Wadi El Natron in El Behera

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Some 23 meters below the sea level , lies the town of Wadi El Natrun in El Beheira Governorate , about 90 km north-west of Cairo . Wadi El Natroun is one of the major tourist attractions in Egypt for enclosing various types of monuments that date back to Pharaonic , Coptic and Islamic Era . The name , 'Wadi El Natrun' refers to the presence of 8 different lakes that produce natron salt . The reason is that the Ancient Egyptians used to extract the natron from this valley to be used in burial and mummification rites . Additionally , the valley includes 9 small lakes where migrant birds seek shelter in winter months . Thus , the site is a preferred place for bird-watchers .

The valley is regarded by Christians in Egypt as one of the holy places that the Holy Family visited during their journey to Egypt . In the 4th century , St . Macarius , retired in the Natron Valley , later was followed by thousands of people who preferred the isolated and ascetic life of the desert . Organized in communities , these people lived in cells and caves . In Wadi El Natron , there are 4 monasteries that date back to the 4th century . Well-fortified against the attacks launched by the desert nomads , the monasteries became self-sufficient . With the Christian disputes over the nature of Christ , the monks were divided and new monasteries for each party were built . Today , only 4 monasteries have survived .