Family Trip to Holyland Day 2 - Egypt Cairo (29 May 2023)

We were welcomed by our tour guide Mico and Mikail (co-tour guide) and starting our local tour to visit 3 important churches in old Cairo.

Before that, we had a Chinese food at local restaurant. The rating is 6/10.

The first church we visited was Hanging Church. This is a coptic Catholic Church and there's Mother Mary apparition happened in this church on 2 April 1968.

It's called hanging church because they were build based on two Roman pillars and supported by the dates tree beams only thus it's called hanging church. 

The roof was Noah the arc upside down and there's a small podium supported by 15 pillars for the priest to read the Gospel. And there are Mother Mary's picture which people called it Monalisa as her eyes in the picture can follow our direction and there's Jesus cross as relics in the picture to help Egyptian who are not able to enter Israel due to the politic regulation.

The second church we visited was Abu Serga which's believed where Joseph, Mary and Jesus stayed during their flee to Egypt and stayed there for 3 months and 10 days.

We saw the well which provided them with water and the venerated cave.

The third church we visited was Church of Simon Tanner or garbage church as it's located in the garbage area. This church has very deep impact on me as it's the living testimony of God's words that's true.

Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you” (Matthew 17:20)

There's a miraculous sculpture handmade by nature depicting Mother Mary carried baby Jesus in the church ceiling. It reminded me that Mother Mary is powerful intercessors in times of distress and hopeless.

And another thing that impacts me is how God can transform this garbage church to become one of popular sites and become a blessing for the garbage collectors. It really shows that God cares for each of us and nothing is impossible for Him but we need to be patiently waiting for His plan to be unveiled according to His time.

In the evening, we had sunset dinner cruise by Nile river. We enjoyed the sunset accompanied by local entertainment which as belly dance and Sufi dance.