Guided Tour of the Coptic Neighborhood

The Coptic neighborhood of Cairo, the Christian part of the Egyptian capital, plays host to a great historic and monumental heritage. Discover it with this guided tour.

Description

Having picked you up at your hotel, we make our way to the Cairo's Coptic neighborhood, where we'll learn all about the history of Christianity in Egypt and discover the difference between Coptic Catholics and Coptic Orthodox Christians. Both religious strands have their own temple, both of which we'll visit on our tour.

First we'll head to the church of Saint Maria the Virgin, better known as The Hanging Church of Cairo - constructed as it is above the old gates of the Babylon fortress. Inside the temple itself, we'll see different works of art and a variety of mosaics belonging to different historical periods.

Our tour continues with the Church of St. George, the orthodox church, and the church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus, inside which legend states the holy family hid upon their flight from King Herod.

To complete our knowledge of the Coptic tradition in Cairo, we'll visit the Cairo Coptic Museum, whose permanent exhibition houses a wide range of sacred and decorative objects: the most famous objects include the Nag Hammadi Manuscripts. This set of papyri is known as the "Gospel of Judas", documents that have caused no lack of controversy among Theologians over the years.

With the museum visit over, we'll fuel up with lunch in a traditional restaurant in the Coptic neighborhood. The menu is composed of different specialties, including a main dish of meat and rice.

And having eaten, we'll finally head back to the hotel.

How does it work?

This guided tour begins with a pickup from your hotel. You will be transported to the Coptic neighborhood of Cairo, where you'll start exploring the historical sites. During the visit, you will learn about the distinctions between Coptic Catholics and Coptic Orthodox Christians as you visit both types of churches.

The itinerary includes:

• Visit to the Hanging Church of Cairo (Saint Maria the Virgin).
• Tour of the Church of St. George and the Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus.
• Explore the Cairo Coptic Museum to view sacred objects, including the controversial Nag Hammadi Manuscripts.
• Lunch at a traditional restaurant that features local specialties.

Included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off.
• Guided tour of the Coptic neighborhood.
• Lunch at a traditional restaurant.

Not included

• Personal expenses.
• Gratuities.

Meeting point

The tour will begin at your hotel, with convenient pickup arranged prior to departure.