Monastery of Saint Simon Archives

The Monastery of St. Simeon of Kharaz, or Mokattam Hill, is a distinctive archaeological landmark, in Cairo Governorate, specifically in the Mokattam area, characterized by a beautiful architectural character, as the front facade of the two-domed monastery contains a large painting with religious drawings of Jesus Christ, and there is a unique church built in the inner cavity of the mountain, near the cave where Monastery of Saint Simon is buried, and the area is a destination for tourists and locals who come to pray, explore the place and take souvenir photos.

the importance of the Monastery of Saint Simon

Monastery of Saint Simon is one of the most important monasteries in the world, and it is carved inside Mokattam Mountain, and the monastery contains 4 churches carved inside Mokattam Mountain, namely the Cathedral of Our Lady and St. Samaan Al-Kharaz, the Church of Bishop Abram ibn Zaraa Al-Syrian, the Church of St. Mark and the Hall of St. Samaan Al-Kharaz, which can accommodate two thousand people, and the Church of Bishop Paula, the first tourist.

The name of that monastery goes back to one of the saints of Christianity, St. Simeon Al-Kharaz, as the story of the construction of this monastery dates back to the days of the Fatimid Caliph Al-Moez, who had a Jewish minister who was very hostile to Christians, and in one of the literary sessions that the caliph was holding, the Coptic patriarch, Ibram bin Zaraa Al-Syrian, attended with a group of bishops, in which they discussed with Jews about religious matters, and during the session one of the bishops accused the Jews of ignorance, which made the Jewish minister angry and affected him and decided to answer the Christians.

The Jewish minister searched until he found a verse in the New Testament of the Bible that says: "If you had faith like a mustard seed, you would say to this mountain to move from here to there, and it would move, and nothing would be impossible for you." The minister went and presented it to the caliph, and the caliph wanted to get rid of the mountain east of Cairo, i.e. Mokattam Mountain, so he was surprised by the proposal.

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Stunning cities to visit in Egypt

Greater Cairo – the capital of Egypt, home to the Giza Pyramids, the Egyptian Museum and fabulous Islamic architecture.
Luxor – the gateway to the Valley of the Kings, amongst other fabulous attractions.
Aswan – a more relaxed option, full of amazing sights.
Port Said – the center of the third-largest metropolitan area, has a cosmopolitan heritage, home to the Lighthouse of Port Said.
Hurghada – a town on the Red Sea, filled with all-inclusive resorts and diving.
Sharm El Sheikh – a hugely popular resort town on the Sinai peninsula, with some of the best scuba diving in the world.
Alexandria – Egypt’s window on the Mediterranean, with still-palpable glimpses of the past.

Popular destinations in Egypt

Greater Cairo – the capital of Egypt, home to the Giza Pyramids, the Egyptian Museum and fabulous Islamic architecture.
Luxor – the gateway to the Valley of the Kings, amongst other fabulous attractions.
Aswan – a more relaxed option, full of amazing sights.
Port Said – the center of the third-largest metropolitan area, has a cosmopolitan heritage, home to the Lighthouse of Port Said.
Hurghada – a town on the Red Sea, filled with all-inclusive resorts and diving.
Sharm El Sheikh – a hugely popular resort town on the Sinai peninsula, with some of the best scuba diving in the world.
Alexandria – Egypt’s window on the Mediterranean, with still-palpable glimpses of the past.

Frequently Asked Questions

When was Samaan Monastery built?

It was on April 13, 1974 ... It was a discouraging start. but it pushed these two servants to pray more, to check the corrals. and speak to each person about the love of the Lord Jesus Christ and the way of repentance. After about five months, the place could no longer accommodate the attendees, the Lord blessed the work through the prayers of the saints of this mountain.

What is the story of Saint Simon?

The Coptic tradition tells about him that he worked in leather tanning and shoe repair and was a good pious man. A woman came to his shop one day to offer him her shoes to repair them, and while she was taking them off, Simon's eyes fell on her leg and he lusted for her, so he gouged out his eye with an awl, literally fulfilling one of Christ's commandments, which says: "If your right eye is poked out, then your left eye will be gouged out. If your right eye

Who is the founder of Monastery of Saint Simony?

Thousands of Copts from all neighborhoods of Greater Cairo and Egypt's governorates began arriving in Cairo on Friday to participate in the funeral prayers of the late Pastor Simeon Ibrahim Moussa, the patron and founder of the "Saint Simeon the Baker" monastery in Mokattam Mountain, and one of the most famous Christian clerics in the Markan Church, inside and outside Egypt, and hundreds of Muslims participated in the funeral.