Coptic Cairo

The second full day in Cairo was spent with my new friend S, our tour guide and driver. My hubby had to work, therefore he was unable to join us on our visit to Coptic Cairo (Old Cairo), an ancient area of the city dating back to the 6th century BC. The Holy Family was said to have visited the area during the flight into Egypt, seeking refuge from Herod.


The Fortress of Babylon


This is the Hanging Church, the most famous Coptic Christian church in Cairo. It's named for its location above a gatehouse of the Babylon Fortress; its nave is suspended over a passage.


This is one of several mosaics in the courtyard of the Hanging Church.


This mosaic represents the Holy Family's flight into Egypt.


The mosaics were incredibly beautiful!


It was quite common to see women dressed in full traditional clothing walking with children in western wear.


I enjoyed looking at the various Christian buildings and statues, each beautifully and uniquely made.








We saw lots of people gathered in the courtyard here, some playing the guitar and singing, and others in discussion.


Beyond the courtyard is this extensive cemetery, which we were allowed to visit.





I found it interesting that many stones held the names and photos of those entombed here.


Many of the statues were simply gorgeous!


These "houses" are family mausoleums.


These folks are our driver (the man who I was constantly thanking for getting us from one place to another without having an accident) and tour guide (the young woman named Shaza who spoke English very well and was adorable).


We were invited to join a group of folks for a 2-hour Nile river cruise on a private yacht. There were Americans and Egyptians alike and everyone brought food and drinks to share.


There was music playing on the yacht. Evidently the folks had only three CDs in their collection, or this was the music they thought our crowd would most enjoy. I don't know, but we heard tunes by Frank Sinatra, the Beatles and the BeeGees. It seemed odd to be floating down the Nile listening to this combination of music.


This photo was borrowed from my friend S, the same one who toured both days with me in Cairo. Can you imagine stacking boxes that high on the back of a truck? You see this kind of stuff on the roads in and around Cairo all the time.


This is another photo of S's. Knowing how unsafe the driving conditions are in this area, I would never hang outside any vehicle, moving or otherwise. We were told that people often cross the highway on foot because there's no other choice. There is no tunnel under the road, nor is there a walkway over the road. Sadly, people are sometimes killed trying to cross the highway.

Our trip to Cairo was short, but we packed a lot into our time there. Many thanks to our fellow Air Force friends who spent time showing us the sights! As careful as we were, the three of us (my hubby, his co-worker and I) all managed to come down with some kind of stomach bug before leaving Egypt. It was like a parting gift, the kind that keeps on giving... and giving... and giving. My hubby and I didn't have it as badly as his co-worker, but it still took several days to feel normal again.

I'm really thankful for the opportunity to travel to Egypt, but I'll have to say I'm happy I was only visiting. I much prefer living where I do.