Hanging Church
The Hanging (The
Suspended) Church is named for its location above a gatehouse of Babylon
Fortress, the Roman fortress in Coptic Cairo (Old Cairo); its nave is suspended
over a passage. The church is approached by 29 steps; early travelers to Cairo
dubbed it "the Staircase Church."[2] The land surface has risen by
some 6 meters since the Roman period so that 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.