The Hanging Church

Why is it called the Hanging Church?

It is called the Hanging Church because its nave was built across the top of the southern gate towers of the Roman Babylon Fortress, so that the church seems to hang above the passageway. The Arabic name, al-Muallaqa, means "the suspended". The Roman gate has since silted up and the ground level has risen, so the effect is less dramatic than it once was, but inside the church glass panels in the floor let you look down into the old fortress structure several metres below.

You reach it by climbing a flight of steps from Mar Girgis Street through a gateway and a narrow courtyard decorated with modern mosaics of biblical scenes. The twin-towered facade you see from the courtyard is a 19th-century addition; the medieval church lies behind it. For the surrounding quarter and how to plan your morning, see our Coptic Cairo guide.

A short history of the Hanging Church

A church is recorded on this site by the 7th century and perhaps earlier, and from the 11th century the Hanging Church was for a time the seat of the Coptic Pope, which is why so many patriarchs were elected and consecrated here. When the patriarchate moved from Alexandria to Cairo in the 11th century, al-Muallaqa became the most important church in the capital, and it remained a centre of Coptic church life for centuries.

The fabric has been rebuilt and repaired many times; most of what you see is medieval with later additions. A long restoration programme in the late 20th and early 21st centuries repaired damage from groundwater and the 1992 Cairo earthquake and cleaned the icons and woodwork. It is still very much a parish church, and Coptic tradition also associates it with Marian apparitions and with the 10th-century story of the moving of the Mokattam mountain, told in full at the Cave Church.

What should you look for inside?

The highlights are the marble pulpit on its slender columns, the three carved and inlaid sanctuary screens, the wooden roof shaped like an upturned boat, and the icons. Take your time; the church is small and rewards close looking.

• The basilica plan: a central nave and side aisles separated by columns, many of them reused from older buildings, with a pitched timber roof that Copts liken to Noah's Ark.
• The pulpit: a fine marble pulpit raised on thirteen thin columns, traditionally said to represent Christ and the twelve apostles. One darker column is said to stand for Judas and a greyer one for doubting Thomas; ask your guide to point them out.
• The iconostasis: the screens in front of the three sanctuaries are made of dark wood inlaid with ivory in geometric crosses, a classic piece of medieval Coptic craftsmanship. The central sanctuary is dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the northern to St George and the southern to St John the Baptist.
• The side chapel: a small chapel off the church, dedicated to the Ethiopian saint Takla Haymanot, preserves fragments of medieval wall painting and is often missed.
• The floor windows: look down through the glass into the gate tower beneath.

Which icons are most famous?

The church holds more than a hundred icons, the best known being an icon of the Virgin and Child often nicknamed the "Coptic Mona Lisa" because her eyes seem to follow you around the room. It hangs to the right of the main nave and is one of the older icons in the church.

Many of the other icons date from the 18th century, when the painters Ibrahim al-Nasikh and Yuhanna al-Armani (John the Armenian) produced much of the religious art in Cairo's churches. Their work, with its gilded backgrounds, almond-eyed saints and Arabic and Coptic inscriptions, is found all over Old Cairo. Look for St George on his horse, the Annunciation, and the panels showing the life of Christ along the screens. Older and more fragile pieces, including a carved wooden lintel from this church showing Christ's entry into Jerusalem, are now kept in the Coptic Museum next door.

Can you visit during a service?

Yes, visitors can attend the Coptic liturgy, but you should come to worship or quietly observe from the back, not to sightsee. The main liturgies are usually on Sunday and Friday mornings, with additional services on feast days; times change, so check locally or ask us to confirm. The liturgy is sung in Coptic and Arabic, with incense and cymbals, and can last two hours or more.

• Do not walk around, photograph or talk during the service.
• Men and women sometimes sit on different sides; follow what the congregation does.
• Only Coptic Orthodox faithful receive communion; visitors from other churches should not go forward.
• If you want to see the interior properly, come back on a weekday morning.

Attending a liturgy at Coptic Christmas (7 January) is moving but crowded; see our planned guide to Coptic Christmas in Egypt.

Practical tips for visiting

Go early on a weekday, dress modestly, and allow 30–45 minutes. The church is a short walk from Mar Girgis metro station and 20–30 minutes by car from downtown Cairo. There is no entry fee. Photography without flash is generally allowed when no service is running, but rules can change, and you should never photograph people praying. Shoulders and knees should be covered; women may like a light scarf, though it is not always required. A small donation in the box near the entrance is appreciated. The steps up from the street have no lift, so travellers with limited mobility should allow extra time.