Chrysalis Airfares

Coptic Cairo May 1, 2008

Cairo has always boasted a substantial Coptic minority, and the neighborhood known as “Old Cairo” has several churches which are centuries old. This area was once the site of a small Roman fortress, and what little of the original fortifications that still remain, are a dramatic example of the organizational and engineering genius of the Romans. The change from Roman to Christian rule is symbolized by the Church of St. George which was built directly over one of the battlements. St. George was a Roman soldier who served in Egypt and was martyred; the adjacent nunnery lays claim to the chains used to torture him, and once a week the nuns perform a chain wrapping ceremony in memory of what the saint suffered for his faith.