Fodor's Expert Review St. Mercurius Church

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.