The reason for giving this name
1- The church was dedicated to the Virgin Mary and Saint Damiana as known as the hanging church .
2- It is called as hanging because it is built over the Roman fortress on the top of which had been put palm trees wood with layer of stones the fortress to be the ground for the church .
3- The hanging church is a unique church without domes it has a wooden roof in the shape of Noah’s Ark .
4- It is commonly known that the church goes back to the date 3 century and the beginning of the 4th century A.D .
The importance of the church
1- This church was very large but it becomes much smaller after modifications .
The last of which was Abeid Bey Khozam in 1491 A.D .
2- It played an important role in the history of the Coptic church it become the seat of patriarchs after transferring it from Alex to Fustat .
3- Inside the church , the holy Virgin appeared in it in a vision to Patriarchies who spent three days in prayer and fasting when Caliph asked them to move the mountain in order to prove the words of gospel , According to that story there was a great earthquake and the mountain moved .
After witnessing this miracle the Caliph Al Muizz allowed the Partriarch Abraam to restore the churches of Moqattam and Abu Seifin .
4- The holy chrism was consecrated 3 times at Moallaka and there is a store room for the holy chrism still filled of it until now .
5- The seat of Saint Mark remained a long time in church till it was transferred to the church of Abu Seifin in 14th the century .
1- The pulpit
- In front of the middle alter in the nave .
- 2 columns attached to the main body of the pulpit representing Saint Mark and Luke .
- The first pillar of other 13 stands in front is represents Jesus the Christ while the other 12 are the disciples .
- Each 2 similar pillars are put together because the Christ sent his disciples 2 by 2 .
2-The Altar
1- There are seven altars in the hanging church , three are found in the main aisle , they are inlaid with ebony and cedar walnut wood without using nails and glue they dated back to 10-13th century.
Main aisles contain 3 altars .
The alter of Saint George .
The alter of Virgin Mary .
The alter of John the Baptist .
The right aisle contains 3 alters among which is the alter of the Ethiopian Saint tech Haymanot .
- There is also an upper church of Saint Mark the alter of which is the 7th one .
3- The Door
Entering the right aisle , there is a door made of cedar wood decorated with translucent layers of ivory dated to the 11th century .
The icon stasis
1- The church has 3 icon stasis made out of wood and covered ebony and ivory .
2- The icon stasis of Saint George altar , it is decorated with 17 icons representing his tortures .
3- The icon stasis of Saint altar decorated also with seven icons representing his tortures .
4- The icons stasis of Virgin Mary altar decorated with seven icon from right to left are ...
St , Paul the apostle..... Archangel Michael
John the Baptist
2- The icon stasis of Saint George altar , it is decorated with 17 icons representing his tortures .
3- The icon stasis of Saint altar decorated also with seven icons representing his tortures .
4- The icons stasis of Virgin Mary altar decorated with seven icon from right to left are ...
St , Paul the apostle..... Archangel Michael
John the Baptist
Jesus the Christ sitting on his throne
The holy Virgin Mary
Gabriel the angle
Peter the apostle
Relics of saints
1- The hanging church has some of relics of saints it holds their commemorations which attract numerous people .
2- The priests polished the Relics with rose-ail .
These relics for
1- Saint Tadros el_Shetpi
2- Saint John hiraqly .
3- Saint Isac el_Daffrawy .
4- The 2 Saint abour_hau and abu_fees .
5- Saint Anba_Nofer the errant .
6- Saint Dimiana from the past .
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