Day 01
Egyptian Museum, Old Cairo and Saint Simon's Cave Church
- Meet your guide in Cairo and visit the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, commonly known as the Egyptian Museum, in Cairo, Egypt. It is home to an extensive collection of ancient Egyptian antiquities dating back about 5,000 years of art. It is considered the world's largest and most valuable collection of Egyptian art. More than 250,000 original artifacts are presented, with a representative amount on display, while the rest are kept in storage. The Egyptian Museum is filled with thousands of pharaonic artifacts, including the golden treasures of King Tutankhamun. Fascinating objects such as jewels, headdresses, alabaster vases, and toys from ancient Egypt are all on display. Many priceless statues and other artifacts that were kept in his tomb for more than 3,500 years before their discovery in 1922, when the tomb was excavated, can also be seen in the Egyptian Museum. It is one of the first stops on most people's itineraries when travelling to Egypt.
- Reach the old city of Cairo and proceed to Babylon Fortress, also known as the Wax Palace or Babylon Castle. It is an ancient fortress located in Cairo, Egypt. The fortress is considered one of the largest fortresses witnessed by the Roman civilization in Egypt and one of the largest fortresses built by the empire, as well as the center on which the city of Fustat was built.
- Visit the Hanging Church, built in the 3rd century and at the beginning of the 4th century in the Basilica style. The Hanging Church of Cairo rises majestically on the ancient tower of the Fortress of Babylon. With an interior full of symbolism and icons, it has become one of the most visited monuments in Egypt's most magnetic city. With an essence that mixes Roman, Egyptian, and Babylonian architecture, it has become a place where legend and history blur.
- Offer your prayers at the Church of St. Sergius and Bacchus, which has a special place among the other Coptic churches because it is linked to the path of the Holy Family during their escape from King Herod to the land of Egypt. According to Christian belief, the name of the church is attributed to Saints Sergius and Bacchus, who were martyred in the region of Rusafa in Syria.
- See the Ben Ezra Synagogue in Cairo, called El-Shamieen Church, now located behind the Hanging Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
- Move on to visit the important Church of Simon the Tanner (10th century), also known as Saint Simon the Shoemaker (Sam'an al-Kharrāz). He was the Coptic Orthodox saint associated with the story of moving the Mokattam Mountain in Cairo during the rule of the Muslim Fatimid Caliph al-Muizz Lideenillah (953-975), when Abraham the Syrian was the Pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria. Simon the Tanner lived towards the end of the 10th century. Saint Simon worked in tanning, a craft known there to this day. This profession involved other crafts depending on the making process. This is where Simon carried several titles related to skins: Tanner, Cobbler, and Shoemaker.
- Return to your hotel in Cairo.
