Coptic Antiquities The Coptic or Christian period continued in Egypt from the fourth century to the ninth century AD, when many of the Egyptian population tended to change their ancient Egyptian religion to Christianity in the period between the year 200 AD to the year 400 AD, and the number of individuals who changed their religion increased significantly after Constantine declared Christianity a legal religion in the year 313 AD, until it became the religion of the majority of the population; [26] Therefore, Egypt is fraught with many Coptic religious landmarks, the most important of which are the following:
The Church of the Virgin Mary: This church was built on the site where the Virgin Mary and her son stayed for 17 days, with a design that combines the Basilica and Byzantine styles. Semi-circular that contributes to carrying the roof of the church
The Church of Saint Barbara: The church is located within the walls of the Babylon Fortress, and occupies a rectangular flat with a length of about 26.5 meters and a width of about 14.5 meters.
Abi Serga Church: This church was established in the late fourth or early fifth century, but only its remains were found, represented by some engraved stones and a door that highlights the beauty of Coptic art. It is noteworthy that all these remains were transferred to the Coptic Museum.
St. George's Church: This church is considered one of the most beautiful churches of the Roman fortress. It was built by the wealthy writer Athanasius in 684 AD, but fires devoured it 80 years ago, leaving only the reception hall, or what is known as the bridal hall, which is 15 meters long and 12 meters wide.
The Hanging Church: The Hanging Church is one of the oldest churches in Egypt, dating back to the second century AD. It was called the Hanging Church due to its construction south of the Babylon Fortress. The church is distinguished by its unique shape. It has a wooden ceiling in the shape of Noah's Ark, and entry to the church is through iron gates surmounted by pointed stone arches leading to a façade dating back to the nineteenth century with towers for ringing bells.
Mary's tree: This tree is located in the rainy area near Senusret's obelisk, where the Virgin Mary and her son sheltered during her escape from Herod's tyranny.
Muharraq Monastery: The monastery represents the last spot that the Virgin Mary and her son reached in Upper Egypt during their historical journey. The monastery is considered one of the largest monasteries in the Egyptian deserts, with an area of about twenty acres. The monastery and its gardens and service annexes, while the last part of it includes churches and monks' cells
St. Catherine Monastery: The Monastery of St. Catherine, which was built in the year 527 AD by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I, is located in the Sinai Peninsula, north of Mount Moses. The Greek Orthodox monastery rises more than 1,500 meters above the surface level. The monastery consists of 36 monks only. It contains the Monastery of St. Catherine It contains many symbols and precious manuscripts, some of which date back to before the eighth century, and the temple was included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 2002 AD.
Islamic monuments Egypt abounds with Islamic archaeological monuments and buildings that still exist and are present today, as the art of Islamic architecture is represented in all the buildings and facilities that were built since the Islamic conquest in the year 641 AD to the year 1878 AD, and this is evident in palaces, castles, walls, mosques, and others. Among the most important Islamic monuments in Egypt are the following:
Amr Ibn Al-Aas Mosque: The Amr Ibn Al-Aas Mosque was built in 641 AD after the companion Amr Ibn Al-Aas conquered the Roman rulers in Egypt in 640 AD. The mosque was a center for the growth and prosperity of the city of Fustat around it.
Al-Azhar Mosque: Al-Azhar Mosque was founded by the Fatimid conqueror, Jawhar al-Saqili, in 970 AD, when it was a mosque that gathered the residents of New Cairo, and then a university was established in it in 988 AD.
Ibn Tulun Mosque: The history of the Ibn Tulun Mosque dates back to Ahmed Ibn Tulun, who was governor of Fustat during the reign of the Abbasid caliph al-Ma’mun. This mosque was used to hold Fatimid celebrations during the month of Ramadan.
Sultan Hassan Mosque: The Sultan Hassan Mosque is one of the largest mosques in the world, with an area of 7,906 square meters. It includes a mosque and an educational institution. The mosque is also famous for its innovative and unique architectural elements.
Mount Sina: Mount Sina is known as Mount Moses, and it is also called Mount Horeb. Its importance is represented in being a sacred place for all Islamic, Jewish and Christian religions. In addition to the sacred building above, it is characterized by its unique geological formations, in addition to its view of the Sinai desert.
Salah al-Din Citadel: The castle was founded by Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi on a separate hill near the Mokattam Mountains in Cairo. In order to defend Cairo against invasions, and its construction was completed during the reign of his brother, the Just King, in 1208 AD, and what distinguishes the castle is that its garrison was able to launch two war operations at the same time.
The Nilometer in Al-Rawda: The Egyptians used this scale throughout history in order to know the amount of Nile water and its height. Because the Nile is closely linked to the irrigation of lands and the determination of agricultural seasons, as its construction dates back to the era of the Abbasid state, and it consists of a stepped marble column in the middle of a well whose walls are surrounded from the inside by a staircase that reaches the bottom. The well is also connected to three tunnels that pour the Nile water into it through three openings on the eastern side.
The Fatimid cemetery: The Fatimid cemetery is one of the oldest cemeteries in the Islamic world, and it is located in the city of Aswan, where it includes 80 tombs divided between two cemeteries, one in the north and the other in the south, and it is indicated that it was built on the system of Islamic architecture with load-bearing walls in compact molds of soft bricks and bricks
Muhammad Ali’s Sabil in al-Nahhasin: This sabil was built by Muhammad Ali Pasha on the spirit of his son Isma’il in al-Mu’izz li-Din Allah al-Fatimi Street in the area known as the al-Nahhasin neighborhood. The sabil is currently occupied by the Egyptian Textile Museum
The city of the Kasbah: This city dates back to the Ottoman era and its design and architecture is dominated by the defensive style, as this is represented in the huge wall that surrounds it, in addition to the thickness of the walls and the lack of windows, openings and corridors in it, and the remains of houses and buildings distinguished by the beauty of Islamic architecture are still present.
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