Exploring Cairo’s Old Quarters

Coptic Cairo is one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city, built within the walls of the old Roman fort of Babylon. In fact part of the fort walls are still visible today.

The highest concentration of historically important Christian churches can be found here…

The Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus is considered to be Cairo’s oldest church, dating back in the 5th century. It is believed to have been built over the crypt where Virgin Mary, Joseph and Jesus sheltered themselves while trying to escape Herod’s persecution.

The Hanging Church, was built in such a way that the sanctuaries would be suspended over the walls of the fort of Babylon. Unfortunately, the “hanging” effect is not visible nowadays since the level of the ground around the walls has considerably risen over the years.

Ben Ezra is the oldest synagogue in Cairo. It was originally built as a church, but had to be sold to Abraham Ben Ezra (former Rabbi of Jerusalem) when taxation imposed by the government made its maintenance unbearable.

The Church of St. George is relatively new and, unlike the other religious sites in the area, remains active. It is built atop an ancient Roman tower which connects the upper church to the monastery below. The monastery is the official seat of the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Alexandria and as such, cannot be visited by tourists.

You can get to Coptic Cairo by metro (get off at Mar Girgis metro stop).

No Entrance Fee for all the religious sites in the Coptic Quarter.