Cairo: Religious Cairo tour

According to legend, there are several places in Cairo where the Holy Family stayed while fleeing from Herod. You have a unique opportunity to follow in the footsteps of the Holy Family. You will visit the famous Church of the Virgin Mary, on the steps of which the Bible arrived at the end of the 20th century. This is the most famous Coptic temple in Cairo, it is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The name Hanging is not official, this nickname the religious building received due to the fact that it was built over the gate of the fortress wall of Old Cairo, dating back to the ancient Roman era. Judging by the reviews of both pilgrims and ordinary tourists, this is the most beautiful church in all of Cairo. It is of great spiritual and historical value for the city and believers. The pulpit of the preacher is made of marble. It is mounted on thirteen pillars, twelve of which depict the disciples of Christ. The bas-reliefs are very richly inlaid, in the building itself there are many frescoes and ancient icons. The oldest icon of the church dates from the eighth century. A large number of ancient relics of the church transferred to the exposition of the Coptic Museum. Be sure to visit it too to see bas-reliefs dating from the fifth and sixth centuries, depicting Christ entering Jerusalem. The east side of the church has three sanctuaries with majestic altars dedicated to the Virgin Mary, St. George and St. John the Baptist. The centerpiece of the Hanging Church is the iconostasis, which dates back to the twelfth century. It is made of ebony and inlaid with ivory. Images of crosses and geometric ornamentation were used for decoration. Large icons are placed on it, the central one is Christ enthroned. To the right are the Virgin Mary, Archangel Gabriel and St. Peter, and to the left are John the Baptist, Archangel Michael and St. Paul. Be sure to take a look at the ceiling of the Hanging Church: there you will see seven small icons that tell about the life and deeds of St. John the Baptist. In total, the Church of the Virgin Mary in Cairo houses about 100 icons, as well as relics of several saints. A Christian shrine that is not in the tourist guides. Next, we will visit the Virgin Mary's tree and Well. In an ancient place called Materia, there is one of the most important shrines for Christians - the Tree of Mary. According to an ancient legend, the Holy Family once rested in the shade of the branches of this towering sycamore tree. According to the legend, when the Holy Family was resting in the shade of the tree during their flight to Egypt, the infant waved his hand, and at the place where he pointed, a spring has appeared, from which everyone quenched their thirst. Then the Virgin Mary drew water from the spring to wash the clothes of the Son of God. A fragrant balsam tree grew in the place where she had splashed the soapy water. Our company escort will take you to a restaurant for lunch. Lunch consists of a open buffet. Drinks are paid separately. Then we will go to Garbage City - this is a very special place. Just imagine a neighborhood with a population of several tens of thousands of people, littered with garbage up to the roofs, in the center of which is located one of the most beautiful monasteries in Egypt! St. Simeon Monastery is one of the most beautiful places in Cairo. The churches and chapels of the complex are located not only in separate buildings, but also directly in the caves, and in the surrounding steep cliffs carved three-dimensional images of saints and various subjects on religious themes. The monastery complex includes the Cathedral of St. Mary and St. Simeon, the largest Christian building in the Middle East. And at the end of our journey, we will visit St. Mark's Cathedral. This cathedral houses the relics of St. Mark the Evangelist and St. Athanasius of Alexandria, revered relics of Christians of all Churches.