After my tour of Egypt, I wanted to supplement my visit to the capital city with a tour of Coptic Cairo. Many of these tours are offered and they give a look at the Christian sites of Cairo (“coptic” meaning ancient Egyptian Christian), many incorporating nearby sites of Jewish and Islamic Cairo as well. Before going, I had no idea what to expect or the history of coptic Cairo but since many of the sites looked beautiful, I opted to go on a tour and find out.

Long story short, yes, I do actually recommend this tour, particularly for history lovers and religious people as the sites are not only visually stunning but historically significant.

Note: Not being a morning person, I went for the 10am tour during Ramadan. I did not know at the time that during Ramadan, most everything closes a few hours early. We were able to see a majority of what was on the itinerary but I think we had to skip a mosque because of time constraints. Just something to keep in mind!

The Hanging Church

The Hanging Church gets its name from its being built on top of the ancient Roman Babylon Fortress (of Egypt, of course, not the one in present-day Iraq). It is supposed to look “suspended.” It’s a truly ancient church, dating back to about the 4th or 5th centuries. The current structure probably dates to about the 10th century but it’s been repaired and modified over its 1600 year or so lifespan.

People described the church as “can’t miss” – and they’re right. The inside is absolutely gorgeous. It’s delicately painted, carved, and features 110 icons plus relics and other precious works of art. Since it’s so old, there’s a big variety of art types representing over 1000 years of Coptic Christian heritage. It’s really stunning!

You can also see the remains of some of the roman fortress nearby.

Ben Ezra Synagogue

Ironically I was reading a book that partially takes place at Ben Ezra Synagogue when I visited – and had no idea beforehand. The land it’s on has many myths surrounding it, including that Moses was found in a his basket on the river here, that he prayed here, etc. A church sat on this area until the 9th century when the Jewish community bought the land and built a synagogue on top. However the current building was built around the turn of the 20th century.

Photos are not allowed in the Synagogue but it’s absolutely lovely. It’s also very intricately painted and has beautiful stonework. In many ways it looks like the Hanging Church and, for someone who’s never studied Coptic or medieval Egyptian art, you can really see the style and I love learning that way – by experiencing.

Church of St. Sergius and Bacchus

The Church of St. Sergius is said to be the oldest church in Egypt, built a few centuries before the Hanging Church in the 4th century. It’s very similar to the Hanging Church in style but is more brick heavy and has fewer wall decorations. It’s definitely not as pretty but it makes up for it in history. This is where, supposedly, Jesus and his family lived when they fled from Palestine. You can go inside the cave where they once lived (which was converted into a church early on in Christianity). There’s also a well the family is said to have used and other objects Jesus is supposed to have touched.

I’m more skeptical of this kind of lore but considering the historical knowledge, and the age of the space and when it was initially claimed, it’s a bit more plausible. At worst, you’re looking at an ancient church and well, which is still pretty cool.

The church also has a collection of books in the Coptic language and a tunnel you can see where Christians in worship would flee persecution.

Al Rifai Mosque

The Al Rifai Mosque is the most modern stop on the tour. Construction started in the mid 19th century but it actually wasn’t completed until 1912. It’s very pretty and is modelled in the Mamluk style. It’s humungous and the most notable part is all the tombs inside. Part of the reason it was built was to provide housing for the tombs of the royal family.

Notably, it also holds the tomb of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last king of Iran.

Mosque and Madrasa of Sultan Hassan

Just across the way is the Mosque and Madrasa of Sultan Hassan, one of the best parts of the Coptic Cairo tour. It’s a beautiful structure that was built in the 14th century by Sultan al-Nasir Hassan. There is so much lovely architectural detail inside and even though I’m sure it’s been restored over the years, it feels like a 700 year old structure. It doesn’t look like people came in and modified or decorated it to their tastes which so often happens with old buildings.

What I found most fascinating is that it was also built to be a madrasa, or school of Islam. I’d never been in one before so it was cool to see how the medieval school was set up and had four different sections within for the four different schools of Islam. I absolutely loved visiting this mosque.

Mosque of Muhammad Ali

The Mosque of Muhammad Ali was another one of my favorite stops. It was built by Muhammad Ali as a personal mosque and is in the Ottoman mosque style (you can see easily the resemblance to Haghia Sophia in Istanbul). It was built in 1857 and no expense seems to have been spared. It’s nicknamed the “alabaster mosque” because it uses a huge amount of alabaster in its design.

And it’s so stunning. The courtyard for me was the real highlight. It’s like stepping into the ornate 19th century. The interior is also very pretty, but it was a bit dark.

You can’t miss the outside terrace which has sweeping views of Cairo and Giza, complete with the pyramids. There’s also a building you’ll see which is the old palace. It looked in a ruined state when I visited but it will hopefully be restored in the upcoming years, because it must have been gorgeous.

But when you look at the mosque and the palace, beware your step. There’s a circular space by the palace and some stairs that a lot of people were completely oblivious to. This is the site of the Massacre of the Mamelukes, when 470 governors were executed in 1811. For something so horrific, you’d expect some type of memorial or at least a plaque and a gate around the site.

Mosque of Amr Ibn Al-As

We did not go to this mosque nor was it mentioned on the day of. However I visited during Ramadan and we had to scoot out of Sultan Hassan Mosque for noon prayer so that could’ve been why.

Khan Al-Khalili

On this specific tour of Coptic Cairo, we actually didn’t go the bazaar. We went to a more isolated strip of stores and, having a private tour, it was super awkward being pushed into these stores and being the sole target for making a sale. I definitely felt pressured and it was the low point of the trip.

Yes, I do absolutely recommend “the” tour of Coptic Cairo. I think it’s quite doable to do on your own by walking between the sites and then perhaps taking an Uber, but my guide was super knowledgeable and I was so humbled by the amount of information I didn’t know but also I learned. These locations don’t have placards or audioguides so I would’ve thought, “oh, this is nice,” but probably would’ve missed out on the lore and history behind all the sites, which was really the most impressive part.

A lot of people visit Cairo and visit the pyramids in Giza (as they should) but there’s so much more to see. I’m glad I got to spend the extra day exploring coptic Cairo and even then, still have a lot to see in Egypt’s bustling capital city. It’s worth taking the extra day or two to explore.

Have you ever been on the Coptic Cairo tour? How did you like it?

Book This Tour of Coptic Cairo

This is the exact tour I went on. Book directly on Emo Tours here.

Or book on Viator:

Book Your Stay in Cairo

Book an Organised Tour in Cairo

About the Author

Leave a Reply