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Cairo & Giza · Old Cairo (Misr al-Qadimah), Fustat
The old Christian and Jewish quarter of Cairo, built in and around the Roman fortress of Babylon: the Hanging Church, Abu Serga and the Ben Ezra Synagogue.
Coptic Cairo is the quarter of the old churches in Old Cairo (Misr al-Qadimah), the district that grew from Al-Fustat, the first Islamic capital of Egypt, founded in 641 by 'Amr ibn al-'As. Its old churches stand on and around the walls of the Roman fortress of Babylon: the Hanging Church, built over two of the fortress towers, and the Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus (Abu Serga). Beside them is the Ben Ezra Synagogue, the oldest synagogue in Egypt.
The quarter matters to Egypt's Christians and to its Jewish history alike. The Hanging Church was for centuries the seat of the Coptic Orthodox patriarch, and Abu Serga is linked to the Holy Family's journey through Egypt. Al-Fustat, with the Hanging Church and the Ben Ezra Synagogue, is part of Historic Cairo, inscribed by UNESCO in 1979.
Stairs lead up to the church, which rests on the old fortress. Inside, three rows of marble columns divide it into four wings, the ceiling is shaped like Noah's Ark, and a marble pulpit from the eleventh century stands on ten columns.
The Hanging Church is known for the icons on its walls: the oldest dates to the fifteenth century, most to the end of the eighteenth. Carved wooden screens hung with icons are found in the churches of the quarter.
A basilica named after two early Christian martyrs, built on the Roman fort. The cave below its sanctuary is where, by tradition, the Holy Family sheltered in Egypt.
The oldest synagogue in Egypt, named after the scholar Abraham ibn Ezra and no longer used for worship. Its niche facing the direction of prayer is inlaid with mother-of-pearl and carries the Ten Commandments in Hebrew.
| Coptic Museum, summer and winter | 9:00 am – last entry 4:00 pm |
|---|---|
| Coptic Museum, Ramadan | 9:00 am – last entry 2:00 pm |
Our facts cover the Coptic Museum only, not the churches or the synagogue. The Ministry's website gives the museum 9:00 am to 5:00 pm daily.
Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities ticketing portal, checked August 2026
| Adult | Student | |
| Coptic Museum | EGP 280 | EGP 140 |
Prices in Egyptian pounds, as of August 2026
| Downtown / Zamalek hotels | 6.3 km · about 6 min |
|---|---|
| Giza hotels, near the pyramids | 15.3 km · about 16 min |
| New Cairo hotels | 32.1 km · about 32 min |
Without traffic, from our tours' map routing
Coptic Cairo is the last stop on our Egyptian Museum, Citadel and Coptic Cairo day, 6.8 km from the Citadel, about 9 minutes without traffic. Your guide walks you through the Hanging Church, the Church of St. Sergius and the Ben Ezra Synagogue, which stand close together in the old quarter. The distances above are the drives back to your hotel at the end of the day.
The coolest months are December to February.
World Meteorological Organization climate normals (monthly averages, not forecasts)
Because it was built between two towers of the Roman fortress of Babylon, so that it rests about 13 meters above the ground.
The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities dates it to the end of the fourth century. It became the seat of the Coptic patriarch in the eleventh century.
In the cave under the Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus, known as Abu Serga, which is linked to the Holy Family's journey through Egypt.
The oldest synagogue in Egypt, no longer in use for worship. Its storeroom held the Cairo Geniza, documents gathered over 850 years and found by Europeans in 1888.
The Coptic Museum charges EGP 280 for foreign adults and EGP 140 for students, as of August 2026. We hold no checked price for the churches or the synagogue.
Yes. Al-Fustat, with the Hanging Church and the Ben Ezra Synagogue, is part of Historic Cairo, inscribed in 1979.
Sources: Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities; UNESCO World Heritage Centre; Encyclopaedia Britannica; World Meteorological Organization.
Guides
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