Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
Tourism Guidance Department, Faculty of Tourism and Hotels, Minia University, Minia, Egypt.
2
Tourist Guidance Department, Faculty of Tourism and Hotels, Minia University, Minia, Egypt.
3
Tourist Guidance Department, Faculty of Tourism and Hotels, Minia University
4
Tourism Studies Department, Faculty of Tourism and Hotels, Minia University, Minia, Egypt.
Abstract
The Monastery of St. Demiana in Belqas, Dakahlia Governorate, is one of the oldest nunneries in the world. It dates back to the 4th Century AD. Currently, it includes seven churches, the most important of which is the ancient church of St. Demiana, which was rebuilt on 12th of Bashans (May 20, 744 AD). It contains Demiana's body and the forty virgins. Demiana was martyred in the time of Diocletian on the 13th of Toba (January 21). The Egyptian churches celebrate this occasion annually. It is the largest popular religious celebration associated with Saint Demiana in the world.
The research is a cultural tourism study and depends on the descriptive analytical methodology in addition to having interviews with tourism officials, monastery's priests and number of the participants of this celebration for reaching to the desired results.
The research reviews the manifestations and rituals of Demiana's celebrations in Belqas, as one of the components of the intangible cultural heritage in Egypt, through the applications of augmented reality. The research also aims to put the monastery on the tourism map of Egypt and present a tourist route for participating in the celebrations of Saint Demiana Monastery, with stops to explain the history of the monastery, Saint Demiana, and Belqas region through augmented reality applications.
It is highly recommended to take advantage of the most effective applications of AR in the tourism sector, which can contribute significantly for maximizing the tourist impact of Demiana's celebrations and creating a tourist attraction in Delta.
Keywords
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