Old Cairo & its Coptic Quarter

We ease into our first full day in Cairo after the long journey by meeting our guide, Heba. Along with another couple, Eileen and Jerry, we set out to see a few of the city’s sights and experience daily life in a city of 10.5 million people—and the traffic that comes with it. Heba reassures us that Cairo is relatively safe, with little pickpocketing or vandalism, though she warns us to be cautious when “window shopping,” as merchants can be quite aggressive with their sales pitches.

We head into the old part of the city, known as Coptic Cairo, to explore the Old Quarter of the Egyptian capital. The Coptic Quarter played an important role in early Christianity and remained a stronghold for the faith during the Islamic era. We spend some time at the Coptic Museum, which sits on the ruins of the Roman Babylon Fort and houses the largest collection of Christian artifacts in the world. One of the things that really caught my eye was the mashrabiyas covering the museum windows—beautifully carved wooden screens that let in air and light while still providing privacy and filtering the harsh sunlight. They’re such stunning pieces of craftsmanship.

Just a short walk from the museum is the Hanging Church, dedicated to the Virgin Mary. It’s one of the oldest and most well-known Christian landmarks in the region, dating back to the late 4th or early 5th century. What makes it especially unique is that it’s built on the ruins of the southern gatehouse of the Roman Babylon Fortress, with the main nave literally “hanging” over a passage below. This is also where we start to realize that much of Cairo is built layer upon layer, right on top of earlier buildings.

Our last visit is to the Ben Ezra Synagogue where according to local folklore, it is located on the site where baby Moses was found. Given the small population of Egyptian Jews, the synagogue is no longer active and is largely a tourism site and Jewish museum.Read more