Muqattam Mountain Cave Cathedral

St Samaan El Kharaz - Samaan El Kharaz Cave Church - Jabal al Muqaţţam

Useful Information

Location:	Muqattam Mountain, Cairo.
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Classification:	Cave Church
Light:	Incandescent Electric Light System
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History

~1990

cave church discovered.

Description

This cave church was discovered more than ten years ago by Father Sama'an, while clearing some rubble to make a new recreational area for the children of the community. Father Sama'an is the Coptic Orthodox Priest of Muqattam Mountain, home to 30,000 garbage collectors or zabbaleen in Cairo. He and his parish did some additional digging inside the cave and then installed seats, an altar area, and a P.A. system.

The cave church seats around 4,500 people. But when the weekly worship services began to outgrow the cave church, Father Sama'an built his Garbage Cathedral. A huge overhanging cliff face covers most of an amphitheater, which seats 20,000. This is the the largest church in the Middle East.