Coptic Cairo / Hanging Church
مصر القديمة
Old Cairo, built on the ruins of the Roman fortress of Babylon, with the Hanging Church, St Sergius Church (where the Holy Family is said to have taken refuge) and the Ben Ezra Synagogue, three faiths within a short walk of each other.
Coptic Cairo lies in southern Cairo, in the area known as Old Cairo (Misr al-Qadima). It was built on the ruins of the Roman fortress of Babylon, dating from the 1st century AD, and is the historical heart of Egypt's Coptic Christians. The Hanging Church (Al-Muallaqa), built around the 7th century, takes its name from being built atop two towers over the southern gate of the fortress. You climb 29 steps to enter. Inside are 110 icons and 13 marble columns representing Christ and the apostles, making it Cairo's most famous church. The underground Church of St Sergius and St Bacchus (Abu Serga) is said to be where the Holy Family sheltered when they fled to Egypt, and you can go down into its underground chamber. The Ben Ezra Synagogue is famous for the discovery of the Cairo Genizah. The Coptic Museum (admission about EGP 300) holds the world's most complete collection of Coptic art, including the Nag Hammadi Codices, a collection of Gnostic texts. The churches are free to visit (roughly 09:00 to 17:00), and modest dress is expected. The area is compact and can be explored in 2 hours. Near the exit you'll find a Roman tower, and the Mar Girgis metro station on Line 1 is very convenient. Nearby, the Amr Ibn al-As Mosque in Fustat (Africa's first mosque) and the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC, with its royal mummy hall) can be combined into a half-day trip.
Opening hours
About 09:00–17:00
Nearby sights
- Mosque of Amr ibn al-As
- National Museum of Egyptian Civilization
- Manial Palace
- Mosque of Ibn Tulun
- Gayer-Anderson Museum
- Mosque-Madrasa of Sultan Hassan
- Al-Rifa'i Mosque
- Citadel of Saladin