Cave Church (St. Simon the Tanner Monastery) Tours

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. 

Visit three pyramids and ancient Egyptian churches on this private, full-day adventure in Cairo. See the Great Pyramid of Giza, the oldest and largest of the three pyramids in the Giza pyramid complex; the Great Sphinx of Giza on the west bank of the Nile; the Coptic Cairo museum, featuring a collection of ancient Egyptian Christian artwork, objects and manuscripts; and the Monastery of Saint Simon, or the Cave Church, located in the Mokattam mountain. All necessary entrance fees, plus a Cairo hotel pickup and drop-off are included.

Visit El Mokattam Mountain Cave Church, or the Monastery of St Simon, on a private tour that also explores the magnificent churches of Coptic Cairo. You’ll see some of Cairo’s most important Christian sites, including the Saints Sergius and Bacchus Church, the Church of Saint Barbara, and the Hanging Church, while going beyond sightseeing for a glimpse of ‘garbage city,’ a fascinating Cairo neighborhood that most visitors overlook entirely.

Visit El Mokattam Mountain Cave Church, or the Monastery of St Simon, on a private tour that also explores the magnificent churches of Coptic Cairo.

Marvel at Cairo’s UNESCO-listed treasures on a private tour to this amazing historic churches, the seven cave churches carved into the nearby Moqattam Mountain. The Cairo Cave Church (St. Simon the Tanner Monastery) is located in the Mokattam mountain in southeast Cairo. The area is known as ‘garbage city’ due to the large number of garbage collectors or ‘Zabbaleen’ that live there and sort through the city’s waste, recycling up to 80% of it. To reach the Cave Church, visitors must weave through winding alleys before arriving at the entrance to what is believed to be one of the largest engraved monasteries in the world. The Zabbaleen are a minority Coptic Christian group and this gigantic church, which has been carved out of the mountainside and has a seating capacity of up to 20,000, is their place of worship. This 10th century church as it exists today features various motives and sculptures depicting the life of Christ, and an amphitheater surrounding a central pulpit.

Discover Simon the Tanner, also known as Saint Simon the Shoemaker is the Coptic Orthodox saint associated with the story of the moving the Mokattam Mountain in Cairo, Egypt, during the rule of the Muslim Fatimid Caliph al-Muizz Lideenillah while Abraham the Syrian was the Pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria

It is a unique day tour to lean about Cairo’s rich religious history and heritage. Discover the Cave church known as the Saint Simon Church, Cairo’s UNESCO-listed treasures, located at the garbage city, East of old Cairo. And Explore old Cairo with it's famous old churches; Visit the Hanging Church, visit the Cavern Church, known as the Church of Saint Sergius, and learn more with our expert tour guide.

It is a unique religious tour of Cairo in which we will visit the hanging church, Saint Sergius church, Saint Simon the tanner monastery (known as the cave church). We will also visit the Jewish Ben Ezra synagogue and the Islamic mosque of Amr. Therefore, it is unique because it has all religions in one tour.

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.

Discover the historical treasures of the Coptic Christian community on this 3-hour private tour of Coptic Cairo. with your private guide, and visit a medley of early, icon-adorned churches, including the Hanging Church and Abu Serga, where the holy family is said to have found refuge. synagogue temple for Jewish

Get the chance to explore different part of history, culture and food as well, visiting the Coptic Cairo as the hanging church from the 3rd century AD, the oldest synagogue, plus saint Simone monastery is life time experience. After picking you up from the hotel or any point of interest, you will start your day visiting the Coptic Cairo, marvel the hanging church ( virgin Mary church ), explore the christian history with your private Egyptologist, visit the Cavern church where the holly family lived for almost three months, adventure the area of the seven churches plus the oldest synagogue allover Egypt. Then visit the garbage city, at the heart of city located the largest church at the middle east, it is inside the beautiful monastery of saint Simon, wonder the christian who are coming from allover Egypt for the mass at this amazing monastery, explore each sculpture of it by the artist Mario, then visit the recycling center after having an authentic Egyptian food.

Discover Egypt in three days and enjoy spending the day of the Holy as it allows you to visit the Coptic Cairo and the Church of Saint Simon Church , also do not miss visiting the Pyramids of Giza and spend time next to the Sphinx. Highlights: - Discover Giza Pyramids, Sphinx - Explore Hanging church and Saint Simon Cave -Enjoying Egyptian food -Free Pick up and drop off