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Coptic Cairo: Tour of Cave Church of Saint Simon and Historic Churches
4.7
87 Ratings
6th of October City (2)
Explore the Cave Church of Saint Simon and historic churches in Coptic Cairo. Discover hidden gems like ‘garbage city’ on this private tour of Cairo’s Christian sites.
Duration:
4 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
learn more
Highlights
- Coptic Cairo - At the designated time, your guide will pick you up from the hotel to begin your half-day tour of Old Cairo, also known as Coptic Cairo, which signifies Christian Cairo. This area is considered sacred because the Holy Family visited some of its locations. Despite their brief stay, the spiritual impact of their presence is still felt. The Governor of what was then Fustat, angered by the falling idols at Jesus’ approach, sought to kill the Child. The Holy Family took refuge in a cave, over which the Church of Abu Serga (St. Sergius) was later built. This entire area, including the Fort of Babylon, is a pilgrimage site for both Egyptians and Christians worldwide. The district exudes an atmosphere of piety and devotion.
- Church of St. Barbara - Saint Barbara, known in the Eastern Orthodox Church as the Great Martyr Barbara, was an early Christian saint and martyr from Lebanon and Greece. She is believed to have lived in the 3rd century in Heliopolis Phoenicia, now Baalbek, Lebanon. There are no references to her in early Christian writings or in the original version of Saint Jerome’s martyrology.
- Hanging Church (El Muallaqa, Sitt Mariam, St Mary) - The Hanging Church gets its name from its location above a gatehouse of the Babylon Fortress, a Roman fortress in Coptic Cairo (Old Cairo). Its nave is suspended over a passage. The church is accessed by twenty-nine steps, leading early travelers to call it the “Staircase Church.” The land surface has risen by about six meters since the Roman period, so the Roman tower is mostly buried, diminishing the visual impact of the church’s elevated position.
- Synagogue Ben Ezra - This synagogue’s geniza, or storeroom, was discovered in the 19th century to contain a treasure trove of forgotten Hebrew, Aramaic, and Judeo-Arabic secular and sacred manuscripts. Known as the Cairo Geniza, the collection was brought to the University of Cambridge in England by Solomon Schechter. It is now divided among several academic libraries, with the majority housed at the Cambridge University Library.
- St Simon the Tanner Monastery - St. Simon the Tanner is a Coptic Orthodox saint associated with the story of moving the Mokattam Mountain in Cairo, Egypt, during the rule of the Muslim Fatimid Caliph al-Muizz Lideenillah (953–975) while Abraham the Syrian was the Pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church.
What's Included
- All Transfers by Private A/C latest Model Vehicle
- Private tour
- Bottle Water
- Hotel/port pickup and drop-off
What's Not Included
- Guide (Optional)
- Lunch (Optional)
- Personal Items
Additional Information
Explore the remarkable El Mokattam Mountain Cave Church or the Monastery of St Simon with a personal guided tour, which also encompasses the splendid churches of Coptic Cairo. Witness Cairo’s key Christian landmarks, such as the Saints Sergius and Bacchus Church, the Saint Barbara Church, and the Hanging Church. Additionally, this tour offers more than just the usual tourist experience by including a visit to ‘garbage city,’ an intriguing district of Cairo that is frequently missed by tourists.
Location
Emtedad Al Central
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.7
(87 Ratings)
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Myrto_v
May 16, 2024
Amira was amazing! We... - Amira was amazing! We really had a great time with her and felt very safe.
Really worth the time and value for money! I would definitely recommend.
Big thanks to our driver also! Great guy! (Didn’t catch his name unfortunately)
Review provided by Viator
Cornelia_v
Apr 16, 2024
Great experience - This tour was amazing and we enjoyed it a lot. Our guide, Fatima and driver were excellent. Fatima gave us all the information that we needed.
The cave Church is simply breathtaking. Going through Garbage City was an experience. Thank you Fatima, fir making this tour enjoyable and memorable.
Review provided by Viator
Livetoleave69
Apr 15, 2024
Great for Americans !!!! - Wonderful tour …tour guide was wonderful… driver was very professional and took great care of us . We loved the best tour company in Cairo Egypt !! Thank you
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Helen_m
Apr 6, 2024
Fascinating tour - Fascinating tour, really enjoyed visiting the different places of worship around Cairo. The monastery of St. Simon was stunning.
Review provided by Viator
Venture06032512061
Mar 23, 2024
You can see a lot of beautiful architecture. - Tour of the larger mosques and Egyptian-style churches in Cairo.
All the buildings had very beautiful decorations and carvings on the walls. Very beautiful. I was overwhelmed by the size of the mosque.
Lunch was at a restaurant near the synagogue. Cards were not accepted for ordering drinks, only cash. The Egyptian food was very good.
I think this tour is a great way to visit Cairo.
Dear Sayed Mahmoud, Thank you for an enjoyable day! We had a lot of valuable experiences!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Clifton_m
Mar 16, 2024
Excellent Tour of Coptic Churches - Fatima is an excellent tour guide. She is very knowledgeable and shares her knowledge with ease. She showed us fascinating church sites and we are very grateful to have had her as our tour guide.
Review provided by Viator
Misskat9780
Feb 18, 2024
Great tour with Emo Tour, Syed Mahmoud - We are very happy with this tour,
This is amazing! And our fabulous guide Syed Mahmoud from Emo Tours made it more interesting and amazing! Pick up was on time and all the information that we need was answered and provided. Great tour indeed!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Escape61161162924
Feb 8, 2024
A full day experience worth seeing - Amazing tour with Sayed Mahmoud and Yousef. They were very informative and engaging guides. The Coptic churches in Cairo were beautiful.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nilarpage
May 9, 2024
Great - Amazing place.
Only unplasent to go through Gabarge town, but had expected anyway as there is no other way to reach.
Our driver is so patient and very helpful 🥰
I am satisfy this tour.
Review provided by Viator
Susan_o
Apr 7, 2024
Cave churches plus - We went to all the major sites but not all the churches.. we had a great guide who had good English, but I would have waited until the prays were finished & re-visited so we could go inside.
Review provided by Viator
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