A Day in the Coptic Quarter and the churches of Mokattam

Highlights

Inclusions

Itinerary

1. The Hanging Church is named for its location above a gatehouse of the Fortress of Babylon, the Roman fortress in Coptic Cairo (Old Cairo); its nave is suspended above a passage. The church is approached by twenty-nine steps; early travelers to Cairo nicknamed it "the Church of the Staircase" The land area has increased by about six meters since the Roman period, so the Roman tower is mostly buried under the ground, reducing the visual impact of the elevated position of the church Entrance from the street is through iron gates under a pointed stone arch. The 19th century facade with twin steeples can then be seen beyond a narrow courtyard decorated with modern art biblical motifs. Up the steps and across the entrance is another small courtyard leading to the outside 11th century porch. After that you will visit the Coptic The Coptic Museum is a museum in Coptic Cairo, Egypt,

   1 h

2. The church is dedicated to Sergius and Bacchus, who were holy soldiers martyred in the 4th century in Syria by the Roman Emperor Maximian. The most interesting feature is the crypt where Mary, Joseph and the infant Jesus are said to have rested. The crypt is 10 meters deep and when Nile levels are high it is often flooded.[1] The church was built in the 4th century and was probably completed in the 5th century. It was burnt down in the fire of Fustat during the reign of Marwan II around 750. It was later restored during the 8th century, and has been rebuilt and restored constantly since medieval times; however, it is still considered a model of early Coptic churches. Again, the most valuable and oldest icons are on the south wall. A large central room is divided into three naves by two rows of pilasters.

   1 h

3. Once you enter the Mokattam Mountain area and get closer to the Abagya area, your eyes will lead to one of the rarest architectural artifacts carved in the heart of the Mokattam Mountain, the Tanner Monastery, one of the creative signs of the mountain. The high mountain blends into the distinctive architecture in which the Saint-Simon le Tanneur monastery was built and has become a site of worldwide visitation by a large number of tourists from all over the world.

   2 h

4. it is, in fact, inside the Roman tower which adjoins the Coptic museum, the church of the convent of Saint George, of the Greek Orthodox faith, which is only a few meters away from it. The monastery was founded at the end of the 7th century and at the beginning of the 8th century. Since the beginning of the 19th century, it has been the residence of the patriarchs of Alexandria and of the entire African continent: in fact, it is not open to the public. Saint George became a martyr in the 4th century when he was allegedly beheaded for refusing to renounce his faith.

   20 min

5. Here you feel as if you are looking at a painting and not a place that contains the last remains of man, different shapes, including rectangles, some of which appear to be three-dimensional, and some of which are surmounted by statues of angels, and others contain photographs of the bodies inside. The tombs were built in St. George's Monastery on the Greek heritage, and on the architectural style of the Hellenistic civilization. The Greek tombs in ancient Egypt include the bodies of influential and prominent figures in Egyptian and Greek society, forming the most beautiful thing that the eye can see despite its sad meaning.

   15 min

Cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.

Reviews

Ratings come from 6 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.

Know before you go

How it compares in Giza

• Its from-price is 47% above the median of the 297 city tours we list in Giza.
• Its length is typical for the group.
• By number of reviews it ranks 102 of 297.
• The operator lists free cancellation on it.

About Giza

Giza, on the edge of Cairo, is home to the Great Pyramid, the Sphinx and a desert plateau that has drawn travellers for thousands of years.

The plateau holds three great pyramids, built for the pharaohs Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure, along with smaller queens' pyramids and rows of nobles' tombs. The Great Pyramid of Khufu is the last of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World still standing, and the Great Sphinx keeps watch below, carved from the bedrock beside Khafre's valley temple.

Top-ranked sights in Giza: Sphinx (Great Sphinx of Giza), Giza Pyramids, Great Pyramid of Giza (Khufu Pyramid).

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