Sights in Asyut
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Convent of the Holy Virgin
At Dirunka, some 11km southwest of Asyut, the Convent of the Holy Virgin was built near another of the caves where the Holy Family are said to have taken refuge during their flight into Egypt. Some 50 nuns and monks live at the convent, built into a cliff about 120m above the valley. One of the monks will happily show you around. During the Moulid (Festival) of the Virgin (second half of August), up to a million pilgrims come to pray, carrying portraits of Mary and Jesus.
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Lillian Trasher Orphanage
On the east bank of the Nile, 200m beyond the barrage, is the Lillian Trasher Orphanage. American-born Lillian Trasher came to Egypt in 1910 at the age of 23. The following year she founded an orphanage in Asyut and stayed until her death in 1961. The orphanage is a place of pride in a city with a heavy concentration of Copts. Visitors are welcome, donations appreciated. Microbuses from the centre of town will take you close. Ask for 'Malga Trasher'.
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Asyut Barrage
A monument to Asyut's period of wealth is the Asyut barrage. Built over the Nile between 1898-1902 to regulate the flow of water into the Ibrahimiyya Canal and assure irrigation of the valley as far north as Beni Suef, it also serves as a bridge across the Nile. As the barrage still has strategic importance, photography is forbidden: keep your camera out of sight.
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Banana Island
Banana Island, at the end of Sharia Salah Salem, is a shady, pleasant place to picnic. You'll have to bargain with a felucca captain for the ride.
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Alexan Palace
Alexan Palace is one of the city's finest 19th-century buildings, but was being renovated at the time of writing.
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