Now Open

The Heritage and Monuments Ministry officially opens several old and new tourist sites 

by Kate Durham

  The Hanging Church, Old Cairo The Church of Saint Damian and Saint Mary, better known as the Hanging Church or Al Kenisa Al Muallakah, was inaugurated on October 11, marking an official end to a 16-year, LE 101 million restoration project. The 4th-century church has been receiving visitors since the end of 2010, when the bulk of the project ended, but the official celebration was postponed because of the 2011 Revolution and subsequent lack of security. The church gets its nickname from its location perched atop the walls of the Roman fortress of Babylon, and in certain areas you can look down to the old city streets more than six meters below. The building is steeped in symbolism, from the ceiling shaped like the hull of Noah’s ark, to the pulpit supported by thin marble pillars representing Jesus Christ and his disciples. Coptic youth volunteers are often present to give visitors free tours of the church. The Hanging Church also houses a number of restored icons and reliquaries, as well as beautiful inlaid sanctuary screens. The Hanging Church • Fustat, near Mar Girgis metro station • Free   Royal Jewelry Museum, Alexandria Alexandria’s Royal Jewelry Museum, showcasing a gem-laden collection of items once belonging to King Fouad’s and King Farouk’s families, reopened to the public on October 19 after being closed since January 2011. To encourage visitors, Minister of Heritage and Monuments Dr. Mamdouh Al Damaty has waived the admission fee through November 15. The museum would be worth it if for only the palatial villa in which it is housed. The former home of Princess Fatma Al-Zahraa Haidar, opened in 1923, is a study in neoclassical opulence, with mosaic doors, stained glass windows, painted ceilings and even a monogrammed staircase. Princess Fatma used the villa as her summer residence until the 1952 Revolution, after which it became a presidential residence. Now add a collection of priceless art and antiquities, and you have a mind-boggling tour through Egypt’s royal era. On the don’t miss list: King Farouk’s gold and platinum baby rattle, his diamond-encrusted chess set and the platinum, pearl and diamond tiara of Princess Farida, first wife of King Farouk. After closing the museum for security reasons in the wake of the 2011 Revolution, the Ministry of Heritage and Monuments used the time to restore the baroque-style wall and ceiling murals and upgrade the displays and security cameras. Royal Jewelry Museum • 27 Ahmed Yehia Street, Zizinya, Alexandria • Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. • Tickets LE 40 for adults, LE 20 for students. Free through November 15.   National Museum of Egyptian Civilization The cultural section of the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC) is slated to open this month, according to Al Damaty, who toured the site in October. Located on Fustat Street not far from Old Cairo, the museum houses a 332-seat cinema, a 486-seat theater, and lecture and conference halls equipped with state-of-the-art technology. The cultural section also includes food courts and space for 42 shops that will sell souvenirs, handicrafts, books and other items. Even without the exhibition halls open, the NMEC promises to be an enjoyable outing, overlooking Ain Al-Sira Lake near the ample parking lot. Revenue from the cultural center will help fund the museum’s third and final phase, Khaled El-Enany NMEC’s newly appointed director general, told local media. Work on the NMEC, with UNESCO support, started in 2002, and the entire museum was meant to open in 2011, but the project was suspended amid the political upheaval and drop in tourism revenue over the past three years. When fully open, the NMEC will showcase Egyptian civilization from prehistoric times to the present day with original artifacts and multimedia presentations. et National Museum of Egyptian Civilization • Fustat Street, Fustat, Cairo