The Babylon Fortress

The Babylon Fortress , which is considered one of the most famous and oldest fortresses built by the Roman Empire, has an excellent strategic location, as it is located in the center of Egypt in the heart of the capital Cairo, specifically near the Coptic Museum, so it has a great place

Why Babylon Fortress was built

In the first century BC during the reign of Caesar Augustus, Babylon Fort was used to protect the southern roads leading to the Nile Delta and the city of Alexandria.

There are many opinions and sayings about the main reason behind the naming of this huge fortress, as it is one of the most famous fortresses in ancient Egypt and includes several churches up to about 6 churches in addition to the Coptic Museum and also includes a monastery for nuns.

Some attributed the reason for the name of this fort to the capital Babylon, which was located near this fort, and others say that it was named after the House of the Nile, and the House of the Nile was the house in which the god lived in Heliopolis, as the god Hapi resided in it during the era of the Old Kingdom, known as the god of the Nile.

Architectural Description of Babylon Fortress

The fort was built using stones taken from Pharaonic temples in Egypt and supplemented with red bricks.

Only two huge towers remain from the fortress, one of which is the Hanging Church, and the Greek Orthodox Church of Mary Girgis was built on the tower next to the Coptic Museum, while the rest of the fortress was destroyed.

In addition, the Hanging Church, Mar Girgis, the Virgin, Qasr al-Rayhan, Abu Sarja, St. Barbara, Mar Girgis Monastery for nuns, and the Jewish temple were built on the remaining parts of the wall in the tribal, western, and eastern parts of the fort.