Old Cairo by El Deak Tours
About Old Cairo
The Religious Complex: of Cairo is where all civilizations meet. This is one of the distinctive historical sites of the Egyptian capital where three of the most important Jewish, Christian, and Islamic monuments are located. El Deak Tours excels in offering the best tours to Cairo with visits to Old Cairo, or the Religious Complex.
The complex mainly consists of Synagogue Ben Ezra, the oldest in Egypt, the Hanging Church, and its historical and architectural significance, the Mosque of Amr Ibn Al Aas, the old mosque to be built in Egypt and in Africa, and the famous Babylon Fort.
The Hanging Church in Cairo
One of the most remarkable historical churches in Egypt is the Hanging Church. Situated in Coptic Cairo besides many other interesting Coptic monuments like the Church of Saint Barbra and the Coptic Museum, the Hanging Church is included in many tours to Egypt.
Dedicated to Virgin Mary, the Hanging Church got its name from being constructed on the top ruins of the towers of the ancient Roman fortress of Babylon that still remains until today in Coptic Cairo.
The Hanging Church was actually built on the ruins of a place where the Virgin Mary and the Christ resorted to when they visited Egypt during their holy journey. Some other stories claim that the location of the Church was where a female monk used to resort away from people and worship god.
The original structure of the Hanging Church was most probably built during the 4th century. However, the whole building was destroyed and rebuilt in the 11th century. The expansion and the enlargement process of the Hanging Church have been going on since that date. Therefore it would be very hard to identify which section of the church dates to which period in history.
The Ben Ezra Synagogue
Constructed in the period between the 6th and 9th century, the Ben Ezra Synagogue was actually a Coptic church that was sold to the Jews of Egypt during the 8th or 9th century because the Copts of Egypt were not able to pay the huge tribute to the Fatimid ruler of Egypt at the time.
Ben Ezra was actually one of the Jews who resorted to Egypt during the 2nd century and he resided in the area where Moses once lived. Ben Ezra built a place to store the manuscripts of the Jews who came from Sham and Palestine.
Restored by the Egyptian government in 1992 to become a touristic attraction, the Synagogue consists of two floors; the first is the praying area of the men while the second floor is specified for the women. The synagogue is featured with its marble pillars, and magnificent features.
The Mosque of Amr Ibn El Aas
The Mosque of Amr Ibn El Aas was the first mosque to be established in Egypt and in Africa. This was in 642, when the Moslem army leader, which the mosque holds his name, Amr Ibn El Aas conquered Egypt; he wanted to establish a mosque for the Moslems to carry out their religious rituals.
The mosque when it was established was very primitive and it was constructed out of palm fronds and wooden pieces. The construction was 29 meters in length and 17 meters in width. However, the Mosque of Amr Ibn El Aas was rebuilt and renovated many times during the Egyptian history.
The mosque was rebuilt in 673 and 837 AD. It was also reconstructed by Saladin in 1172. However, the mosque we view today was constructed in the 19th century and it is featured with its marble floor, many columns, and vast surface area. Many tours to Egypt include a visit to the Mosque of Amr Ibn El Aas. Stone capitals, and the wall ornaments all over.
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