Cairo, Egypt, is renowned for its Pharaonic treasures, ranging from the magnificent Great Pyramids and Sphinx, to the countless monuments and artifacts housed at the Egyptian Museum, including the antiquities from the tomb of the legendary boy-king Tutankhamun.

 

However, this is by no means all that Cairo has to offer tourists. Old Cairo (Masr Al Qadima) – also known as Coptic Cairo – is the oldest part of modern Cairo, and is one of the sites in Egypt where the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph sheltered while fleeing from Judea’s King Herod. (According to tradition, Herod, fearful of a potential rival to his title of ‘King of the Jews,’ ordered the killing of all boys under the age of 2 in the Bethlehem region. An angel warned Joseph in a dream to take baby Jesus and Mary to Egypt for safety, where they stayed until Herod’s death before returning to Nazareth).

 

Following the spread of Christianity in Egypt, numerous churches were built in this part of Cairo to celebrate the Holy Family’s visit. At one point, as many as twenty churches were located within an area of just one square mile (only five have survived). Thus, Coptic Cairo contains some of the world’s oldest churches, and is a pilgrimage destination for Christians from around the world.

 

In 2000, the Egyptian government launched a major tourist initiative to encourage travelers of all backgrounds to retrace the steps of the Holy Family in Egypt, and many tour operators now include a visit to Coptic Cairo in their itineraries.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A very short walk from Al Muallaka is the Coptic Museum, founded in 1910 to primarily house monuments and artifacts from the Coptic era (300 to 1000 AD). The museum thus provides the link between Ancient Egyptian art and culture on the one hand, and the ensuing Islamic era on the other.

 

There are over 16,000 pieces in the museum, forming the world’s largest and most unique collection of Coptic relics, icons manuscripts and textiles. Amongst the most noteworthy items are papyrus sheets of the Gnostic gospels (discovered at Nag Hammadi in 1945), and the earliest (4^th century) complete Coptic Psalter (the Book of David’s Psalms), the oldest preserved codex in the world.

 

Unfortunately, the Coptic Museum is currently closed for restoration, expected to re-open by the end of 2005.

 

 

 

Continuing along Sharie Mari Girgis, away from the Coptic Museum will lead to Keneeset Mari Girgis (St. George’s Church). It is dedicated to one of the region’s most famous saints, St. George, a Roman soldier executed by the Emperor for refusing to persecute Christians. The church has alternated ownership between the Copts and the Greeks, but has remained Greek Orthodox since the 15^th century; indeed it is the seat of the Greek Patriarch of Alexandria.

 

Mari Girgis is distinctive for being round - a rarity for Eastern churches – as it lies atop a Roman tower. It is famous for its large external relief of St. George slaying the dragon. (This Saint is revered for helping save Christianity by battling the devil, symbolised as a dragon). Sadly, the original 7^th century church burned down many times, and the oldest surviving part is a 13^th century rectangular hall, known as Qaat El Ersan (Hall of Nuptials), notable for its carved wood windows inlaid with ivory and ebony. The modern church was built in 1909 in typical Greek style and does not really have noteworthy features.

 

The adjoining Convent of St. George only allows public entry to a small chapel, where the relics of St. George lie in a cedar wood casket. A unique ‘chain wrapping’ ritual can be experienced by visitors, whereby a 4-meter iron chain with neck-shackle hanging from the wall is wrapped around one’s body (not for the faint-hearted!). The chain is thought to have belonged to St. George during his Roman tortures, and is reputed to possess miraculous healing powers.

 

 

 

 

Exiting the central courtyard adjoining Qasriyet Al Rihan and Mari Girgis, and continuing south along Sharie Mari Girgis leads to an underpass to the heart of Coptic Cairo. This sub-street level enclave of narrow cobbled alleyways is worlds apart from the hustle-and-bustle of modern Cairo, and has been likened to Old Jerusalem. The labyrinth of walled passageways, each barely 3 meters wide, leads to the oldest church in Egypt, Abu Sarga, built in the 4^th century and named after two saints martyred then.

 

The church is most famous for its crypt, built upon the cave where the Holy Family is thought to have hidden from Herod. Unfortunately, the crypt is currently closed for vital water drainage maintenance work; it lies about 10 meters below street-level and is hence vulnerable to flooding. There are however photographs of the crypt displayed in the main church so it is still well worthy of a visit.