When you visit Cairo you will see that it is a predominately Muslim city. Most of the women are veiled or wear head scarves, and many of the men have carpet burns on their foreheads from praying five times a day on their prayer rugs. Another reminder that Cairo is mostly Muslim is the call to prayer that booms across the city from minarets scattered about the town. So is everyone in Cairo a Muslim? No, not quite.
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| The Hanging Church in Coptic Cairo, called that because of the way it hangs over the rest of the area. |
Tucked away into a corner of Cairo is an area known as Coptic Cairo. This is the centre, and meeting point for several of the Coptic Christians in Cairo. Built about 2000 years ago, it is a maze of streets, gardens, churches and homes that is surrounded by a tall wall.
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| The narrow streets that lead you around Coptic Cairo. It is a real-life maze! |
Many famous bible stories have roots in Coptic Cairo. Some Christians believe that it is where Moses was found floating in a basket by the Queen who adopted him, and some also believe Coptic Cairo was where Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus came to hide when a king named Herod was killing all the babies in the land. No one knows if these stories really did take place here, but it if fun to explore the winding alleys of Coptic Cairo anyhow.
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| Is this really the room where baby Jesus and his parents hid from King Herod? Depends on who you ask. |
Being Friday, the day when Coptic Christians come together from all across Cairo to go to church to celebrate, the buildings are alive and humming with chanting and insense. The streets are bustling with children running around playing tag as their parents cram into one of the many churches in the area (there are about 8 churches in total!). It is a beautiful part of Cairo, different from the ancient, and different than the new, it is truly a special place to visit.
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| A man working hard at restoring St. Barbara church in Coptic Cairo. |
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