The Hanging Church

The Hanging Church, or Al-Muallaqa, is Cairo's most beloved Coptic church, named for the way its nave is suspended over the gatehouse of the Roman Babylon Fortress, its floor built across the old bastions so it seems to hang in the air. A staircase of 29 steps leads up from the lane into a serene interior of cedar screens, marble columns and a famous pulpit resting on thirteen slender pillars.

One of Egypt's oldest churches, with roots reaching back to the third century, it remains a living place of worship at the heart of Coptic Cairo. Icons glow in the incense-dim light, and a small pane of glass in the floor lets you peer down to the Roman towers beneath your feet.