CARAVAN launches pilgrimages to Egypt for the Church
CARAVAN, an international arts non-profit that has served the Episcopal Church for over 12 years, launches their “Cradle of Civilization” pilgrimage tours to Egypt, inviting all to explore the wonder of Egypt through the lens of its ancient and living artistic culture and spirituality.
Chicago, IL – October 16, 2025: CARAVAN, which has curated peacebuilding art exhibitions for over a decade in association with the Episcopal Church, is preparing to launch its first pilgrimage tour to Egypt, running from October 26 – November 6, 2025, with 31 pilgrims from around the US. This new initiative of CARAVAN to serve the Episcopal Church, which includes pilgrimages each year to the countries of Egypt and Senegal, West Africa, will provide inspiring opportunities for an enriching adventure of a lifetime through the lens of culture, art and spirituality. Like a “gallery without walls,” these tours explore fascinating artistic and spiritual cultures, both living and historic. They are like walking off the edge of a painting, or a photograph, and into the worlds that created it.
About these new pilgrimages to Egypt, The Most Rev. Sean W. Rowe, Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church, says, “Egypt is one of the ‘holy lands’ within our story of faith – a land that sheltered many, from Abraham to Moses and the Holy Family, to St. Mark and the Desert Mothers and Fathers. Led by experienced guides who know and love Egypt, I encourage you to take this transformational pilgrimage with CARAVAN that brings to life the vibrant spirituality and culture of Egypt’s ancient and living civilization.”
CARAVAN’s “Cradle of Civilization” pilgrimage to Egypt, often referred to as the “Mother of the World,” will introduce pilgrims to the culture, art and spirituality of this ancient and living civilization. The pilgrimage will explore the Nile River cities of Cairo and Luxor, as well as down the Red Sea coast to the Arab desert to stand in the sand of ageless time. The tour will take participants from the Great Giza Pyramids, to magnificent mosques, Pharaonic temples and to the oldest monastery in the world.
Pilgrims will float on the life-giving waters of the great Nile River, smell the aromas of exotic spices piled high in a bustling souk, savor flatbread freshly baked in a clay oven, visit a Bedouin tent-shaped cathedral, hear the Muslim call to prayer from over a thousand minarets, stand on the shore of the Red Sea, experience the Sufi dancing of whirling dervishes, explore whale bones in the Western desert and so much more. All along, participants will experience ancient and living spiritual traditions – Pharaonic, Islamic, Sufi, Coptic, Jewish, and desert spirituality.
To enhance the journey, art is woven throughout the pilgrimage – Coptic, Islamic, Ancient Pharaonic and contemporary Egyptian art. The tour also entails visiting the new Grand Egyptian Museum on the Giza Plateau, being introduced to spiritually-oriented architecture of Pharaonic temples, contemplating ancient monastic frescoes and Coptic iconography, admiring Islamic calligraphy, and meeting some of today’s premier Egyptian artists.
CARAVAN’s curated journeys to Egypt are led by its founding president, building on his years of experience in the country, providing a valuable insider perspective into the exploration of its people, culture and spiritual traditions.
By participating in a CARAVAN tour to Egypt, pilgrims will also contribute toward building bridges between the Middle East and West and making a difference in our world.
*CARAVAN’s 2026 “Cradle of Civilization” pilgrimages are:
-April 19 – 30, 2026 (10 days, 11 nights)
-Oct. 25 – Nov. 5, 2026 (10 days, 11 nights)
For more information about CARAVAN’s pilgrimages to Egypt, visit www.oncaravan.org/tours/egypt or email: tours@oncaravan.org
ORGANIZER
CARAVAN is an international non-profit/NGO that focuses on building bridges through the arts between diverse cultures, peoples and spiritual traditions. CARAVAN does this through art exhibitions, tours and creative engagement. For more information about CARAVAN, visit www.oncaravan.org.