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    • Hanging Church: How Cairo became the seat of 16 patriarchs
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    Hanging Church: How Cairo became the seat of 16 patriarchs

    Harry Posted on

    Father Yaqub Suleiman, priest of the Hanging Church, recently shared his insights into the historical significance of this ancient landmark in exclusive remarks to Youm7. He explained that since the Arab rule centered in Al-Fustat, patriarchs came from Alexandria and resided unofficially in the Hanging Church to be close to the civil authority. Patriarchs, from the 66th term of Pope to the 80th patriarch Pope VIII. It was not until John (1300-1320) that it was officially moved to the Hanging Church. The Hanging Church remained the papal headquarters, partly unofficially and partly officially, for nearly seven centuries.

    The Hanging Church, also known as “Qasr el-Rihan”, is one of the oldest papal centers in the history of the Church. It is located in the Old Cairo area. It hosted the largest number of popes, with approximately 16 patriarchs residing in the church. The papal seat was later moved to Harat Zuweila, then to Al-Azbakeya, and is currently located in Al-Abbassiya.

    The church dates back to the 3rd or 4th century AD, with major construction occurring in the late 4th century AD and early 5th century AD. After Emperor Constantine declared Christianity as the official religion of the state in the 4th century, the Copts’ interest in building churches increased, and this place turned into a church.

    The Hanging Church was built on the ruins of two bastions in the Roman fortress known as the Fortress of Babylon, which was the headquarters of the Roman garrison in this region. The castle was built approximately 150 years before Christ. The Babylonian Castle consists of two columns in the shape of the letter U, and its extensions are placed on the palm trees on these buildings. Because the church was built on these structures, it was named the Hanging Church. There is a depth of 13 meters from the bottom of the church to the base of the castle, and the name “Hanging Church” comes from this depth.

    The basilica-style church is shaped like Noah’s Ark, characterized by the presence of three altars. Noah’s Ark was a means of salvation for Noah and his sons from the evil in the world and the flood. Copts named these churches after saints, including the Virgin Mary, angels, apostles, and martyrs. To distinguish some churches from others, especially those dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the Copts gave them additional identifiers. Some of these descriptors include “Auxiliary” (for Roman sailors), “Damascus” (in Old Cairo), and “Iron” (for Zewailah sailors).

    There is an icon of the Virgin Mary in the first sanctuary inside the Hanging Church. On the icon of the Virgin Mary is written the Martyrs of 1092, the date of Creation. Among the manuscripts of the Hanging Church is the Coptic and Arabic Pascha Book of the Martyrs dated 1054, which corresponds to 1338 AD. There is also a silver box in which the Bible was kept, with the Martyrs date of 1140, corresponding to 1424 AD, inscribed as a foundation for the Church of Our Lady in Kasr er-Rihan.

    The Hanging Church has undergone many repairs and its last renovation was done in 1494. It has been fertile for hundreds of years and has survived throughout these ages. The church is part of a group of churches in the Babylon Fortress area. Except for short periods, some popes resorted to the Church of St. Mercurius (Abu Sifin) in Old Cairo and used it as an alternative resting place.

    Sources: Youm7 (Entertainment), Al-Masry Al-Youm

    This article was written in collaboration with prolific artificial intelligence company Alchemiq.



    Harry
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