Coptic Cairo, Babylon-in-Egypt...

As I mentioned in a previous entry, the Egyptians have their weekend on Friday and Saturday. Friday is much like Sunday back home, most businesses are shut and people relax. It is also the day for family gatherings (the Mashhour family has been good enough to have me for two of theirs), family being an important part of social life( as it is everywhere I think, participants willing or not). But, back to my point, the weekend is back to front here, since Saturday is the same as home, sort of a half day.

Part of the Roman Ruins,note the ground level (3 stories underground!)

I used my Saturday this last week to visit the oldest part of Cairo, what is popularly called Coptic Cairo. It is named after the Coptic people who live there, and who have lived there for many years. The Copts were one of the original branches of Christianity, founded by St Mark. They split from the Catholic Church pretty early on, disputing the dual nature of Christ. It was the dominant belief system in the region from the 1st century AD, until the advent of Islam in 639AD. At the same time, Egypt was mainly controlled by the Romans, being of key strategic importance because of its wheat exports (this is sounding oddly familiar, what is it with this region?). Cairo was the site of the Roman fort of Babylon-in-Egypt, guarding the strategic meeting point of trade routes that the occurred on the city's present location.

Sharia Mar Girgis (Street of St George)

The area today is completely pedestrian and seems to have undergone something of a restoration recently. It is in very good condition and quite clean (for any inner city area I have ever seen). It contrasts rather strongly with the pyramids, with only a few souvenir sellers, content to stay in their shops. It reminds me of the Citadel in that way, I think it is the presence of the holy buildings. Apparently the Coptic people represent quite a powerful group economically, and so that could be a factor too. An important indication of their wealth is the amount of fine woodwork that is found throughout the churches and shrines. As Egypt is a desert country, wood was traditionally a great sign of wealth, and it seems the Copts were forest-rich.

The entrance of the nunnery of St George

The first place I visited was the convent of St George, known as Mar Girgis here. The saint is thought to have been a Roman soldier here, who was killed for his (Christian) beliefs. Stories of him were taken to Europe by the crusaders, and the English were apparently quite impressed. Convents and Monasteries are quite big in Egypt, with many functioning ones across the country. Visitors aren't allowed into the Convent, but they are allowed to visit the shrine.

The entrance to the Church of St Sergius

Then I wondered along to Church of St Sergius. This is one of the holiest sites of Christianity, because the church is apparently built above a cave where the holy family sheltered when fleeing Herrod's "Massacre of the Innocents". One fact that speaks to the age of all of the churches and sites here, is that most of the entrances are below ground level. The churches are all lavishly decorated, and this one was no exception. Coptic symbols such as the Ankh (the loopy cross thing) and the Coptic heart are worked in wood and ivory all over the shrines and screens. Unfortunately photography is frowned upon inside the assorted shrines, so the shots I have of the insides are minimal.

The Tower of the Church of St George

The Church of St George is especially spectacular, although it is interestingly enough a Greek Orthodox Church. I'm not really sure of the Story behind that, considering that all of the signs are in Greek. I imagine it has something to do with the Greek population that formed in Egypt during the period when the Greeks, Romans and Byzantines ruled Egypt. It is set on quite a high set of stairs, and I suspect it is to escape the fate the other sights have suffered in the area (being overtaken by the ground). Like all the other churches, it had a place to light candles. Of interest too was the graveyard that was attached. It was rather large and contained a large number of number of ornate grave stones and mausoleums, although I didn't linger in it too long. Not out of fear of the deceased, rather I felt uncomfortable. It seemed the cemetery was a hot date spot for couples. Well different strokes and all that...

The front of the Museum

I especially enjoyed the Coptic Museum (I like museums it seems), which has recently been restored - lots of low lights and glass. While the Egyptian Museum deals primarily with the ancient Egyptian civilisation, the Coptic Museum deals with primarily the Coptic period (1st to 8th century AD). Big displays of their textiles, which was what they were famed for. One of the most interesting displays is what is reputed to be the oldest book (cover and pages) in existence, an 1500 year old copy of the gospel of St Mark. It was stored in a very impressive glass fridge, with absolutely no humidity in the case.

Side of Ben Ezra Synagogue, interesting Frankish crosses at the top

Also, I quite unexpetedly stumbled upon a synagogue. This is unexpected because Egypt and Israel don't have warm relations (several wars in the last 50 years). And since most of Israel is Jewish, the religion and the state are often associated with each other. This was not always so apparently, and during the Jewish diaspora, Egypt, and Alexandria especially was one of the first new centres of Jewry. The Ben Ezra Synagogue is testament to the fact that for a long time part of Egypt's history there was a active Jewish population in the country. The synangue itself is not in use today, but is in very good condition, and is quite well maintained.

The famous Hanging Church, not in the hangover sense apparently

The final stop on my tour of Old Cairo was the famous Hanging Church (Al-Muallaqa). It is dedicated to the Virgin memory (reminded me of a lot of Catholic Churches in that way), and is used every Friday and Sunday. Its marble and fine decorations are stunning, and it contains a mix of influences, from about the 10 century onwards. It gets its name from the fact that it was built over two water gates of the old Roman fort, was so suspended over the Nile. Ground water is still a problem, and there is a project on the go to prevent it from damaging the foundations of all the churches and crypts.

Just to prove these aren't photos in my guidebook!

While I was waiting for a taxi, I started chatting to some of the policemen on duty at the entrance of Sharia Mar Girgis. They were quite friendly and very interested to hear that I was from South Africa (The Egyptians generally are it seems). We lamented the fact that it was so hard to get Benny to train with Bafana. The police were from a special squad that deals with Tourism and Antiquities, and could speak passing English. However I soon grabbed a taxi, and went back to my hotel via a rather roundabout route.

Coming Soon: Sharm el-Shaik. I'm hitting the famed seaside resort this weekend. I'm looking forward to some sun and lying on the beach reading! I've also heard the snorkelling is pretty good.