Description of the attraction
The most famous of Cairo's six Coptic churches, Al-Muallaka, was built in the 4th century. on one of the bastions of a Roman fort. The very name of the temple "el-Muallaka" in translation from Arabic means "suspended". Its meaning is explained by the peculiarities of the location of the church, the main nave of which is located between the two towers of the Babylon fortress, which serves as the foundation of the entire architectural complex.
The church has a basilica shape, familiar to the architecture of that time. True, unlike the standard form, in which there should have been three main halls (the central one is more than two side halls, and its majesty is further emphasized by the difference in ceiling height, the ceilings in the side halls were made lower), Al-Muallaka is divided by columns into four halls. The central halls differ from each other only in width.
The church has a magnificent old iconostasis. But, unlike Orthodox churches, the icons are located at the very top. The main part of the iconostasis is a carved panel of Lebanese cedar wood, richly inlaid with ivory. The walls of the church are also decorated with icons, the distinctive features of which are the plane of the image, non-observance of proportions, and lack of detail. However, they make a very strong impression.
There are practically no frescoes here, this is also an element of Coptic culture, frescoes were used only in the chapel, and in the church itself they can be seen only in the form of ornaments on the columns.
As with most Coptic temples, there are benches inside. The crosses also differed in Coptic culture - they are oriented in two directions, so that, from whatever side you look, you can see the Cross.
In glass cases, strewn with scraps of paper, in wooden cases wrapped in trunks, there are the relics of saints, to whom numerous pilgrims who visit Coptic churches turn with their requests and prayers.
Al-Muallaka is the only church that can be accessed from the outside of the fort, all other churches are inside the fort.
The temple became the most significant of all six churches after the public appearance of the Most Holy Theotokos over the temple in the 60s of the twentieth century. The Most Pure One prayed to the Lord, exuding light in the night, and blessed the afflicted to be healed, after which they recovered.
