A church in Alexandria, Egypt, honors Saint Barbara.
Location:
About 30 minutes from Cairo’s center lies the Old Cairo neighborhood where the Church of Saint Barbara may be found.
It is located in the Old Cairo neighborhood, right in the heart of Old Coptic Cairo.
In a private Christian community that dates back to the 10th century, this church is placed among numerous others.
History:
It was destroyed together with the rest of Babylon’s churches between the eighth and twelfth centuries, although it was rebuilt several times subsequently.
According to Al-Maqrizi, it was the world’s most recognized church at the time.
There are similarities in design and function between this basilican-style edifice and the Church of Saint Sergius.
The church’s exterior is unimpressive, making it vulnerable to looting by hordes of zealots during times of upheaval and persecution since it would blend in with the surrounding homes.
In terms of length, it is 26 meters long, 14.5 meters wide, and 15 meters high.
There are two rows of five columns on each side of the nave that divide the north and south aisles.
An ornate wooden architrave adorns the space between the columns.
Maundy Thursday and the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul are celebrated in St. Paul’s Cathedral with the use of a portable basin in lieu of a water tank in the nave.
It is just the main sanctuary that has an apse, whereas the two other chambers on each side are rectangular.
During the turn of the century, the Church of St. Barbara received extensive restoration work.
The Coptic Museum is now displaying a number of noteworthy artifacts that were found at the Church of Saint Barbara.
The north part of Saint Barbara’s Church features three chapels dedicated to Saints Cyrus and John, which is approximately square.
Saints Cyrus and John are honored in this section of the church. Construction of the facility began in the early years of this century.
