In a grand ceremony, the 10th century Greek Orthodox Mar-Girgis (St George) church in Old Cairo was opened last Friday after meticulous restoration.
The opening ceremony, held under the auspices of the Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theodoros II, was attended by the Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos and a number of senior Egyptian officials, ambassadors to Cairo, as well as representatives of the various Churches in Egypt. Anba Bishoi, Bishop of Damietta, represented the Coptic Orthodox Church.
The day began with Holy Mass over which Patriarch Theodoros presided. The museum was then opened, followed by Greek folk dances and songs in the courtyard. The previous evening had seen a musical concert in which the renowned Egyptian musician Omar Khairat joined the Greek singer Dmitri Papadimitriou in performing Greek and Egyptian works.
The Church of St George in Cairo is the main Greek Orthodox church in Egypt. It was built in the 10th century on top of a Roman tower of the Roman Fort Babylon, but the original structure was destroyed by a fire. The present church was built in 1904, and is unique in that it is the only round church in Egypt. It is the seat of the Greek Patriarchate of Alexandria.
Watani International
26 April 2015
