Saint Virgin Mary's Coptic Orthodox Church is known as the Hanging Church, is one of the oldest churches in Egypt and the history of a church on this site dates to the third century. It belongs to the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria.
The Hanging Church is named for its location above a gatehouse of Babylon Fortress, it was dedicated to The Virgin Mary and St. Dimiana, the Roman fortress in Coptic Cairo. Its nave is suspended over a passage. The church is approached by twenty-nine steps; early travelers to Cairo dubbed it "the Staircase Church". The land surface has risen by some six meters since the Roman period, so the Roman tower is mostly buried below ground, reducing the visual impact of the church's elevated position.
The entrance from the street is through iron gates under a pointed stone arch. The nineteenth-century facade with twin bell towers is then seen beyond a narrow courtyard decorated with modern art biblical designs. Up the steps and through the entrance is a further small courtyard leading to the eleventh-century outer porch.
The church was originally built at the end of the 3rd Century A.D and beginning of the 4th Century A.D, although it has been reconstructed and renovated several times since. Some historians believe that may be older than most think, and was possibly an ancient Roman Temple that was later converted to a Roman Church, and then later still, a Coptic Church. Historians believe this to be true because of a 1984 discovery. At this time, it was noticed that the plaster over the western scenes, near the right aisle of the church, hid images of pagan Roman Gods.
This church has played an important role in the history of the Coptic Church because it was once the seat of the Patriarchs, after it was transferred from Alexandria to Al-Fustat. The 66th patriarch, Anba Christodolos (1039-1079 A.D), was the first Pope to chant the Holy Liturgy in the church. This tradition was preserved in El-Mullaka Church until the 14th Century when it was transferred to Abu Sefein church
There are 110 icons, the oldest of which dates back to the 8th Century. In 1898 A.D, the overseer of the church, Nakhla Al- Baraty Bey, bestowed some of them as gifts.
The French monk Vansleb, who was sent to Egypt in 1671 by King Louis XIV in order to study the state of the churches and the monasteries of Egypt, saw inscriptions on one of the walls of the Hanging Church. They were written by the hand of the great Muslim commander, Amr Ibn El-As, asking the Muslim people to treat this church with respect.
The Plan of the Church:
It takes the shape of a basilica with a wooden roof resembling that of Noah's Ark.
The original spacious church gradually became smaller, throughout the ages, after several modifications. Obeid Bin Khozam did the last modification in 1755 A.D. It now measures 23.5m in length, 18.5in width and 9.5m in height.
It consists of the following elements:
1. The entrance, also known as the narthex.
2. The nave and the two aisles.
3. The three Sanctuaries (located to the east of the church, the most important being the middle one, which is dedicated to The Virgin Mary)
A series of steps lead to the middle entrance. On both sides are doors that lead to 2 upper floors, that were used for the private quarters of the priest commanding the church.
In front of the entrance, there is a vestibule that was used as a resting place for visitors.
Inside, the southern aisle is separated from the nave by 8 marble columns, linked from above with a wooden architrave, which is supported on arches. The northern aisle is also separated from the nave by 8 marble columns but there is no architrave.
Offset, in the middle of the southern aisle, is a door that leads to a small church with a sanctuary. Inside this small church is a baptistery, a deep basin of reddish granite, believed to be from the 5th century. It is decorated with Egyptian hieroglyphic for water.
The most renowned of the three sanctuaries situated on the eastern side is the middle one, which is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. In the center of this main sanctuary, there is an altar made of marble. Above it, there is a wooden dome, supported by 4 marble columns, and decorated with religious scenes, including Jesus on his throne surrounded by the four evangelist saints, the disciples, and angels.
In front of the middle altar, in the nave of the church, is a pulpit that stands on 15 columns, decorated with reliefs and mosaics, symbolically representing Jesus, the 12 Disciples, John the Baptist and the Virgin Mary.
There are 7 altars in the Church, 3 of them situated in the main sanctuary, and 3 located in the right sanctuary, among which is the altar of Tecla Hymanot, the Ethiopian Saint. Interestingly, on the north side an alter was recently discovered.
The Hanging Church is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and contains sanctuaries to her and Saints John the Baptist and George. The church held many important ceremonies for the Coptic hierarchy of Cairo. These include the selection and burial of patriarchs, the former occurring from the 11th to 14th centuries while the latter only between the 11th and 12th, as well as the consecration of holy oil and judgement of heresy trials; selection of the date of Easter for every year was another important proceeding held within. These processes are held at the Hanging Church due to the movement in the 11th century of the patriarchal seat to Cairo from Alexandria.
The Seat of the Coptic Orthodox Pope of Alexandria was, historically, Alexandria. However, as ruling powers moved away from Alexandria to Cairo after the Muslim conquest of Egypt during Pope Christodolos's tenure, Cairo became the fixed and official residence of the Coptic Pope at the Hanging Church in 1047.
Infighting between the Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus and the el Muʿallaqah (the Hanging Church) broke out due to that patriarch's desire to be consecrated in the Hanging Church, a ceremony that traditionally took place at Saints Sergius and Bacchus.
The Hanging Church has 110 icons, the oldest of which dates back to the 8th century, but most of them date to the 18th century. Nakhla Al-Baraty Bey gave some of them as gifts, in 1898, when he was the overseer of the church.
The iconostasis of the central sanctuary is made of ebony inlaid with ivory, and is surmounted by icons of the Virgin Mary and the Twelve Apostles.
The main altar screen is made of ebony inlaid with ivory that is carved into segments showing several Coptic Cross designs that date back to around the 12th or 13th century. Over the altar screen lies a long row of seven large icons, the central one of which is Christ seated on the throne. On one side, the icons of the Virgin Mary, Archangel Gabriel and St Peter are lined up. On the other, icons of St. John the Baptist, Archangel Michael and St. Paul.
Present structure of the church comprises the primitive church in the south and a principal church to the north, believed to be built between the third to seventh century and between the fifth to seventh centuries respectively.
The principal church is a basilica plan contained within a rectangular outer wall and features three apses. Its nave is surrounded by three aisles.
Its layout is double-aisled but lacks transepts. There are some features of 15 Islamic columns mounted on a white marble slab
By the late 19th century, the primitive church consisted of three chapels and a baptistery and was connected to the south nave of the principal church by the first chapel. The church was periodically altered and restored in response to plundering. This reconstruction included the addition of a barrier wall during the reign of caliph al-Hakim.
Notable Features:
Certain original components of the churches were destroyed or damaged due to neglect. Modern replacements date to the 19th century.
Altars
Of the three ancient altars typical of Coptic churches, none remained by the 19th century and were instead replaced by marble slabs.
Ciboria
The original ciboria were reported to have been present at the altars but were since replaced.
Mosaics and Reliefs:
Mosaics in crosses in relief are found within an ambo located north of the principal church’s central nave. The primitive church contains mosaics in a hollow in the south wall.