When was the cave church built?

The cave church was built in the name of someone who lived in Egypt in the 10th century, during the Fatimids dynasty, but the church itself was established in the 1970s( in 1975 AD).

During which ruler’s reign did Saint Simon live in Egypt?

Why was the name of the cave church chosen?

As the name makes clear, the church was cleverly caverned in Mokattam Mountain.

Interesting facts about the Cave Church:

• The cave church was named after the person for whom it was constructed, Saint Simon, who lived in the tenth century.
• The trash city is also known by its “Egyptian name,” “Zabaleen city.”
• The walls of the cave church are covered in biblical texts and scenes.
• Back then, Saint Simon had the position of tanner, and he still does.
• The cave church is one of the biggest churches in Egypt and the Middle East.
• The church has drawings of the Virgin Mary and sculptures of Jesus and the Virgin Mary.
• Since the majority of people living in that neighborhood at the time were Christians, it seems natural that they constructed this church and several others so that they could worship and pray in that exquisite building.
• Despite being a hidden gem, the cave chapel in the Mokattam mountain is a must-see destination for tourists, particularly those interested in religious travel.
  

  Cave Church. Egypt Tours Group.

The Tanner, Saint Simon

He was a deeply devout tenth-century man. The well-known legend surrounding him states that the Egyptian pharaoh asked him to move the “Mokattam mountain.” It is thought that he did so, and perhaps this explains why the church bearing his name is situated on the same mountain as the renowned tale about the Mokattam mountain.

Egypt’s churches

Egypt is noted for having had a large number of churches over the years. Since Christianity is Egypt’s second most popular religion, you may find churches from every era since the Holy Family arrived in Egypt until the present.
The hanging church is the most well-known structure in Egypt. Is it actually hanging, and why is it titled that? That’s a tale for another time.

Garbage city

The city is known as “garbage city” or Zabaleen city since the majority of its residents have been collecting trash and garbage since the 1960s.
They chose to name the church after Saint Simon when they initially came to that area in the 1960s.

Gamal Abdel Nasser, the former president of Egypt, made the decision to force waste collectors to relocate to Mokattam Mountain. As a result, the city is named after them. These workers perform a vital role that will never go extinct—they assist us in getting rid of the garbage we produce on a daily basis, recycle it, and transport it to a designated location for collection.

It is stated that the individuals who currently work collecting trash were formerly peasants who switched careers in order to make more money.

The mountain of Mokattam

• We thank Caliph El Muizz for moving the mountain, also known as the mountain that was moved by faith.
• There would be no miracle or tale to tell if it weren’t for him, therefore he requested Saint Simon to lift the mountain to demonstrate his faith.
• The Mokattam mountain is thought to be Cairo’s biggest mountain.
• You will not believe it until you try the view from the top of the mountain; it is something you can only imagine.
• According to legend, Pope Abraham of Alexandria moved it when Saint Simon gave him the go-ahead.
• The Coptic church is intimately acquainted with that region and the mountain.
• The Mokattam area is home to a growing number of residents in addition to tourists who come to explore its interiors and locations.
• Despite being referred to as a “mountain,” many people still view the Mokattam as a hill.
• Depending on your preference, you can visit the Nile River from Mokkatam Mountain (also known as the Mokattam Hill) and enjoy the water, breathtaking scenery, and opportunity to take pictures.
• What kind of stone, well-known to the Egyptians, covers the Mokattam Mountain? Why is it known that it is limestone? The colossal pyramids at Giza are the most striking example of how the ancient Egyptians constructed most of their monuments using this same type of stone.
• Both “mokattam mountain” and “muqattam mountain,” as they are both pronounced, are accurate.

 

Conclusion

With each day, we find hidden gems in Egypt. It doesn’t exist in one place; no, it’s all over the country, every day we become confident that the Egyptians have always been amazing architects and geniuses; from the first pyramid to this day, the Egyptians prove that there is no one like them, we can see it very clearly in this topic, a group of people who collect garbage decided to carve a church into the mountain that has once been moved by faith.

 

it sounds like an imaginary story you tell to your kids right? It’s a real story. You can come to see it with your own eyes. The church carved into the mountain we call “the cave church, “which is built after the name of saint Simon the Tanner, who once moved the mokattam mountain to prove his faith; this story proves that the Egyptians have always been religious people, have always been great architects and also creative.

This essay is not about the church, Saint Simon, garbage people, or even the mountain..it’s about the Egyptians themselves.