As part of ongoing efforts to develop cultural tourism and improve the quality of the visitor experience, the Hanging Church, the Coptic Museum, the Babylon Fort, and the Ben Ezra Synagogue in Old Cairo, one of Egypt’s most historically significant districts, are witnessing a series of enhancements aimed at transforming them and the area of which they are a part into a more engaging and immersive destination.
Recent developments include upgraded signage, improved pedestrian pathways, enhanced lighting, and more informative interpretation panels in multiple languages, all designed to help visitors navigate the area’s iconic religious and historical landmarks with greater ease and a greater understanding of the context.
A series of signage panels, directive signs, and detailed labels have been installed across the area. These provide clear directions and in-depth historical context for each of the religious and archaeological landmarks within the district, including the churches, the synagogue, the Coptic Museum, and the Babylon Fortress. Presented in multiple languages, they aim to make the site more navigable and educational for both local and international visitors, allowing them to explore the area with ease while gaining a deeper understanding of its rich spiritual and cultural significance.
In addition to interpretive signage, new visitor amenities have been introduced to improve comfort and accessibility. Benches, sunshades, and rest areas have been installed at key points within the historical sites, offering shaded spaces for reflection and relaxation. The area is also highly accessible, being served by public buses, taxis, and a conveniently located metro station directly in front of the Coptic Museum, ensuring that visitors can reach the site easily from anywhere in Cairo.
These developments collectively support a more seamless, enjoyable, and informative experience for all who visit this sacred and historically rich district.
From the ancient Coptic churches and the Hanging Church to the Coptic Museum and the remains of the Roman Fortress of Babylon, Old Cairo now offers a more cohesive and welcoming journey through the layers of Egypt’s spiritual and architectural heritage. The improvements reflect a broader national strategy to preserve historic neighbourhoods while making them more attractive and accessible to both domestic and international tourists.
“Among the key enhancements is the modernisation of lighting systems, both internally and externally, across several sites to highlight their architectural and artistic beauty,” said Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), who embarked on an inspection tour around the area’s different archaeological landmarks this week.
At the Hanging Church (Al-Muallaqa), a state-of-the-art lighting system is to be installed to illuminate its iconic façade and enhance the visual impact of its interior spaces, Khaled said. Special attention has been given to the frescoes and icons displayed within its walls, with focused lighting designed to accentuate their intricate detail and historical significance, offering visitors a richer aesthetic and spiritual experience.
The Hanging Church is the most famous Coptic Christian Church in Cairo, as well as possibly the first built in the Basilica style. It was built during the late fourth or early fifth century CE. However, the earliest mention of the church is in a statement in the biography of the Patriarch Joseph I (831-49 CE), when the governor of Egypt visited the establishment.
The church was largely rebuilt by Pope Abraham (975-78). In the 11th century, during the tenure of the Coptic Pope Christodolos, the seat of the Coptic Orthodox Pope of Alexandria, originally based in Alexandria, was transferred to the church when the ruling authorities moved from Alexandria to Cairo following the Arab conquest of Egypt.
The Hanging Church has undergone several restoration campaigns, with the oldest known being in the Islamic era during the tenures of the Abbasid caliph Haroun Al-Rashid and the Fatimid caliphs Al-Aziz bi-Allah Al-Fatimi and Al-Zahir li-Izaz Din-Allah. In 1997, the SCA launched a comprehensive restoration project to preserve Egypt’s Coptic shrines and return such a distinguished church to its original splendour.
The work was carried out in three phases, mainly to reduce water leakage into the church and strengthen its foundations in order to protect them from future damage. The walls were reinforced, missing and decayed stones were replaced, and masonry cleaned and desalinated. The decorations and icons of the church were also subjected to fine restoration work in collaboration with Russian experts and new lighting and ventilation systems installed.
Inaugurated in 2014, the Hanging Church has regained its allure and since then has stood proudly on top of the Babylon Fortress welcoming visitors.
FORTRESS: The Babylon Fortress beneath the Hanging Church is undergoing a major restoration and development project aimed at integrating it more fully into the visitor experience of Old Cairo.
Gamal Mustafa, head of the Islamic, Coptic, and Jewish Antiquities Sector at the SCA, said that as part of the restoration project the façade of the fortress has been cleaned of dust and bird droppings and any damaged blocks restored. A new lighting system has also been installed to highlight the beauty of the architecture and the original function for which it was constructed.
Designated pathways will be provided, he added, allowing visitors to pass through the fortress, connecting key landmarks such as the Hanging Church and the Coptic Museum. A new lighting system will be installed to reveal the fortress’ distinctive Roman architecture, and part of the restored structure will be repurposed as a platform for contemporary art exhibitions, further enriching the cultural offerings of the area.
The fortress was originally built during the second century CE when the Roman emperor Trajan ordered the construction of a fortress to secure the Roman military in the area and to be the first line of defence at the eastern gateway of Egypt. In the fourth century CE, the Roman emperor Arcadius restored, expanded, and strengthened the Fortress.
According to Coptic scholar Morkos Semeka Pasha, the history of the Babylon Fortress extended until the Islamic conquest of Egypt. When Amr Ibn Al-Aas conquered Egypt in the seventh century CE, the fortress fell into his hands after seven months of siege. The southern section of the fortress located beneath the Hanging Church is still known as the Amr Gate today.
The fortress is in an important strategic location that controls the desert road from the east to Cairo. It is also close to the Nile and controls the route to Upper and Lower Egypt. It was used as a base for soldiers in the event of protests or disorder. Stone from ancient Egyptian temples was used in its construction, and it was completed in brick.
Some accounts say that the name of the fortress is inspired by the ancient city of Babylon, today in modern Iraq. The story dates back to when the Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses II defeated the Babylonians in antiquity, hoping to bring enslaved prisoners back to Egypt. However, the prisoners rebelled and built a fortress to defend themselves, calling that fortress Babylon.
There is also another name for the fortress, Wax Palace, which goes back to customs pursued when Egypt was under Persian rule in the fifth century BCE. Centuries later at the beginning of each month, the towers of the fortress would be decorated with candles, so people could follow the sun’s movement from one tower to another.
COPTIC MUSEUM: Similar upgrades will be made to enhance the visitor experience at the neighbouring Coptic Museum and to attract more visitors.
The lighting will be improved to enhance the visibility of its priceless artefacts. In addition, Khaled said, a new exhibition hall dedicated to the Holy Family’s journey in Egypt is currently under development. This will display a carefully curated selection of artefacts from the museum’s collection that relate to the story of the Holy Family and the sacred sites they visited during their journey in Egypt, including the cave beneath the Church of St Sergius and Bacchus (Abu Serga) in Old Cairo.
“To bring this journey to life, the hall will be equipped with the latest virtual reality and augmented reality technologies, allowing visitors to experience an interactive and immersive retelling of this profound chapter in Egypt’s spiritual heritage,” Khaled said.
As for the historic Ben Ezra Synagogue, which was officially inaugurated last year by Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli following its comprehensive restoration, further development is also underway. Plans are in motion to transform its roof into a dedicated exhibition space, where a special collection focusing on the Jewish Geniza — a cache of historically significant mediaeval Jewish manuscripts — will be displayed, adding a vital narrative to Old Cairo’s story of interfaith coexistence and cultural diversity.
It is said that the Ben Ezra Synagogue marks the site where Moses prayed for the lifting of the plague that afflicted the ancient Egyptians that is mentioned in the Old Testament of the Bible. It was built in the basilica style, meaning that it is composed of three halls, the middle being the largest and tallest.
The central hall of the synagogue is surmounted by an octagonal dome. The sanctuary is on the east wall, which is also where the Torah case, made of wood inlaid with pearl and ivory, is located. A few steps lead up to the marble pulpit, which lies at the centre of the synagogue.
The upper level is reserved for women and overlooks the prayer area. On its north side is the Geniza, which was sealed and could only be reached through an aperture in its roof.
Every synagogue has a Geniza, being a repository for old documents mentioning the name of God. Since it was impermissible to throw away texts or documents bearing the name of God, these were all once kept in Genizas. The Ben Ezra Synagogue’s Geniza was discovered in 1896, and its mediaeval and later contents were moved to the University of Cambridge in the UK for study and research.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 22 May, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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