Cairo Trip Overview
Discover the cave churches in El Mokattam Mountain on a 2-hour day-trip from Cairo, and discover the remarkable monastery of St. Simon the Tanner. Travel through ‘garbage city,’ home to the mostly-Coptic Zabbaleen trash collectors, learn how the churches were carved into the rock and see the site where the Virgin Mary is believed to have appeared. Enjoy fantastic aerial views Excellent value for money Family friendly
Additional Info
Duration: 2 hours
Starts: Cairo, Egypt
Trip Category: Cultural & Theme Tours >> Cultural Tours
Explore Cairo Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Cairo, Cairo Governorate, Egypt
Discover the cave churches in El Mokattam Mountain on a 2-hour day-trip from Cairo, and discover the remarkable monastery of St. Simon the Tanner. Travel through ‘garbage city,’ home to the mostly-Coptic Zabbaleen trash collectors, learn how the churches were carved into the rock and see the site where the Virgin Mary is believed to have appeared. Enjoy fantastic aerial views Excellent value for money Family friendly
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Cave Church, Mokattam, Cairo 11511 Egypt
The Monastery of Saint Simon, also known as the Cave Church, is located in the Mokattam mountain in southeastern Cairo, Egypt, in an area that is known as ‘garbage city’ because of the large population of garbage collectors or Zabbaleen that live there. The Zabbaleen are descendants of farmers who started migrating from Upper Egypt to Cairo in the 1940s.Formally known as St. Simon the Tanner Monastery, Cairo’s vast Cave Church pays tribute to a miracle St. Simon (also written St. Samaan or St. Simeon) is believed to have performed. The city’s Coptic Orthodox Christian garbage collectors (Zabbaleen) dug the church out of the Mokattam mountain during the 1970s.
Duration: 2 hours
