Old Cairo

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Saturday morning at 9 am we were off to explore another part of Cairo, this time a very historical part, Old Cairo. Technically Old Cairo came before the Cairo we know today as a city and was formally known as Babylon. The city used to be surrounded by a fortress named Fort Babylon which housed the Coptic Churches and Synagogues.

When one thinks of Egypt one associates it with the Muslim Religion. While the overwhelming majority of Egyptians are Muslim, roughly 9 percent out of the 83 million are Coptic Christian. In fact, the Copts originated from Egypt. Their history dates back roughly to 42 AD, way before the Cairo today was even thought of. It is said that Saint Mark introduced Christianity to Egypt in Alexandria and it spread from there. The main difference Copts have from other forms of Christianity is their belief that Jesus was indeed one person but he had two different natures. They believe Jesus was both human and divine and that these two natures were separated. Another difference the Copts have with other forms of Christianity is that they have their own pope.

The first place we went to in Old Cairo was The Hanging Church, or, St. Virgin Mary's Coptic Orthodox Church. It received its name because it legitimately was built over an ancient gate to a Babylon fortress, so it hangs there. The church itself is absolutely gorgeous. To enter you climb up 29 steps, which is also why there is another nickname of the staircase church. This church is the most famous Coptic Church in Cairo and is a fairly big tourist destination. The church has 110 icons and some of the oldest, if not the oldest fresco painting in the world. According to our tour guide, the ceiling was carved out of wood to represent Noah's Ark. This was done to make the people feel as if they were as safe from harm as they would have been had they been in Noah's Ark during the great flood. Another interesting fact in most Coptic churches is the number of pillars. There are normally twelve to represent the 12 disciples, and one is always black to represent Judas.

The second church we went to was another Coptic Church, Saints Sergius and Bacchus Church (Abu Serga). This is after you go about two stories under the Cairo street into an old alleyway reminiscent of something Naguib Mahfouz would have fashioned one of his novels after. This church was said to have been built around the 4th century on the spot where the Holy Family rested after their flight into Egypt. In fact, inside the church there is a crypt where the holy family apparently stayed (sorry no photographs were allowed inside).

Finally, our last stop in Old Cairo was the Ben Ezra Synagogue (again, sorry, no photographs were allowed). At present time it is just a museum and not an actual place of worship. It is divided into two floors, the bottom floor would have been where the men would have worshiped, while the top floor would have been where the women would have sat for the service. The synagogue used to have a copy of the Old Testament, but now the remains are scattered all over the world when the Egyptians sent it out for research and they have been unable to get it back. Apparently, the site of the synagogue was where Baby Moses was found in his basket when he floated down the Nile River. Originally the synagogue was a Coptic Church that had to be sold for tax money. According to our tour guide, there are now only 400 Jews left in Egypt, as most have either moved to Israel or elsewhere.

I found this section of Cairo very rewarding, as it reminded me of Cairo's rich history and religious diversity, which most people fail to realize Egypt has had and still continues to this day to possess.

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Photos

Old Cairo
Hanging Church

Old Cairo
Holy Family's Flight to Egypt

Old Cairo
The Wood Represents Noah's Ark

Old Cairo
Black Pillar in the Middle Represents Judas

Old Cairo
Inside of the Hanging Church

Old Cairo
Icons in the Church