Hanging Church

The Hanging Church in Cairo

Although the city of Cairo is noted for its mosques, it is also home to many important churches. The Hanging Church is the most famous tourist destination in the Coptic neighborhood of Cairo and is the oldest Coptic monument. It is close to the Coptic Museum, where many of the Church’s bas-reliefs are displayed. The Church is surrounded by many Coptic monuments, such as the Church of Saint George.

What is the significance of naming it with that name?

The name knows it of the Hanging Church because it was built on the remains of the gate of the Roman fortress. During the 14th and 15th centuries, the first travelers and pilgrims to the Church were known by the name of the Stairway Church because they had to climb 29 steps to reach the door of the Church.

It is also known as the Church of the Virgin Mary because it is dedicated to Saint Mary and refers to the Orthodox Church of the Virgin Mary.

The History of the Hanging Church

The Church was built in the 1st century and finished its construction in the 3rd century at the gate of the southern wall of the Roman Babylonian fortress. From the 7th to the 12th century, the Church was the place of Christian festivals and the first patriarchal seat. During the 11th and 12th centuries, the patriarchs were buried in the Church.

It was the first seat of the Pope of Alexandria Cairo in 1047 when the Islamics moved the Egyptian capital from Alexandria to Cairo. The Church was restored many times during the Islamic dynasties. The first renovation during the Islamic dynasty was during the dynasty of Harun Al-Rashid by order of the Pope of Alexandria. The second restoration was in the dynasty of El-Moez Li-Din Allah, who ordered the renovation of all the churches in Egypt.

The Church was converted to a mosque in the Al-Hakim dynasty and returned to the Christians as the Church after his death. The original artifacts were removed, and most of the screens were painted in the 18th century. The last restoration was in 1998 (renovation of lighting and wall paintings).

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