A Sudani Wedding in Cairo – The Cave Church

With most of the day still to kill before the evening wedding party, guide & taxi driver Suliman suggested a visit to the Cave Church, in the Coptic Christian area quite close to the Cairo Citadel, where the Mohamed Ali mosque hade been earlier explored.

As the car entered the Coptic Manshiet Nasr area, Suliman, ominously, informed his passengers not to be afraid in the area in which they were about to enter, as he knew the area well, and knew exactly how to get to the church. Some taxi drivers do not, he added!

Silence in the taxi.

What unfolded over the next 10 to 15 minutes was unexpected, to say the least.

The area is obviously where much or all of Cairo’s garbage is brought, particularly the plastic waste, by those of working age amongst the 20,000 Copt inhabitants of the locality. The garbage is openly and very visibly stored along the labyrinth of alleyways and narrow streets and in every available street space, for recycling in some manner. There is no apparent infrastructure, or purpose-built reprocessing plants. All seems to be done on the side of the streets or even within to lower floors of residential buildings. The slum streets scenes are disturbing to the visitor as the impression is one of filth and poverty and grime and slime and unseen rodents, and a place where one thinks, how can families bring up kids in such an environment? Disturbing, was MBs foremost thought.

MB was a little careful taking street shots through the taxi window it must be said, lets locals consider him disrespectful or somehow voyeuristic. So the photos are consequently less than best quality. But they tell the story.

But needs must, MB guesses, and if that’s the only way to make a living and survive and put food on the table for kith and kin, then that’s what must be done. Regardless of the sad and filthy scenes before MB’s eyes, there were also signs of community and pride. A mother and her two young daughters walked passed Suliman’s slow-moving taxi in the opposite direction and they were spotlessly dressed and clean, with obvious pride in their appearance. Suliman informed his guests that there are a number of schools and a hospital within the area also, but out of sight of the route to the church.

And then the cave church appeared, know as The Tanner Monastery, and it was a whole new world.

When one enters the church district called Moqattam, one first encounters the Shrine of Fr. Samaan Ibrahim Musa (Fr. Simon Ibrahim Moses, in English). Fr Samaan was the founder of the church, which has its basis on a 1,000 year old legend, which readers can read HERE. Upon doing an online search MB discovered that Fr. Samaan was a world famous cleric and his death made international headlines on 11 October 2023. He was especially beloved by the local garbage collectors amongst whom he worked and served for much of his live.

The church itself is a wonder, and the most unique place of worship MB has ever seen. The cave has its origins in the already referred legend and today it’s a modern amphitheatre style church with a very large capacity. MB’s photos show some of the wonder of it, but the church officials had blocked off access to the higher level seating during MB’s visit, which location might have produced the money shot!

There are some other underground churches within the same complex, including the Church of St Marcus. The entrance gate was unfortunately locked at the time of MB’s visit, so the meeting of MB & St Marcus is deferred!

The Tanner Monastery complex is a spiritual and geological wonder. The juxtaposition of incredible Godly Monastery & poverty ridden slum is head wrecking. Don’t miss it if you happen to ever get to Cairo.