The Coptic Church in Cairo That’s Hung Up
Hanging Church: Egypt has a lot of interesting places to visit. Many historical, Islamic, Coptic, and Pharaonic sites are popular places for tourists to visit. Cairo is the place where all of these things happen. Cairo, the capital of Egypt, is called “the City of a Thousand Minarets.” You can also point out The Coptic Quarter, where the Holy Family lived when they arrived in Egypt.
The Coptic Quarter is where most of Cairo’s Christians live. The Church of St. George, the Coptic Museum, and the Church of St. Sergius are all things to see in the Coptic Quarter. The Hanging Church is the most well-known place for tourists to visit in Cairo’s Coptic Quarter. It is the Coptic city’s oldest building.
Church on the Wall
The name “Hanging Church” comes from the fact that it was built on the door of a Roman fortress. During the 14th and 15th centuries, it was called the Church of Escalinata because you have to climb 29 steps to get to the door. The Church of the Virgin Mary is another name for it. It means that the Orthodox Church of the Virgin Mary is being talked about.
The history of the church that was hung up
At the southern gate of the Roman Babylonian fortress, the church was started in the first century and finished in the third. From the seventh to the twelfth century, the Church was the site of Christian festivals and the first seat of the patriarch. Patriarchs were buried in the Church in the 11th and 12th centuries. In 1047, when the Muslims moved the capital of Egypt from Alexandria to Cairo, this was the first place where the Pope of Alexandria lived.
During the Islamic dynasties, the church was fixed up a lot of times. During the reign of Harun Al-Rashid, the Pope of Alexandria gave the order for the first renovation to be done. The second time was during the reign of El-Moez El-Din Al-lah, who had all the churches in Egypt fixed up. The last time it was fixed up was in 1998. (renovation of lighting and wall paintings).
Putting together the Hanging Church
The Church was built 13 metres above the ground. In front of the church, there is a fountain. There are two iron doors: one to get in and one to get out. After the entrance, there is a hallway with mosaics of scenes from the Bible. A 29-step staircase is at the end of the passage.
At the top of the stairs, you can see the Church’s doors and front. There are three geometrically carved wooden doors. The two towers on the front of the building are modern for the 1800s.
From the inside, the Church is a square with sides of 18 metres and height of 9 metres. It is split into three parts, and each end has a sanctuary: one for the Virgin Mary, one for San Jorge, and one for Juan Baptista (in the south). Each one has an ivory screen on the front. The ceiling is made of wood and looks like the ark that Noah built. There are pictures of both life and death on the walls.
A pulpit made of marble is held up by 13 columns. Jesus and his 12 followers are shown by the 13 white marble pillars. One pillar is made of black basalt to show that Judas betrayed Jesus, and the other is grey to show that Thomas had doubts.
About the Church on the Wall
People said that the Church was built on the spot where the Holy Family hid from the Palestinian ruler. Most of the painted screens were made in the 1800s. During the rule of Al-Hakim, the Church was turned into a mosque. After his death, it was turned back into a Christian Church. The original things were taken away. The most well-known icon in the Hanging Church is the Mona Lisa, which shows the Virgin Mary.
Egypt via travel lets you see Cairo.
Cairo is a big city with many places that tourists like to visit. If you want an organised trip to see the Coptic sites in Cairo, which are close to the famous Islamic sites, check out our Cairo excursions and plan your dream vacation. If you want to see more of Egypt, check out our Egypt travel packages or Nile cruise.
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