Coptic Cairo Tour: Cave Church of Saint Simon and Old Cairo churches

Overview

Visit El Mokattam Mountain Cave Church, or the Monastery of St Simon, on a private tour that also explores the magnificent churches of Coptic Cairo. You’ll see some of Cairo’s most important Christian sites, including the Saints Sergius and Bacchus Church, the Church of Saint Barbara, and the Hanging Church, while going beyond sightseeing for a glimpse of ‘garbage city,’ a fascinating Cairo neighborhood that most visitors overlook entirely.

Itinerary

1. Coptic Cairo

   As Per Requested time Pick up from the Hotel by Your guide to Start your Half day tour to Old Cairo that Also known as Coptic Cairo which is mean Christian Cairo it has been Recognized as a holy place because some of the locations there has been visited by the Holy Family where the spiritual impact of their presence is most felt still; though their stay was brief, for the Governor of what was then Fustat enraged by the tumbling down of idols at Jesus’ approach sought to kill the Child. But they took shelter from his wrath in a cave above which, in later years, the Church of Abu Serga (St Sergius) was built. This and the whole area of the Fort of Babylon is a destination of pilgrimage not only for the Egyptians but for Christians from around the world. An air of piety and devotion pervades the whole district there.

   · 1 h

2. Coptic Church of St. Barbara

   Saint Barbara Coptic known in the Eastern Orthodox Church as the Great Martyr Barbara, was an early Christian Lebanese and Greek saint and martyr. Accounts place her in the 3rd century in Heliopolis Phoenicia, present-day Baalbek, Lebanon. There is no reference to her in the authentic early Christian writings nor in the original recension of Saint Jerome's martyrology

   · 30 min

3. The Hanging Church

   The Hanging Church is named for its location above a gatehouse of Babylon Fortress, the Roman fortress in Coptic Cairo (Old Cairo); its nave is suspended over a passage.[2] The church is approached by twenty-nine steps; early travelers to Cairo dubbed it "the Staircase Church".[2] The land surface has risen by some six metres since the Roman period, so the Roman tower is mostly buried below ground, reducing the visual impact of the church's elevated position

   · 30 min

4. Synagogue Ben Ezra

   his was the synagogue whose geniza or store room was found in the 19th century to contain a treasure of forgotten, stored-away Hebrew, Aramaic and Judeo-Arabic secular and sacred manuscripts. The collection, known as the Cairo Geniza, was brought to the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England at the instigation of Solomon Schechter. It is now divided between several academic libraries, with the majority being kept at the Cambridge University Library.

   · 1 h

5. St Simon the Tanner Monastery

   s the Coptic Orthodox saint associated with the story of the moving the Mokattam Mountain in Cairo, Egypt, during the rule of the Muslim Fatimid Caliph al-Muizz Lideenillah (953–975) while Abraham the Syrian was the Pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church

   · 1 h

Pickup

Pickup or meet at the departure point.

As per confirmed pickup time you will find our tour guide waiting for you and he will hold a sign showing our company name

How to use your ticket

• Dress code is smart casual • TRAVEL TIP: Due to very low wages, "Baksheesh" or tips/gratuities are an integral part of life in Egypt. It is useful to carry small notes with you at all times. If you are unsure who, or how much to tip, please do not hesitate to ask your tour guide for guidance.

Meeting point

What to know before you go

• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Specialized infant seats are available
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels
• You will receive confirmation immediately when you book.

Travelers

Cancellation policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

• From 1 days before : 100% refunded
• From 0 days before : 0% refunded

Reviews

Product code: 32214P122

Activity offered by Egypt Tours Online via Viator.