important at a time when Egypt was part of the Turkish Empire and difficult to visit beyond Cairo.