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446:(975-978) commissioned one of the first major restorations of the church. The church has also undergone restorations during the reigns of Caliph Haroun El Rasid, El-Aziz Bi'Allah Al Fatemi and Al-Zaher Al Eazaz Din Allah. In 1983, the chapel ceiling collapsed when an engineer had removed an interior column, damaging much of the artwork inside. The 1992 Cairo earthquake caused further damage to the walls of the structure, leading to an additional restoration in 1998 that was completed in 2011.
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known as
Babylon. Others believe the fortress was built in the late sixth century B.C. by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, after conquering Egypt. The Hanging Church was erected over the citadel's old south Bastions, which marked the main gate to the fortress, and gives the church its ‘hanging’ feature. Beneath the church is the old atrium entrance, with niched walls that once contained statues. Superimposed columns and brick arches were later added to provide reinforcement for the building.
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432:, or Abu Sargah. The church was restored in the sixth century, erasing much of the evidence of the church's origin. Carved reliefs, believed to belong to the earlier structure, closely resemble those found in the first Syrian churches, which can be dated to the third or fourth century. There is also a carved beam over the entranceway which can be dated to 284 AD., the starting date for the Coptic era.
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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.
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was a citadel built by the Romans and its origin is disputed by Coptic historians. Some date its origin to the nineteenth century B.C, after
Pharaoh Sesostris defeated the Babylonians and took the prisoners of Egypt as slaves. The prisoners rebelled, building a fortress around their home which became
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the
Armenian partially destroyed the church during a conflict with the patriarch Anba Yusab. It was later converted into a mosque until the tenth century, when it was reconsecrated. In the eleventh century, the Hanging church became the residence of the Coptic patriarchate, previously in Alexandria.
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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
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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
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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
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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 century respectively.
409:(975–978) and has seen many other restorations including an extensive repair and restoration of the church and its surroundings completed in 2011. Objects of historical interest that were no longer of service went to the
401:, though an earlier church building may have elsewhere existed dating as early as the 3rd or 4th century. However, the earliest mention of the church was a statement in the biography of the patriarch
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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.
533:, 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.
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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.
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The principal church is a basilica plan contained within a rectangular outer wall and features three apses. Its nave is surrounded by three aisles.
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Of the three ancient altars typical of Coptic churches, none remained by the 19th century and were instead replaced by marble slabs.
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Certain original components of the churches were destroyed or damaged due to neglect. Modern replacements date to the 19th century.
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Its layout is double-aisled but lacks transepts. The ambon (pulpit) features 15 Islamic columns mounted on a white marble slab.
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The
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The original ciboria were reported to have been present at the altars but were since replaced.
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Cuapani, Massimo; Meinardus, Otto F.; Gabra, Gawdat; Rutschowscaya, Marie-Helene (2002).
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The
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827:"South Cairo church offers insight into Egypt's Christian history"
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The
Hanging Church is named for its location above a gatehouse of
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The
Hanging Church was probably built during the patriarchate of
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Christian Egypt: Coptic Art and Monuments Through Two Millennia
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901:. American University in Cairo Press. pp. 105–111.
313:ϯⲉⲕⲕⲗⲏⲥⲓⲁ ⲛ̀ⲧⲉⲑⲉⲟⲇⲟⲕⲟⲥ ϯⲁⲅⲓⲁ ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ ϧⲉⲛ ⲃⲁⲃⲩⲗⲟⲛ ⲛ̀ⲭⲏⲙⲓ
135:ϯⲉⲕⲕⲗⲏⲥⲓⲁ ⲛ̀ⲧⲉⲑⲉⲟⲇⲟⲕⲟⲥ ϯⲁⲅⲓⲁ ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ ϧⲉⲛ ⲃⲁⲃⲩⲗⲟⲛ ⲛ̀ⲭⲏⲙⲓ
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which dates to the third century. It belongs to the
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46:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
552:barrier wall during the reign of caliph al-Hakim.
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743:List of Coptic Orthodox churches in Egypt
739:— information on Coptic Orthodox Churches
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106:Learn how and when to remove this message
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825:Zaher, Hassan Abdel (14 January 2018).
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771:The Ancient Coptic Churches of Egypt
519:Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus
359:Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria
353:), is one of the oldest churches in
305:Virgin Mary's Coptic Orthodox Church
265:Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria
44:adding citations to reliable sources
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854:El-Aref, Nevine (4 January 2011).
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389:eleventh-century outer porch.
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1009:. The Gale Group, Inc. 1991.
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950:, Oct. 11, 2014, 20:00 GMT.
806:www.sacred-destinations.com
769:Butler, Alfred J. (2010) .
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342:al-Kanīsa al-Muʿallaqa
858:. Cairo: Ahram Online
321:), also known as the
1046:7th-century churches
1032:at Wikimedia Commons
961:"The Hanging Church"
777:. pp. 210–235.
773:(Reprint ed.).
525:Icons and decoration
435:In 840 AD, governor
383:the Staircase Church
365:Name and description
40:improve this article
1066:Coptic architecture
965:www.ask-aladdin.com
737:Coptic architecture
641:Facade and interior
580:Mosaics and reliefs
498:was, historically,
490:Seat of Coptic Pope
199:30.0054°N 31.2301°E
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946:2018-07-23 at the
928:The New York Times
669:Interior of church
463:Marian apparitions
1028:Media related to
784:978-1-177-69783-5
631:Yuhanna al-Armani
512:Pope Christodolos
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1061:Coptic Cairo
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973:. Retrieved
969:the original
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38:Please help
33:verification
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836:22 November
705:Iconostasis
599:Iconostasis
248:Virgin Mary
237:3rd century
202: /
129:El Muallaqa
1040:Categories
975:2018-03-14
908:0814624065
811:2018-03-14
775:Nabu Press
749:References
506:after the
500:Alexandria
450:Importance
243:Dedication
190:31°13′48″E
187:30°00′19″N
66:newspapers
1056:Old Cairo
471:was moved
469:Mountain
456:basilican
379:Old Cairo
336:romanized
291:Priest(s)
277:Bishop(s)
96:July 2014
944:Archived
726:See also
625:Icon of
467:Mokattam
403:Joseph I
215:Location
572:Ciboria
510:during
458:style.
393:History
338::
260:Diocese
234:Founded
229:History
219:Babylon
80:scholar
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862:4 July
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564:Altars
347:Coptic
327:Arabic
309:Coptic
271:Clergy
82:
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531:icons
504:Cairo
399:Isaac
355:Egypt
303:Saint
223:Egypt
87:JSTOR
73:books
903:ISBN
864:2014
838:2023
779:ISBN
494:The
420:The
59:news
629:by
42:by
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