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Old Cairo Coptic Tour: Ancient Sites and Culture
4.1
72 Ratings
Cairo
Explore the historical places and traditions of Coptic Christians on a personal journey through Old Cairo. Check out Abu Serga, a sanctuary for the Holy Family, and Ben Ezra, among the eldest synagogues in Cairo. Gain insights into the Christian existence in Egypt, a country where Christians are a minority.
Explore the historical places and traditions of Coptic Christians on a personal journey through Old Cairo. Check out Abu Serga, a sanctuary for the Holy Family, and Ben Ezra, among the eldest synagogues in Cairo. Gain insights into the Christian existence in Egypt, a country where Christians are a minority.
Duration:
3 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Hanging Church (El Muallaqa, Sitt Mariam, St Mary) - The Hanging Church is built into the walls of the water gate of the Roman fortress and is possibly the oldest Christian church in Egypt. Dedicated to the Virgin Mary, it is one of Cairo’s most beautiful churches. Continue to the Monastery and Church of St George This is not an old church, dating…
- Hanging Church (El Muallaqa, Sitt Mariam, St Mary) - The Hanging Church is built into the walls of the water gate of the Roman fortress and is possibly the oldest Christian church in Egypt. Dedicated to the Virgin Mary, it is one of Cairo’s most beautiful churches. Continue to the Monastery and Church of St George This is not an old church, dating from 1909, but there has been a church in Coptic Cairo dedicated to the Martyr since the 10th-century. It is one of the few remaining circular churches in the Middle East.
Your next stop is the Abu Serga, one of the places where the Holy Family rested after fleeing Israel from King Herod. There are 24 marble columns lining the central court, and a series of 12th-century icons depicting the 12 apostles.
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Synagogue Ben Ezra - Ben Ezra Synagogue is one of the oldest in Egypt. Set in a shady garden, it was built on the site of 4th-century Christian church. The synagogue was severely damaged by Arabs after the 1967 war with Israel, but it has been almost completely renovated. (There is construction in it for a limited time)
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The Coptic Museum - At the end of the tour you will visit the fascinating Coptic Museum, which is located in an area of great historical importance within the precinct of the Babylon Fort. Occupying over 8,000 sq meters the museum features almost 16,000 objects of importance to the Copts of Egypt.
What's Included
- Visit to the Coptic Museum
- Private and expert Qualified Egyptologist guide
- Lunch at an oriental restaurant
- Private transportation by air-conditioned minivans; hotel pick-up and drop-off
- Visit to the Coptic Museum
- Private and expert Qualified Egyptologist guide
- Lunch at an oriental restaurant
- Private transportation by air-conditioned minivans; hotel pick-up and drop-off
What's Not Included
- Gratuities
- A supplement for the Russian language Guide is 800L.E
- Transfer Supplement to/from region of 6th of Oct. 1000 L.E Round-Trip/car
- Transfer Supplement to/from region of N.A.Capital 1000 L.E Round-Trip/car
- Transfer Supplement to/from region of Settlement 1000 L.E Round-Trip/car
- Gratuities
- A supplement for the Russian language Guide is 800L.E
- Transfer Supplement to/from region of 6th of Oct. 1000 L.E Round-Trip/car
- Transfer Supplement to/from region of N.A.Capital 1000 L.E Round-Trip/car
- Transfer Supplement to/from region of Settlement 1000 L.E Round-Trip/car
Location
Hanging Church (El Muallaqa, Sitt Mariam, St Mary)
Shar'a Mari Girgis Street,
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.1
(72 Ratings)
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B4140ptbillc
Sep 25, 2024
The Hanging Church & Ben Ezra Synagogue - I am not a religious person but have always been interested in the history of religions. This trip did not disappoint. In the heart of Old Cairo & close to the Nile, within easy walking distance of each other are the Hanging Church & an ancient synagogue. I spent an hour in each place; soaking up the atmosphere. Definitely worth the time & money.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Deana_k
Oct 9, 2023
Loved it! - Muhammad was a wonderful guide for our tour! He was full of information, and very personable. We enjoyed spending our morning with him. There was so much about this period in Egyptian history that we were unfamiliar with and are so grateful to have learned about and got to see. Excellent use of our time!!!
Review provided by Viator
Alexander_f
May 22, 2023
We had a guide Timur who... - We had a guide Timur who was very enthusiastic and very knowledgeable. He walked us through all interesting places and told very interesting stories and history of these places. We were very satisfied with his trip
Review provided by Viator
James_t
Mar 13, 2022
Cairo Coptic Church Tour - This was a great tour. The artwork is fantastic! The guide was professional and very knowledgeable. The lunch was very good. Unfortunately the Ben Ezra Church is permanently closed. Viatar should update the Tour description to remove this church. We did visit St. George's Church instead.
Review provided by Viator
We_azusa
Jul 29, 2021
Highly recommend - Highly recommend this tour! Gives a better understanding of the religious history of Egypt. The driver and guide were on top of everything from start to finish.
Review provided by Viator
Joseph_d
Jul 13, 2021
Very happy and highly recommend - This Coptic tour was recommended to us by our friends in Cairo. We couldn’t be more happy with how it turned out. Tarek was so knowledgeable and explained so much to us. We wanted to learn some history of the Coptic Church and its importance to Egypt. We like walking tours and seeing beautiful architecture. We felt very safe being driven in a comfortable clean large van by Arfar. When we went to the walled-in scenic area, including the churches and museums, we walked. For about two peaceful hours, we went in and out of a couple churches and a synagogue. The significance of architectural detail was explained to us, as well as descriptions of current rituals and past events on the sights. There were opportunities to shop, but it was not as hectic as the market we attended on a prior day. One could quietly purchase a souvenir from church gift shops if desired. All our questions were answered patiently, along the way. Tarek walked at a slow pace so that we did not overheat in the Cairo sun. He was intuitive to our interests and slowed down at things we were most interested in. The museum was a treat because you were free to take more pictures there. (A very few times, photos were not an option.) The artifacts and even just the design of the museum is beautiful as well as fascinating. Artifacts included paintings, mosaic, papyrus, wooden items, pottery and more. The museum had restrooms which were clean. We brought our own water bottles (vital!) so we didn’t need to look for refreshment along the tour, and we somehow missed the fact that lunch would be provided. We were very pleasantly surprised that lunch came at the end of the tour, and it was delicious. The restaurant was very nicely decorated, and very clean. We had such a pleasant time, chatting over lunch, and I was so happy that we had this tour recommended to us.
Review provided by Viator
Smita
Nov 21, 2019
Old Cairo Coptic Cairo - Really good tour of old Cairo & The Coptic Church. If you like history dating back to the 4th century then this tour is for you. Our guide Ahmjad plus driver mustafa were excellent and very polite picked us up from our hotel for this half day tour with lunch included with return transfer back to our hotel.
Fabulous artefacts and relics dated back to 4th century onwards so much Infomation of all the religions in Cairo over a 1000 years. Great to visit the narrow underground streets of old Cairo and to meet local people around this area. Our guide was very informative and had a calmness about him and we did this tour at a leisurely pace not rushed at all as we started early on Saturday morning. Also most churches have mass on Sundays or service so it’s better not to do this tour on a Sunday.
Lunch was excellent at a local restaurant serving local Egyptian foods very pleasant and very hospitable couldn’t do enough for us. Thoroughly recommend this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Wander546495
Dec 2, 2022
Wonderful Discoveries in Cairo - Mohammed lend us on a very interesting and engaging tour and encouraged us to let him know of our special interests. Had plenty of time to see the historic sites plus others Mohammed thought we would enjoy. We especially loved the Coptic Museum! The building is a gem itself with impressive craftsmanship from 1901. Our only disappointment was that the Ben Ezra was closed for renovations and had been closed for a long time, so it should not nave been listed as part of the tour. Private tour was well worth every penny! Thanks!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Elke
Mar 6, 2018
The tour really is worth its money... - <p>The tour really is worth its money - the history in Cairo and especially in this Coptic sector is really amazing! The churches are wonderful, the Coptic Museum very intersting. Hussein was a great guide, he answered all our questions and was patient allowing us to take the time we needed. Thank you!</p>
Review provided by Viator
Hyuckwoo
Feb 14, 2018
It's really terrible tour. We are... - <p>It's really terrible tour. We are waiting for driver more than one hour at hotel lobby. Agency never contact us even Mr. Mohammad as our tour guider try to call agency. I have send Email about this problems during tour and after tour but no reply.</p>
<p>This travel agency, South Sinai travel is really terrible in Cairo. Worst travel agency.</p>
Review provided by Viator
