5 Best Sights in Cairo, Egypt

Also known as Our Lady of Heliopolis Co-Cathedral, this Roman Catholic basilica was designed by Alexander Marcel, the designer of the Baron Empain Palace, who modeled it after Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia. Hidden beneath its altar is a chamber containing the remains of Baron Empain—a significant figure not only in Heliopolis’s history, but in the cathedral’s inception—and his family. The church is open to the public (call ahead to confirm hours), but you must prearrange permission from the lay council to access the crypt.

One of the largest and finest churches in Cairo was named after a young Nicodemian woman who was killed by her pagan father for converting. First built in 684, it was originally dedicated to Cyrus and John (in Arabic, Abu Qir and Yuhanna, respectively), two martyrs from the city of Damanhour who were killed for not renouncing their Christianity.

The church, which was destroyed by fire and rebuilt in both the 11th and 12th centuries, has the standard layout consisting of a narthex, a nave, side aisles, and three sanctuaries. Technically, there are two churches on the site, as a separate sanctuary was built when the relics of St. Barbara were brought here. The sanctuary screen currently in place is a 13th-century wooden piece inlaid with ivory—the original screen is in the Coptic Museum. The icons above the screen include a newly restored Child Enthroned and a rare icon of St. Barbara. To the left of the sanctuary is the chapel dedicated to Cyrus and John, a square structure with a nave, transept, two sanctuaries (one for each saint), and a baptistry. Access to Coptic Cairo's cemetery is through an iron gate to the left of the church.

What's known in Arabic as Abu Serga is considered Cairo's oldest church, originally constructed in the 5th century. Though it was destroyed and rebuilt several times, including during a major restoration venture in the Fatimid era, it is, nevertheless, a model of early Coptic church design. Dedicated to two Roman officers, Sergius and Bacchus, both martyred in Syria in 303, the church sits above a cave where the Holy Family was said to have stayed the night during their flight from King Herod. Hence, it was once a major pilgrimage destination for 19th-century European travelers. A special ceremony is still held here every June to commemorate the event.

The entrance leads to the side of the narthex, at the end of which is a baptistry. At the ceiling of the nave, 24 marble pillars that were taken from an earlier site and possibly date from the Ptolemaic era (304–30 BC), support a series of arched timbers. Most of the church furnishings are modern replicas of older pieces. The originals are in the Coptic Museum—pieces from a rosewood pulpit and the sanctuary canopy are among the museum's prized possessions. To the left of the sanctuary is the crypt in which the Holy Family is believed to have hidden.

Mercurius, or Abu Seifein (Of the Two Swords), is named for a Roman legionary who converted to Christianity after dreaming that an angel gave him a glowing sword and ordered him to use it to fight paganism. He was martyred in Palestine, and his remains were brought to Cairo in the 15th century. Today, this site is of great importance to Coptic Christians; when the seat of the Coptic Patriarch moved from Alexandria to Cairo, Saint Mercurius was the chosen location. The complex actually contains a monastery, a convent, and three churches: Abu Seifein, Abna Shenouda, and a church of the Virgin.

What's known in Arabic as al-Muallaqah (The Suspended Church) is consecrated to the Blessed Virgin. It sits atop a gatehouse of the Roman fortress, was originally built in the 9th century, and has since been rebuilt several times. Only the section to the right of the sanctuary, above the southern bastion, is considered original. Nevertheless, it is one of the city's most impressive churches.

The entrance gates open to a flight of stairs that lead onto a covered courtyard, the narthex, paved with glazed geometrical tiles dating from the 11th century. Beyond the narthex is the nave, the main section of the church where services are held. Most columns in Coptic churches were painted with pictures of saints, but few of the paintings survived. Those in the Hanging Church are no exception; only one column still has traces of a figure on it.

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of this space is the marble pulpit. Considered the oldest existing pulpit in the country, it was constructed in the 11th century, though some of its components are older. The pulpit is supported by slender columns arranged in pairs of which no two are alike. Some say this represents the sacraments; others describe it as being symbolic of Christ and his disciples.

The sanctuary screen is made of cedar and ivory cut in small segments and then inlaid in wood to form a Coptic cross. The top of the screen is covered with icons: Christ is depicted in the center; the Virgin, the archangel Gabriel, and St. Peter are on the right; and St. John the Baptist, St. Paul, and the archangel Michael are on the left. Behind the screen is the sanctuary dedicated to the Virgin Mary. To the right is another screen dating from the 13th century and made of wood and mother-of-pearl. It glows dark pink when a candle is held behind it. Behind this is a small chapel attached to the Ethiopian St. Takla Haymanot Church. A stairway leads from this chapel to one above it, dedicated to St. Mark. This area is probably the oldest part of the church, built in the 3rd century when this was still a bastion of the old Roman fort.