Cairo Trip Overview
You will find your expert tour guide holding a sign of your name. At the first you will visit to the “Cave Church” in Egypt which is one of the largest churches in the country, one of the world’s oldest Christian communities. The cave, also known as the Monastery of Saint Simon, is located in the Mokattam mountain in southeastern Cairo, in an area known as “garbage city” due to the large population of garbage collectors, that live there. Fleeing poor harvests and poverty they came to the city looking for work and set-up makeshift settlements around the city. Initially, they stuck to their tradition of raising pigs, goats, chickens and other animals, but eventually found collecting and sorting of waste produced by the city residents more profitable. The Zabbaleen sort through household garbage, salvaging and selling things of value, while the organic waste provides an excellent source of food for their animals.
Additional Info
Duration: 4 hours
Starts: Cairo, Egypt
Trip Category: Cultural & Theme Tours >> Cultural Tours
Explore Cairo Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Cairo, Cairo Governorate, Egypt
You will find your expert tour guide holding a sign of your name. At the first you will visit to the “Cave Church” in Egypt which is one of the largest churches in the country, one of the world’s oldest Christian communities. The cave, also known as the Monastery of Saint Simon, is located in the Mokattam mountain in southeastern Cairo, in an area known as “garbage city” due to the large population of garbage collectors, that live there. Fleeing poor harvests and poverty they came to the city looking for work and set-up makeshift settlements around the city. Initially, they stuck to their tradition of raising pigs, goats, chickens and other animals, but eventually found collecting and sorting of waste produced by the city residents more profitable. The Zabbaleen sort through household garbage, salvaging and selling things of value, while the organic waste provides an excellent source of food for their animals.
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: St Simon the Tanner Monastery, Mokattam Hills, Cairo 11511 Egypt
Discover the cave churches in El Mokattam Mountain on a 3-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.
Duration: 4 hours
