Old Cairo's Hanging Church restored

Ahram Online (Nevine El-Aref)

At Mogamaa Al-Adian (religious compound) in Old Cairo, adjacent to the Amr Ibn Al-Ass mosque, Ben Ezra synagogue and a collection of churches, stands the Hanging Church with its Basilica-style architecture on top of the Roman fortress of Babylon, greeting its visitors and worshipers. This fourth century edifice has finally reached the end of its restoration after 13 years of hiding under iron scaffoldings, piles of sand and workmen who have been polishing and strengthening its walls, ceilings and towers.

The Hanging Church, like other monuments located in heavily populated areas, was suffering seriously from environmental hazards including air pollution, a high subsoil water level, a high rate of humidity, leakage of water from the outdated and decayed sewage system installed 100 years ago, not to mention the adverse effects of the 1992’s earthquake, which increased the number of cracks all over the church’s walls and foundation.