Islamic & Christian Cairo Tour from Sokhna Port

Tour Details:

We will meet you at your cruise in the port of Sokhna; You will recognize our driver by the sign with your name in his hands. Throughout your journey to Cairo, we will make some stops so that you can enjoy and capture the amazing Egyptian landscape. In Cairo, you will visit the most important places for Muslims and Coptic Christians. For a long time, Christians and Muslims have been relatively peaceful with each other and do not interfere in the affairs of each other’s religions. But, unfortunately, sometimes there are some sad exceptions.

Then you will have a unique opportunity to visit the Citadel of Salah El-Din, which is located in the heart of Islamic Cairo and was founded by one of the greatest rulers, the legendary Sultan Salah El-Din (better known in Europe as Saladin). He was a successful conqueror and statesman and ordered the construction of this fortress to protect the city from European crusaders. Inside the fortress, you will definitely see the Muhammad Ali Mosque, which is also known as the Alabaster Mosque. This huge mosque looks down on the city from the hill and is a beautiful piece of architecture from the Ottoman period.

Then you will visit the Sultan Hassan Mosque, of fantastic size, with its extravagant interior, architectural innovations that testify to the time of its construction. This mosque serves not only for prayers, but also as a madrasah, an educational religious institution.

Next, you will visit  the Ibn Tulun Mosque, a fairly old mosque in Cairo that has barely preserved its original appearance and covers the largest area. If you are not afraid of heights, you can climb the minaret and enjoy the stunning view of the city.

Finally, you will see the Al-Azhar Mosque, built in 972 AD, which is the first mosque in Cairo. Over the centuries, it has been rebuilt and expanded, so it combines works of architecture from different eras. Pay attention to the particularly beautiful minarets. Near the mosque there is a madrasah, where students have been taught Islam since 989 AD. This madrasah is the original source of the famous Al-Azhar University,  which is the center of Arabic literature and Islam in the world.

After lunch at one of the local restaurants, you will continue your journey with a visit to Coptic Cairo, part of old Cairo. You will visit the Babylonian Fortress. It is an ancient walled city that is well preserved to this day with many Coptic churches and monuments.

The next stop will be the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, better known as the “Hanging Church” as it was built over the gate of the tower of the Fortress of Babel. It dates back to the 3rd century AD and is therefore one of the oldest and most important Coptic sites. Over the centuries, many reconstructions were carried out, after the last one the façade was restored (XIX century AD). Feel the spiritual atmosphere, enjoy the beautiful interior, many icons (some of them are more than 1200 years old), a magnificent main altar with ivory inlays and ebony carvings.

You will also visit the church of Abu Serga, also known as the church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus, named after these great martyrs and which, according to legend, was built on the holy place where the Virgin Mary and the Child stayed, hiding from the harsh King Herod. It is one of the oldest churches in Egypt (4th century AD). Although the church has been rebuilt several times, it can still be seen as a model for the early Coptic church.

Your program will end with a visit to the Coptic Museum, where Coptic art and Egyptian Christian artifacts have been collected since 1910, from which you can trace the history of Christianity in Egypt.

In the evening you will sail back to your cruise, to the port of Sokhna.

The tour runs daily.