Hanging Church

Officially called the Church of the Virgin Mary, the Hanging Church is built atop the southern gatehouse of the Roman-built Babylon Fortress and gets its name from the fact that its nave is suspended over a passageway. This unique location gives the church the impression of hanging in mid-air, but this is hard to see until you get in and see through slits the old passageway far below.

The current church was built in the 7th century, and has had a number of renovations. The ceiling is built of vaulted timber and intended to resemble the interior of Noah’s Ark. The church is famous for its religious icons, however, of which 110 remain on display within its walls.

Many of these decorate the sanctuary screens and were painted by a single artist during the 18th century. The oldest and most famous icon is known as the Coptic Mona Lisa. It depicts the Virgin Mary and dates back to the 8th century.Read more