Egypt Travelogue: Old Cairo - Merry Christmas

December 24th 2009.  We have decided to spend the Christmas Eve to visit the Coptic section in the Old Cairo.  Egypt is an Islamic state with a Civil Law System based on the Islamic (Shariah) law and the Napoleanic code. But, there are restrictions as to how much one is allowed to practice their religion in public. Our tour guide who is a Coptic Christian mentioned that their ID must mention the religion that they practice for access to education, employment and public services. This section of the Cairo is guarded by armed security personnel.

The remains of the walls of the ancient Fortress Babylon built by the Romans still surrounds the old city. I always feel that I could sense the vibrations of an ancient city be it Varanasi in India or Athens in Greece. It is like checking your Grandma’s old attic and looking at the vintage treasures like silk, heirlooms and antiques with awe and wonder. One cannot miss the fortress walls when reaching old Cairo.  The western tower that dates back to 98 AD was built by the Roman King Trajan.  Does the name ring a bell!  Yes, it was the same Trajon who is famous for the Trajon's column in Rome.

Our first stop was at the St. George’s the Greek Orthodox Church which has a nice spherical dome. The original church was built in the 10th century on top of a Roman tower.  The present structure was built somewhere in the early 19th century. There is a monastery adjacent to the church. We lighted candles and prayed for the World peace.

When we go down the winding Zuweila alley we will see the Hanging Church. The Hanging Church or El Mullaqqa Sitt Mariam is dedicated to Virgin Mary and our guide told us that this is the oldest Christian Church in Cairo built in the 8th century AD.  Next to that is the Monastery and the Coptic St. George's church.  St. George is a favorite Saint among the Coptics and the Greek Orthodox sects here. Our guide told us even Muslims visit the Shrine of the Chains of St. George on Fridays and Sundays.

During the 1st century AD, St. Mark visited Alexandria and propagated Christianity in North Africa. The first split occured in Christianity with the Coptic Church who consider Jesus as divine unlike the rest who beleive in the dual nature.  Let us move on without spending time on the philosophical differences or the splits that occured in Christianity until the end of middle ages.  Time to concentrate on the beautiful churches and monastery here in Cairo.

The Coptic Museum is a must to see with its splendid collection of ancient Christian relics and artifacts.  Coptic means Egyptian and one can find a distinct flavor of ancient Egyptian influence in the motifs found on the artifacts. Our next stop was the Jewish Synagogue Ben Ezra. Today it is a monument as no religious services are allowed. This Syangogue has an interesting story. It was originally built as a Coptic Church with a basilica structure. In 882 AD, Abraham Ben Ezra purchased the church as the Christians were unable to pay the taxes levied by the then ruler Ahmed Tulun. Ben Ezra converted the Church into a Syangogue.

The Synagogue became famous during the next centuries for the Jews in North Africa to come and celebrate the festivals. It is fairly big to accomodate the men in the main level and women in the upper level during prayers.
In 1892 the deteriorated strucutre was rebuilt with funds received from Jewish community.  When King Farouk was overthrown in 1952, the wealthy and influential Jewish community moved out of Egypt.  Slowly the Jewish population has dwindled and currently there are about 500 or less elderly people live in Alexandria and Cairo.  Hopefully differences are accepted in the future and peace will prevail.  Pictures are not allowed inside the Synagogue.  

When we came outside the guard wanted us to see where baby Moses was found and showed us a passage! But, our tour guide corrected that it is a medieval Geniza an underground hideout where they discovered numerous scrolls and ancient texts from the Middle Ages.
An armed guard showed us the way towards the parking lot. While walking, these questions came up in my mind. Why one group wants to wipe out the history of another group? Why do some people destroy a place of worship?  Is that the instinct we got from our hunting and gathering paleolithic ancestors?  As I was thinking about this and trying to find an answer, the primeval basic instinct hunger saved me!  Time to get some nice Egyptian Vegetarian food!