The Hanging Church
| The Hanging Church | |
|---|---|
| El Muallaqa | |
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 The Hanging Church
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| 30°00′19″N 31°13′48″E / 30.005388°N 31.230081°ECoordinates: 30°00′19″N 31°13′48″E / 30.005388°N 31.230081°E | |
| Location | Babylon, Egypt |
| History | |
| Founded | 3rd century |
| Dedication | Virgin Mary |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria |
| Clergy | |
| Bishop(s) |
Pope Tawadros II Bishop Selwaniss |
| Priest(s) | Fr. Jacob Soliman |
Saint Virgin Mary's Coptic Orthodox Church (Coptic: Ⲉⲕⲕⲗⲏⲥⲓⲁ ⲛⲧⲉⲙⲁⲥⲛⲟⲩⲧ) also known as the Hanging Church (Egyptian Arabic: الكنيسة المعلقة El Muallaqa, Coptic: Ⲉⲕⲕⲗⲏⲥⲓⲁ ϫⲓⲛⲓⲱⲓ) is one of the oldest churches in Egypt and the history of a church on this site dates to the 3rd century AD.
The Hanging (The Suspended) Church is named for its location above a gatehouse of Babylon Fortress, the Roman fortress in Coptic Cairo (Old Cairo); its nave is suspended over a passage. The church is approached by twenty-nine steps; early travelers to Cairo dubbed it "the Staircase Church." The land surface has risen by some six metres since the Roman period so that the Roman tower is mostly buried below ground, reducing the visual impact of the church's elevated position. The entrance from the street is through iron gates under a pointed stone arch. The nineteenth-century facade with twin bell towers is then seen beyond a narrow courtyard decorated with modern art biblical designs. Up the steps and through the entrance is a further small courtyard leading to the eleventh-century outer porch.
The Hanging Church is the most famous Coptic Christian church in Cairo, as well as possibly the first built in Basilican style. It was probably built during the patriarchate of Isaac (690–692), though an earlier church building may have elsewhere existed dating as early as the 3rd or 4th century. However, the earliest mention of the church was a statement in the biography of the patriarch Joseph I (831–849), when the governor of Egypt visited the establishment. The church was largely rebuilt by the Pope Abraham (975–978) and has seen many other restorations including an extensive repair and restoration of the church and its surroundings completed in 2011. Objects of historical interest that were no longer of service went to the Coptic Museum.
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Wikipedia