Half-Day Trip to Cave Church and Garbage City in Cairo
Overview
Welcome to our unique journey to one of Cairo's most fascinating and lesser-known sites, where history meets faith and architectural excellence meets nature. Today's visit will take you to the Church of St. Simeon of Kharaz, known as the Church of the Cave, located in the heart of Mokattam Mountain within the town of Zabaleen, an area that holds an extraordinary history of hard work, recycling, and deep faith.
Our half-day tour gives you the opportunity to explore St. Simeon of Kharaz Church or Simeon Kharaz Monastery in Mokattam. Simeon of Kharaz or Simeon Kharaz Monastery in Mokattam is an Egyptian Coptic church carved into the mountain of Mokattam, Cairo, which includes six Orthodox churches: (Church of Bishop Shenouda, Church of Bishop Baram bin Zaraz Syrian, Church of the Angel, Mary and Hanna, Church of Bishop Paula and Bishop Antony, Church of Mary Mark, and the Cathedral of the Virgin and St. Simeon, the largest church in Egypt.
You will also enjoy an incredible excursion to the Garbage City, and the Zabaleen community has a long history in Cairo. Cairo's scavengers have their origins in the farmers who began migrating from Upper Egypt in the 1940s as a result of poverty and poor harvests.
The garbage is collected by the Zabaleen community in Cairo by offering an individual door-to-door collection service for a small fee. This waste is transported to Nasser's facility using quarter cars or donkey carts, and the garbage is sorted into two main categories: recyclable and non-recyclable. The Zabaleen have created their own industry and economy, making a living by collecting and recycling garbage, and these scavengers are said to have the highest recycling rates in the world.
Reserve this half-day trip of the Cave Church of St. Simon the Tanner and Cairo's Garbage City to witness one of the most striking rock-cut monasteries in the city's history.
Welcome to our unique journey to one of Cairo's most fascinating and lesser-known sites, where history meets faith and architectural excellence meets nature. Today's visit will take you to the Church of St. Simeon of Kharaz, known as the Church of the Cave, located in the heart of Mokattam Mountain within the town of Zabaleen, an area that holds an extraordinary history of hard work, recycling, and deep faith.
Our half-day tour gives you the opportunity to explore St. Simeon of Kharaz Church or Simeon Kharaz Monastery in Mokattam. Simeon of Kharaz or Simeon Kharaz Monastery in Mokattam is an Egyptian Coptic church carved into the mountain of Mokattam, Cairo, which includes six Orthodox churches: (Church of Bishop Shenouda, Church of Bishop Baram bin Zaraz Syrian, Church of the Angel, Mary and Hanna, Church of Bishop Paula and Bishop Antony, Church of Mary Mark, and the Cathedral of the Virgin and St. Simeon, the largest church in Egypt.
You will also enjoy an incredible excursion to the Garbage City, and the Zabaleen community has a long history in Cairo. Cairo's scavengers have their origins in the farmers who began migrating from Upper Egypt in the 1940s as a result of poverty and poor harvests.
The garbage is collected by the Zabaleen community in Cairo by offering an individual door-to-door collection service for a small fee. This waste is transported to Nasser's facility using quarter cars or donkey carts, and the garbage is sorted into two main categories: recyclable and non-recyclable. The Zabaleen have created their own industry and economy, making a living by collecting and recycling garbage, and these scavengers are said to have the highest recycling rates in the world.
Reserve this half-day trip of the Cave Church of St. Simon the Tanner and Cairo's Garbage City to witness one of the most striking rock-cut monasteries in the city's history.
Inclusion
- Pick-up and drop-off transportation services from hotels in Giza or Cairo by Cairo Top Tours.
- Transportation is in an exclusive air-conditioned vehicle.
- All tickets to the sites mentioned in the itinerary are covered.
Certified English-speaking tour guide. - Complimentary bottled water on board the vehicle during all our half-day tours in Cairo.
- Shopping tours in Cairo (on request).
- Any service charge and taxes of Egypt Day Tours are included during the half-day tour to the cave church and the garbage City in Cairo.
Exclusion
- Anything not listed in the itinerary.
- Tipping is not included in all trips to Egypt.
- Expenses.
- Rates are applicable during Christmas and New Year's Eve, Egypt tours, or Easter, Egypt tours.
Itinerary
One of our friendly representatives and a knowledgeable guide will be waiting for you at your hotel in Cairo or Giza to drive you in a private air-conditioned car during your breathtaking half-day tour.
Your day begins with an impressive visit to Garbage City, one of the most famous and largest neighborhoods in the Manshiyet Nasser district of East Cairo. It is the place where its inhabitants collect, sort, and recycle most of Greater Cairo's garbage. The Zabaleen community in Cairo collects garbage by offering an individual door-to-door collection service for a small fee. This waste is transported to Nasser's facility using one-quarter cars or donkey carts, and the garbage is sorted into two main categories: recyclable and non-recyclable. Recyclable and non-recyclable. The zabbaleen have created their industry and economy, making a living by collecting and recycling garbage, and are said to have the highest recycling rates in the world.
Next, we embarked on yet another adventure to St. Simon's Church, also known as Deir Samaan Kharaz in Mokattam. This Egyptian Coptic church is situated atop the Mokattam mountain in Cairo and consists of six orthodox churches: the Church of Bishop Shenouda, the Church of Bishop Baram bin Zar'a Syrian, the Church of the Angel, Mary, and Hanna, the Church of Bishop Paula and Bishop Antony, Mary Mark, the Cathedral of the Virgin, and St. Simon, the largest church in Egypt with 76 carved images and a capacity of 6,000 people. With 76 carved figures and a 20,000-person capacity, Simon is Egypt's largest church.
After finishing your half-day tour we will take you back to your hotel in Cairo.
Price
| Number of Persons | Prices |
|---|---|
| 1 Person | $80 Per Person |
| 2 - 3 Persons | $55 Per Person |
| 4 - 6 Persons | $45 Per Person |
| 7 - 10 Persons | $40 Per Person |
Start from : $40
Check Availability
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The Garbage City is located at Al Moqattam in Cairo.
Yes, they are very close, and it takes some minutes to arrive in Old Cairo if you would like to visit it.
The Garbage City earned its name due to the overwhelming presence of garbage in the area. The Zabbaleen collect and store garbage in their homes, and the streets are often lined with heaps of waste awaiting processing.
Yes, your visa gets stamped when you leave the country, so you will need to apply for a new visa if you want to re-enter Egypt. If you are a citizen of a country where this is allowed by law, you can also obtain a new visa on arrival.
The monastery is a big place where up to 20,000 people can go. It's one of the biggest churches in caves in Mokattam and the Middle East. The Cave church was built to remember St. Simon who lived a long time ago.
In the same year, a big decision was made to build a church under a mountain in Egypt that could hold a lot of people. It is called the Monastery of St. Simon the Tanner and it is the biggest church in the Middle East with 20,000 seats.
The Garbage Village, also known as Zabbalin Village, was created in 1969 by President Nasser. He wanted to move all the garbage collectors in Cairo to a hill in Muqattam. At first, about 15,000 people made simple houses out of tin for themselves.
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