Revisiting Coptic Cairo

Old Cairo (Masr al-Qadima in Arabic) describes the area that grew up around the Roman fortress of Babylon, built in the time of Augustus after his conquest of Egypt in 30 B.C.

In particular it is often taken to mean the settlement within the remains of the fortress itself, which surrendered to the Arabs in 641 and became known as Qasr al-Shamah, Fortress of the Beacon.Several ancient churches and a synagogue (generally open 8am - 4pm daily) stand within or on the walls, some possibly built as early as the fourth century, though both Jews and Christians claim much older associations with the place.At the southwest corner of the fortress, the Coptic Church of al-Muallaqa, the Hanging Church, was built on the bastions of the Roman gate, its nave suspended above the passage. The church may have begun as a small chapel for the soldiers at the gate, but the present structure, which in any case has been rebuilt, is unlikely to have been raised upon the walls until the Arab conquest made them redundant. Services are held in Arabic and also in Coptic, which nowadays is a liturgical language only but was once the everyday spoken language of Egyptians.East of the church, steps lead down to a tunnel through which you enter the fortress precincts, a largely Coptic neighbourhoud of little winding streets with an almost rural atmosphere of remoteness. But times have not always been so peaceful. For security, the churches usually avoided facing onto the street, and their main entrances were walled up against attack, so that entry was through a small side door in an otherwise blank façade.Abu Sarga, the Coptic church of St. Sergius, is possibly the oldest church within the fortress; it is thought to date from the fourth or fifth century, though it was restored and partly rebuilt in the twelfth. Christian pilgrims from all over Europe visited Abu Sarga during the Middle Ages because of its associations with the Flight into Egypt; steps to the right of the altar lead down to the crypt where, according to tradition, the Holy Family found refuge after fleeing from Herod.