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Coptic Cairo is the old Christian quarter of the Egyptian capital, one of the most ancient centers of Christianity in the world, honored as a place the Holy Family sheltered during their flight into Egypt.
At its heart is the Hanging Church, so called because it was built above the gatehouse of an old Roman fortress, its nave suspended over the passage below. Nearby stands the Church of Saint Sergius, built over a crypt where tradition says Mary, Joseph, and the child Jesus rested.
The quarter also holds the Coptic Museum and some of the oldest churches in Egypt, gathered together in a small and atmospheric corner of the great city.
Because the Gospel tells us the Holy Family fled to Egypt to escape Herod, and Egyptian tradition treasures the places they are said to have stayed.
The flight into Egypt is part of the Christmas story itself. "So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt." (Matthew 2:14)
What can you see in Coptic Cairo?
You can visit the Hanging Church, the crypt of the Holy Family beneath Saint Sergius, and the ancient treasures of the Coptic Museum. For pilgrims, and especially for Ethiopian and other African Christians whose faith is deeply tied to Egypt, this quarter is a place of deep and ancient belonging.
In old Cairo, an easy visit alongside the pyramids on an Egypt tour.
Holy Sites
Tell us which sites you hope to see and we will shape a journey around them.
