Explore Egyptian Coptic History with Old Cairo Holidays

If you are holidays in Cairo, don’t miss on visiting the Old Cairo as this is the place where you can explore the intriguing history of Christianity in Egypt.

If you want to feel the exuberant Egyptian streak, plan holidays to Cairo. The capital city of Egypt is one of the top notch tourist destinations in the country. The city is famous for its pyramids and rich ancient history. However, these are not the only attractions in the city. To explore more of Egypt, you should visit the Old Cairo. This part of the city is home to Coptic Cairo where you would find numerous churches and ruins of Roman fortifications.

Besides Coptic Cairo, other attractions in this part of the city are Coptic Museum, Ben Ezra Synagogue, Mosque of Amr ibn al-‘As and Babylon Fortress. These are the major attraction that make Old Cairo an integral part of Cairo holiday packages. Fortress of Babylon is the most prominent attraction in Old Cairo. In Egyptian language, it is pronounced as Babalog. This fortress was built by the Romans to protect the city of Memphis. Original fortress was founded around 30 BC, the year when Augustus entered Alexandria. The fortress became centre of the new religion i.e., Christianity in 1 AD. Within the fortress, you would come across a convent, several churches and Coptic Museum.

Coptic Museum is famous for exhibiting the world’s largest collection of Egyptian Christian artifacts. Therefore, every year several tourists interested in exploring history of Christianity in Egypt add this museum to their Cairo holiday deals. This museum was founded in 1910 by Marcus Simaika Pasha. It covers an area of 8,000 square meters. While walking around the alleys the museums, you would also come across some of the best examples of Coptic art.

There are several churches in the Old Cairo. Hanging Church is among the most important ones. It is also known as El-Moallaqua. Its nickname is Saint Virgin Mary's Coptic Orthodox Church. It was built in 3rd century AD which makes it one of the oldest churches in the entire country. According to the experts, this was one of the first churches that hosted Coptic rituals. The church has gone through several renovations. During the renovation of 19th century fourth aisle was added to the structure.

Another attraction in this part of the city is Al-Azhar Mosque. It entices large number of people to pla
Cairo holidays. This museum was established by Fatimid conqueror of Egypt- Jawhar al-Siqilly in 1970. The are area where this mosque is located, you would come across alluring Islamic gravestones from 10th century.