Feel the divine and reinforce your faith in the almighty as you go on religious tours to Egypt. Experience peace and tranquility inside the churches, mosques and religious shrines located in different parts of Egypt on your Egypt religious tours. Egypt is apart of the ‘Holy Land’ and is the place where Jesus and Moses lived and the place where Islam grew and flourished. Stay at the St. Catherine’s Monastery in the Sinai Peninsula and feel the positive effects of meditation and then go on tours to the Mount Sinai that happens to find a mention in the Holy Bible and is the place where the children of God received the Ten Commandments.  Go on tours to the Modem Mosque and the Byzantine Chapel located in the area. Religious tours to Egypt must include tours to the Mohammed Ali Mosque, Hanging Church in Cairo, Abu Serga Church, Al-Muharraq Monastery in the southern Nile Valley and the Church of St. Mary. The Church of St. Mary is quite famous and it is believed that a few people have actually had visions of the holy mother Mary at this church though there is no scientific proof to confirm this. “Out of Egypt have I called My Son”. (Hosea 11:1) The Holy Family proceeded from Bethlehem to Gaza, and then to El Floussiat, then they threaded their way along northern Sinai until they reached Farma (ancient Pelusium) Tel Basta–Here, Jesus caused a water spring to well up from the ground. In due course, they reached Mostorod there the Virgin Mary bathed the Christ Child and washed his clothes which came to be called THE BATHING PLACE. From Mostorod, the Holy Family went to Belbeis They rested there in the shade of a tree which came to be called, “The Virgin Mary’s Tree’. The Holy Family at Sakha Town The Coptic name of the town, ‘Pekha-Issous’ means, ‘the foot of Jesus’ for the Holy Child’s foot-print was marked, here, in basrelief on a rock. They went to Wadi el-Natroun (Natroun Valley) in the Western Desert of Egypt Eventually then to Matariyah There a tree still stands to this day, still regularly visited, called “Mary’s Tree”, Setting out next towards Old Cairo, in a cave above which, in later years, the Church of Abu Serga (St Sergious) was built. the Holy Family moved to Maadi, The historic church built upon the spot from which they embarked. They went to a spot later named Abai Issous, “the Home of Jesus”, east of Al-Bahnassa they went from Bahnassa to Samalout from that town to the spot on the east bank of the River where the Monastery of the Virgin now stands upon Gabal El-Tair (‘Bird Mountain’) Gabal El-Tair is also called Gabal El Kaf (‘Palm Mountain’). Coptic tradition maintains that Jesus stretched His little hand to hold back a rock. The imprint of His palm is still visible. The Holy Family traveled southwards to Hermopolis. The Monastery of Al-Muharraq It was built around the area where the Holy Family remained just over six months. It was here, at the very spot where Al-Muharraq Monastery stands, that the Angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, and said “Arise, and take the young Child and His mother, and go into the land of Israel; for they are dead which sought the young Child’s life” (Matthew 2:20&21). |
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Mohammed Ali Mosque
 Though certainly not one of the most ancient mosques in Cairo, nor even one of the most historic, because of its grandeur and its location in the Citadel, the Mosque of Muhammad Ali is the most popular Islamic mosque among tourists. This mosque is also sometimes referred to as the Alabaster Mosque due to its extensive use of that stone on some of the exterior walls and other surfaces. Sometimes it is popularly known as al-qal'a, meaning citadel, and thus confused with the fortress in which it is located.  The mosque, the largest such structure built during the first half of the 19th century, is more impressive at a distance than close up. Though there its artistic merit is questionable, it is an unparalleled contribution to the skyline of Cairo, visible high atop the Citadel grounds. Indeed, its great dome and towering minarets give the Citadel a romantic, oriental quality that makes up for any shortcomings in its detail. It is almost certainly the first feature that catches ones eyes at the fortress. Muhammad Ali tore down the remains of Mamluk palaces and their dependencies, which were luckily described only a short time before by Napoleon's scholars as the most impressive buildings in Cairo despite their dilapidated condition. Recent excavations demonstrate that, in order to build the mosque on top of the preexisting structures, some ten meters of rubble was filled in. Muhammad Ali, who was more eager to build modern factories than religious foundations, then erected this mosque, where he is buried, as a monument to himself. It is also an imperial mosque which challenged those of Istanbul much in the same way that Muhammad Ali did militarily.
 Indeed, just as Salah al-Din, many centuries earlier, had abolished all traces of Fatimid power and status by refusing to live in their palaces and having them dismantled and parceled out to his courtiers, so Muhammad Ali destroyed all traces of the Mamluk palaces from which Egypt had been ruled since the thirteenth century. This is the reason why, among Cairo's wealth of historic Islamic monuments, there is not one royal palace left from these periods. It should be noted that the Mosque of Muhammad Ali is not typical of such structures in Cairo. In its architecture, Muhammad Ali Pasha, viceroy and effectively king of Egypt, as well as the founder of Egypt's modern era, achieved a radical break with all traditional characteristics of Cairo architecture from the Mamluk to the late Ottoman period. This departure is emphasized by the choice of sites. Now, because it is the most visible of Islamic monuments in Cairo, Muhammad Ali's mosque became a symbol of the city, even though it is the least Egyptian of these monuments. It is interesting, as well as paradoxical in a certain respect, that while politically Muhammad Ali acted very independently of Istanbul, architecturally during his reign style came closer to that of Istanbul than ever before, including even its Western, and particularly French, influence. However, one must remember that he came close to taking the Ottoman Empire as his own, and he set out in Cairo to abandon the oriental Middle Ages and built a city that would surpass Istanbul. Originally, the planning of this mosque was assigned to Muhammad Ali's French architect, Pascal Coste, who probably would have built it in the local Mamluk style judging from his interest in Cairo's traditional architecture. However, for some unknown reason, Muhammad Ali changed his mind and hired a Greek architect, Yusuf Bushnaq, to design the mosque on a plan similar to that of the Mosque of Sultan Ahmad in Istanbul (known as the Blue Mosque).
 Built between 1830 and 1848, the long time it took to complete this monument may be due to its size, gigantic by Cairo's architectural standards. That, combined with its prominent location and its profile of domes flanked by a pair of slender high minarets, contribute to its prestige. The Egyptians themselves place a great deal of pride in this monument. The pencil shaped minarets, over eighty meters high, stand on bases only three meters wide. Though the architecture of the mosque is entirely Ottoman, the domes are, relative to their width, higher and less squat than those in Istanbul. The complex consists of two parts, the mosque proper to the east and the open courtyard, or sahn, to the west. The plan of the mosque is a central dome carried on four piers and spherical pendentives, flanked by four half-domes, and four smaller domes on each corner. There is also a dome that separates the mihrab ceiling from the Qibla wall. Measuring 41 meters square, the interior is impressive because of its size, and it shows the wonderful arrangement of mass and space that is characteristic of Istanbul mosques. The main, high dome of the mosque soars 52 meters high, with a diameter of 21 meters.  The grandeur of this single, large chamber is enhanced by the circle of small lamps hung in the middle of the praying area, and just above the main dome of the mosque. Other smaller lamps, many of them more modern, are hung elsewhere in the mosque, creating a spectacle of light that is grand in its own right. Within the mosque are two minbars, or pulpits. The larger one of wood is decorated with gilt ornament, and is original. It is said to be one of the largest in Egypt, incorporating significant gold in its decorations. The smaller one of alabaster was a gift from King Faruq, dating to 1939. The mihrab, or prayer niche, is made of Egyptian marble. It is rather simple, but very beautiful at the same time. In the southwest corner of the sanctuary, within an enclosure richly decorated with bronze openwork, is the magnificent, white marble cenoteaph of Muhammad Ali. However, Muhammad Ali was not originally interred here. He was originally buried at Housh el Basha, but one of his successors, King Abbas I, had his body moved to this location. The mosque has three entrances, on the north, west and east walls. The western entrance opens onto the courtyard. The courtyard, as at the mosques of Sulayman Pasha and Malika Safiyya, is surrounded by rounded arcades carrying small domes. These domes are supported by large, though relatively simple marble columns. The courtyard is almost square, measuring 54 by 53 meters. The courtyard has a northern and southern entrance from the mosque. In the middle of the courtyard is a marble ablution fountain with a carved wooden roof on columns. The fountain is lavishly decorated in a style similar to that of the sabil-kuttab facing the madrasa of al-Nasir on Mu'izz street. That structure was built by Ismail Pasha in 1828. The sabil and the upper part of the courtyard facade are decorated with small oval wall paintings on which Mediterranean landscapes are represented. On the west wall of the courtyard is an iron clock, presented to Muhammad Ali by the French King Louis Philippe, with a tea salon on the upper level. Its style is a mixture of neo-gothic and oriental elements. It has never worked, and probably never will. The clock, given as a gift in exchange for the obelisk now in the Palace de la Concorde, Paris, somehow does not seem to be out of place, even though by all rights it should be. Perhaps this is due to the other European influences in the mosque, or that it's colors are well coordinated with other decorations nearby. Though the architecture is entirely Ottoman, the decoration of the building is alien to Cairene traditions, and in fact, to Islamic art. There are no stalactites, geometric shapes or arabesques. Only the inscription bands continue any type of Islamic tradition. Six large medallions around the dome enclose the names of God, Muhammad and the first four Khalifs. The script written over a royal blue that often adorns windows in the mosque actually represent verses from the poem, "Al Burda", written by Imam al Buseiry.  Even the marble chosen for decoration is different from that of earlier mosques. In fact, the decorations, which were not finished until 1857, are at odds with the simplicity of the architectural structure itself. And yet, many tourists and Egyptians themselves, who are not especially trained in art or architecture, find the mosque decorations very beautiful. Its use of greens, golds and reds can be very appealing to many. The walls and piers of the mosque are paneled with alabaster from Upper Egypt (Beni Suef), which is inappropriate for architecture as it deteriorates quickly. A gesture of baroque luxe, unless frequently cleaned, the stone also becomes terribly grimy. In 1931 serious structural deviancies were found in the dome and it had to be totally rebuilt. It took two years. Between 1937 and 1939 the decoration was renewed and in the middle of the 1980s the whole Citadel complex was once again renovated. |
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Catherine’s Monastery
Located at the foot of Mount Moses, St. Catherine's Monastery, was constructed by order of the Emperor Justinian between 527 and 565. It is built around what is thought to be Moses' Burning Bush, which has a chapel built atop it. It is a spectacular natural setting for priceless works of art, including Arab mosaics, Greek and Russian icons, Western oil paintings, paintings on wax, fine sacerdotal ornaments, marbles, enamels, chalices, reliquaries, including one donated by Czar Alexander II in the 19th century, and another by Empress Catherine of Russia in the 17th century. But of perhaps even greater significance is that it is one of the largest and most important collection of illuminated manuscripts in the world (The Vatican has the largest). The collection consists of some 4,500 volumes in Greek, Coptic, Arabic, Armenian, Hebrew, Slavic, Syriac, Georgian and other languages. St. Catherine's has a rich history indeed. So rich that it is a sparkling example of an undiscovered jewel of travel. It has been called the oldest working Christian monastery and the smallest diocese in the world. The Chapel of the Burning Bush was originally ordered built by Empress Helen, the mother of Constantine the Great, but the monastery itself was actually built by Emperor Justinian to protect the monks in the region and to honor the site of the Burning Bush. St. Catherine, whose body was reportedly carried away by angels, was discovered five hundred years later at the top of the peak that now bears her name. Her relics are stored in a marble reliquary in the Basilica. We have additional pictures of this church, and of its interior. St. Catherine's is also a formidable fortification, with granite walls measuring 8 to 35 meters tall, surrounded by gardens and cypresses. Prior to probably the twentieth century, the only entrance to St. Catherine's was a small door 30 feet high, where provisions and people were lifted with a system of pulleys, and where food was often lowered to nomads. It has withstood numerous attacks over its 14 hundred year existence, thus protecting a rich store of art. Today, while it is one of the oldest monasteries in the world, its original, preserved state is unmatched. Though patronized during much of its history by the Russian Orthodox Church, it is now under the auspices of the Greek Orthodox Church. Most of its monks are also of Greek origin, though their ranks include an international flavor. |
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Hanging Church
 Known in Arabic as al-Muallaqah ("The Suspended"), the Hanging Church is the most famous Coptic church in Cairo. The church is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and is thus also known as Sitt Mariam or St. Mary's Church. The Hanging Church is named for its location above a gatehouse of the Roman fortress in Old Cairo; its nave is suspended over a passage. The church is approached by 29 steps; early travelers to Cairo dubbed it "the Staircase Church." The Hanging Church was built in the 7th century, probably on the site of a 3rd or 4th century church for the soldiers of the bastion. It has been rebuilt several times since then, including a major rebuild under Patriarch Abraham in the 10th century.
 By the 11th century, the Hanging Church became the official residence of the Coptic patriarchs of Alexandria and Coptic synods were held in the church. The main furnishings - the pulpit and screens - date from th 13th century. Entrance to the Hanging Church is via a beautifully-decorated gate on Shar'a Mari Girgis Street. This leads into an open courtyard, flanked by mosaics, from which there are 29 steps to the church. At the top of the stairs are three wooden doors decorated with geometric patterns, framed with decorative carvings in the stone wall. Inside, only the section to the right of the sanctuary, above the southern bastion, is considered original. Nevertheless, the Hanging Church remains one of the most impressive churches in the city, remarkable for its marble pulpit, inlaid screens, icons and murals. The timber roof of the nave recalls Noah's Ark. The 11th-century marble pulpit surmounts 13 graceful pillars, representing Jesus and the 12 disciples. As customary in Coptic churches, one of the pillars is black, representing Judas, and another is grey, for doubting Thomas. Its steps are carved with a shell and a cross. The oldest icon in the Hanging Church dates from the 8th century. Many other artifacts from this church are now displayed in the Coptic Museum, including a lintel showing Christ's entry into Jerusalem that dates from the 5th or 6th century.
In the eastern end of the church are three sanctuaries with altars, dedicated to the Virgin Mary (center); St. George (left) and St. John the Baptist (right). The central iconostasis (sanctuary screen) dates from the 12th or 13th century. It is made of ebony inlaid with ivory and carved into segments showing fine geometric designs and crosses, and has a row of seven large icons. The center icon depicts the Christ Enthroned; to his right is the Virgin Mary, the Archangel Gabriel and St. Peter; to his left are John the Baptist, the Archangel Michael and St. Paul. The left screen has a design of squares with crosses in alternate ivory and ebony, surmounted by 17 icons depicting scenes from the martyrdom of St. George. The right screen dates from the 13th century and has a cruciform pattern. Across the top are seven small icons representing the life of St. John the Baptist. All the icons on these screens are the work of a single Armenian artist, Orhan Karabedian, and date from 1777. |
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Al Azhar
 Al-Azhar University (pronounced "AZ-har", Al-Azhar al-ٹarif, "the Noble Azhar") in Egypt, founded in 975, is the chief centre of Arabic literature and Sunni Islamic learning in the world and the world's second oldest surviving degree granting university. It is associated with Al-Azhar mosque in Islamic Cairo. The university's mission includes the propagation of Islamic religion and culture. To this end, its Islamic scholars (ulemas) render edicts (fatwas) on disputes submitted to them from all over the Sunni Islamic world regarding proper conduct for Muslim individuals or societies (a recent example being the clarification and thus prohibition of female genital cutting). Al-Azhar also trains Egyptian government appointed preachers in proselytization (da'wa). Its library is considered second in importance in Egypt only to the Egyptian National Library and Archives. In May 2005, Al-Azhar in partnership with a Dubai information technology enterprise, ITEP launched the H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Project to Preserve Al Azhar Scripts and Publish Them Online (the "Al-Azhar Online Project") with the mission of eventually providing online access to the library's entire rare manuscripts collection (comprising about seven million pages). The university was founded by the Fatimid dynasty of Egypt, descended from Fatimah, daughter of the Prophet Muhammad. Fatimah was called Az-Zahra (the brilliant), and the university was named in her honor.
Studies began at Al-Azhar in the month of Ramadan, 975 AD. The university (Jami'ah) had faculties in Islamic law and jurisprudence, Arabic grammer, Islamic astronomy, Islamic philosophy, and logic. In the 12th century, following the overthrow of the Shia Fatimid dynasty, Sultan Saladin (the founder of the staunchly Sunni Ayyubid Dynasty ) converted Al-Azhar to a Shafi'ite Sunni center of learning. In 1961, Al-Azhar was reorganised under the government of Egypt's second President Gamal Abdel Nasser and several secular faculties were added to the university, such as medicine, engineering and agriculture. An Islamic women's faculty was also added in the same year, six years after Zaib-un-Nissa Hamidullah had been the first woman to speak at the university |
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