Afisha Life | Half Day Tour to the Churches of Cairo

1

The Hanging Church

The construction of the church dates back to 690 AD. While the first mention of the church dates back to the year 831 AD. Patriarch Ibrahim rebuilt and restored the church in 975 AD, and it has witnessed many restoration operations throughout its history. While its antiquities, which are no longer usable, were kept in the Coptic Museum, due to their historical and archaeological importance.

2

Coptic Orthodox Church of St. George (Mari Girgis)

The Church of St. George is a Greek Orthodox church within the Babylon Fortress in Coptic Cairo. It is part of the Holy Patriarchal Monastery of St George under the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and all Africa. The church dates back to the 10th century (or earlier). The current structure was rebuilt following a 1904 fire, construction was finished in 1909.

3

Church of St. Barbara

It was originally dedicated to Abu Kir and Yohanna (or Ss. Cyrus and John). When the remains of St. Barbara were brought here, a separate sanctuary was built. Thus, there are now two separate churches that were built on this location. Athanasius, a wealthy scribe and a secretary of Abdel-Aziz Ibn Marwan (governor of Egypt between 685 and 705 AD), had built the church. A door found during one of the church's many restorations could date as early as the 4th century. Between 1072 and 1073, the church was fully restored to house the relics of Saint Barbara. These relics remain to this day. The church was damaged again by a fire during the 12th century. The church was most recently renovated extensively between 1910 and 1922, when the khurus, a transverse room preceding the sanctuary, was sacrificed in order to allow more space.

4

Church of St. Sergius and Bacchus

Saints Sergius and Bacchus Church is traditionally believed to have been built on the spot where the Holy Family, Joseph, Mary and the infant Jesus Christ, rested at the end of their journey into Egypt. They may have lived here while Joseph worked at the fortress. The church is of significant historical importance, and in fact, it is where many patriarchs of the Coptic Church were elected. The first to be elected here was Patriarch Isaac (681-692) It is the episcopal church of Cairo, and it was the episcopal See of Masr (the district of Old Cairo) that replaced the former See of Babylon. Many bishops of the See were consecrated in the Church until the reign of Patriarch Christodulus (1047–1077).

5

Synagogue Ben Ezra

The founding date of the Ben Ezra Synagogue is not known, although there is good evidence from documents found in the geniza that it predates 882 CE and is probably pre-Islamic. In 882, the patriarch of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria sold a church and its grounds to a group of Jews, and some 19th-century scholars have assumed that this was the origin of Ben Ezra. However, the buyers were followers of the Talmudic Academies in Babylonia, and Ben Ezra was a congregation that observed the teachings of the rival Talmudic Academies in Syria Palaestina. Modern scholars agree that the 882 land sale was to a rival synagogue.

6

St Simon the Tanner Monastery

Nestled at the heart of Mokattam Mountain in southeastern Cairo, St. Simon Monastery, also known as The Cave Church, is one of the largest churches not only in Egypt but also in the Middle East. The Cave Church is located in an area known as the Zabbaleen city, meaning literally ‘garbage city’. This city has the largest population of garbage collectors and recyclers in Cairo. The Cave church was built in commemoration of St. Simon who lived towards the end of the 10th century during the rule of Fatimid Caliph Al-Mui’zz. St. Simon worked in tanning which is a well-known craft to this very day.

7

The Hanging Church

The construction of the church dates back to 690 AD. While the first mention of the church dates back to the year 831 AD. Patriarch Ibrahim rebuilt and restored the church in 975 AD, and it has witnessed many restoration operations throughout its history. While its antiquities, which are no longer usable, were kept in the Coptic Museum, due to their historical and archaeological importance.

8

Coptic Orthodox Church of St. George (Mari Girgis)

The Church of St. George is a Greek Orthodox church within the Babylon Fortress in Coptic Cairo. It is part of the Holy Patriarchal Monastery of St George under the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and all Africa. The church dates back to the 10th century (or earlier). The current structure was rebuilt following a 1904 fire, construction was finished in 1909.

9

Church of St. Barbara

It was originally dedicated to Abu Kir and Yohanna (or Ss. Cyrus and John). When the remains of St. Barbara were brought here, a separate sanctuary was built. Thus, there are now two separate churches that were built on this location. Athanasius, a wealthy scribe and a secretary of Abdel-Aziz Ibn Marwan (governor of Egypt between 685 and 705 AD), had built the church. A door found during one of the church's many restorations could date as early as the 4th century. Between 1072 and 1073, the church was fully restored to house the relics of Saint Barbara. These relics remain to this day. The church was damaged again by a fire during the 12th century. The church was most recently renovated extensively between 1910 and 1922, when the khurus, a transverse room preceding the sanctuary, was sacrificed in order to allow more space.

10

Church of St. Sergius and Bacchus

Saints Sergius and Bacchus Church is traditionally believed to have been built on the spot where the Holy Family, Joseph, Mary and the infant Jesus Christ, rested at the end of their journey into Egypt. They may have lived here while Joseph worked at the fortress. The church is of significant historical importance, and in fact, it is where many patriarchs of the Coptic Church were elected. The first to be elected here was Patriarch Isaac (681-692) It is the episcopal church of Cairo, and it was the episcopal See of Masr (the district of Old Cairo) that replaced the former See of Babylon. Many bishops of the See were consecrated in the Church until the reign of Patriarch Christodulus (1047–1077).

11

Synagogue Ben Ezra

The founding date of the Ben Ezra Synagogue is not known, although there is good evidence from documents found in the geniza that it predates 882 CE and is probably pre-Islamic. In 882, the patriarch of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria sold a church and its grounds to a group of Jews, and some 19th-century scholars have assumed that this was the origin of Ben Ezra. However, the buyers were followers of the Talmudic Academies in Babylonia, and Ben Ezra was a congregation that observed the teachings of the rival Talmudic Academies in Syria Palaestina. Modern scholars agree that the 882 land sale was to a rival synagogue.

12

St Simon the Tanner Monastery

Nestled at the heart of Mokattam Mountain in southeastern Cairo, St. Simon Monastery, also known as The Cave Church, is one of the largest churches not only in Egypt but also in the Middle East. The Cave Church is located in an area known as the Zabbaleen city, meaning literally ‘garbage city’. This city has the largest population of garbage collectors and recyclers in Cairo. The Cave church was built in commemoration of St. Simon who lived towards the end of the 10th century during the rule of Fatimid Caliph Al-Mui’zz. St. Simon worked in tanning which is a well-known craft to this very day.

13

The Hanging Church

The construction of the church dates back to 690 AD. While the first mention of the church dates back to the year 831 AD. Patriarch Ibrahim rebuilt and restored the church in 975 AD, and it has witnessed many restoration operations throughout its history. While its antiquities, which are no longer usable, were kept in the Coptic Museum, due to their historical and archaeological importance.

14

Coptic Orthodox Church of St. George (Mari Girgis)

The Church of St. George is a Greek Orthodox church within the Babylon Fortress in Coptic Cairo. It is part of the Holy Patriarchal Monastery of St George under the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and all Africa. The church dates back to the 10th century (or earlier). The current structure was rebuilt following a 1904 fire, construction was finished in 1909.

15

Church of St. Barbara

It was originally dedicated to Abu Kir and Yohanna (or Ss. Cyrus and John). When the remains of St. Barbara were brought here, a separate sanctuary was built. Thus, there are now two separate churches that were built on this location. Athanasius, a wealthy scribe and a secretary of Abdel-Aziz Ibn Marwan (governor of Egypt between 685 and 705 AD), had built the church. A door found during one of the church's many restorations could date as early as the 4th century. Between 1072 and 1073, the church was fully restored to house the relics of Saint Barbara. These relics remain to this day. The church was damaged again by a fire during the 12th century. The church was most recently renovated extensively between 1910 and 1922, when the khurus, a transverse room preceding the sanctuary, was sacrificed in order to allow more space.

16

Church of St. Sergius and Bacchus

Saints Sergius and Bacchus Church is traditionally believed to have been built on the spot where the Holy Family, Joseph, Mary and the infant Jesus Christ, rested at the end of their journey into Egypt. They may have lived here while Joseph worked at the fortress. The church is of significant historical importance, and in fact, it is where many patriarchs of the Coptic Church were elected. The first to be elected here was Patriarch Isaac (681-692) It is the episcopal church of Cairo, and it was the episcopal See of Masr (the district of Old Cairo) that replaced the former See of Babylon. Many bishops of the See were consecrated in the Church until the reign of Patriarch Christodulus (1047–1077).

17

Synagogue Ben Ezra

The founding date of the Ben Ezra Synagogue is not known, although there is good evidence from documents found in the geniza that it predates 882 CE and is probably pre-Islamic. In 882, the patriarch of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria sold a church and its grounds to a group of Jews, and some 19th-century scholars have assumed that this was the origin of Ben Ezra. However, the buyers were followers of the Talmudic Academies in Babylonia, and Ben Ezra was a congregation that observed the teachings of the rival Talmudic Academies in Syria Palaestina. Modern scholars agree that the 882 land sale was to a rival synagogue.

18

St Simon the Tanner Monastery

Nestled at the heart of Mokattam Mountain in southeastern Cairo, St. Simon Monastery, also known as The Cave Church, is one of the largest churches not only in Egypt but also in the Middle East. The Cave Church is located in an area known as the Zabbaleen city, meaning literally ‘garbage city’. This city has the largest population of garbage collectors and recyclers in Cairo. The Cave church was built in commemoration of St. Simon who lived towards the end of the 10th century during the rule of Fatimid Caliph Al-Mui’zz. St. Simon worked in tanning which is a well-known craft to this very day.

Half Day Tour to the Churches of Cairo

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