Old Cairo is a part of the city that pre-dates the Islamic rule of Cairo. There is evidence of inhabitants as early as the 6thcentury B.C.E. Many ruins of Roman fortifications are found in this part of the city. It is believed that the Holy Family stayed here when they were forced to flee to Egypt when Herod ordered that all boys under the age of two be killed. The first church we went to, the Cavern Church (also called Abu Serga or St. Sergius), was built over a cave where the Holy Family stayed for three months. We were able to take pictures there. The walls were lined with icons and the mosaic designs. We even went down into the cavern beneath the sanctuary to see where the Holy Family stayed.
Next, we went to Ben-Ezra Synagogue that had originally been a Coptic Church. Ben-Ezra Synagogue was built on the exact spot where baby Moses was found in the reeds. It is also where Mary drew the water to wash Jesus’ feet. It is the oldest surviving synagogue. The original Coptic church was sold to the Jews in 882 to pay the annual taxes imposed by Ibn Tulun. It has undergone several reconstructions, and during the last, the most famous and diverse genizah in the world was found, known as the Cairo Geniza. It contained over 300,000 Jewish manuscript fragments, which were helpful in finding the Dead Sea Scrolls. These were sent to Cambridge, England, and have now been divided between several academic libraries. We could not take pictures inside.
Finally we went to the Hanging Church, so named because it was built over the Roman Gate Towers in the 4th century. Its wooden roof is shaped like Noah’s Ark. From the 7th to the 13th centuries, it was the residence of the Coptic Patriarch. There are three sanctuaries facing the east, the one in the middle is dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the one to the left is named after St. George, and the one to the right is named after John the Baptist. The wooden screen is decorated with geometric patterns and crosses in ebony and ivory with icons above. In the center is the enthroned Jesus, on the left side the Virgin Mary, Archangel Gabriel, and St. Peter, and on the right, John the Baptist, Archangel Michael, and St. Paul. Fifteen icons describe the life and torture of St. George; seven icons cover the life of John the Baptist. All these buildings were about 1,400 years old. The iconography in these churches reminded me of the Russian churches we saw. This is the most famous of the Coptic churches in Egypt.
The history, the artwork, and the religious significance of these places of worship humbled me.
Next we journey to Aswan.
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