| Walking around Coptic or Old Cairo is an | | | | is St. Virgin Mary's Church, better known as the |
| experience of being transplanted in time. Once | | | | Hanging Church. Built in the 7th century AD above |
| known as the Roman stronghold of Babylon, | | | | an older church, it literally hangs between two |
| Coptic Cairo is the oldest part of the city. The | | | | Roman towers. It is an amazing structure with a |
| earliest settlement here dates back to the 6th | | | | lovely ceiling depicting Noah's Ark, heavy doors |
| century BC, where later the Romans built the | | | | inlaid with ebony and ivory, a 13 huge marble |
| fortress of Babylon. | | | | pillars representing the 12 apostles and Christ. |
| After the spread of Christianity in Egypt, Coptic | | | | Other churches and convents in this district, |
| Cairo became a Christian stronghold, where over | | | | traditionally blessed by the holy family include the |
| 20 churches were built in an area of just 1 square | | | | Church of St. George, the Church of Virgin Mary |
| mile - of these, five remain. Today, churches, | | | | and the Church of Mercurius. Coptic Cairo also |
| monasteries, convents and even a synagogue dot | | | | houses the Ben Ezra synagogue, the oldest |
| the area, all predating modern Cairo. | | | | synagogue in Egypt. Considered a possible location |
| The word "Copt" taken from the ancient Egyptian | | | | where Moses was found on the Nile by Pharaoh's |
| word Ha Kaptah was one of the names for | | | | daughter, and where Jeremiah came after being |
| ancient Memphis, one of the capitals of Egypt. | | | | exiled, it is ridden with biblical history. |
| After their conquest of Egypt in 64AD, the Arabs | | | | The Coptic Museum, established in 1908, exhibits a |
| used its Arabic equivalent, Gypt, for the population | | | | vast variety of artifacts from the late Roman |
| of Egypt. In contemporary usage, "Coptic" refers | | | | Empire through the Islamic era, including |
| to Egyptian Christians. | | | | re--creations of monasteries and churches, and |
| The history of Coptic Cairo reflects the history of | | | | ancient dress. It exhibits a fascinating history of |
| Christianity in Egypt. Though Saint Mark the | | | | this area. |
| Evangelists is considered the founder of the | | | | Another area of Coptic Cairo holds the cemetery, |
| Christian Church in Egypt, traditionally it begins | | | | a peaceful and strangely beautiful place. It houses |
| with the story of the holy family of Joseph, Mary | | | | mausoleums that look like miniature churches, |
| and Jesus who traveled to Egypt and lived there | | | | tombs carved with pictures of its occupants and |
| for a time. On of the five churches, the Sergius | | | | pools of cooled wax from burnt candles. Unlike |
| and Bacchus Church, is built upon the crypt where | | | | the rest of bustling, noisy, honking Cairo, here the |
| the holy family took refuge. | | | | sounds of silence prevail. |
| Of the five remaining churches, the most famous | | | | |