Saints Sergius and Bacchus Church (, The Church of Martyrs Sergius and Bacchus in The Cave) (), also known as the Abu Serga Church, is one of the oldest Coptic Christian churches in Egypt, dating back to the 7th century. Located in Old Cairo, this church is significant to Christians for its connection to the flight of the Holy Family into Egypt. The current church was constructed above Roman ruins and exemplifies early Coptic architecture.
History The church of Saint Sergius and Bacchus was founded in the late 7th century by Athanasius, a scribe of the Umayyad governor of Egypt Abd al-Aziz ibn Marwan (685–705). Athanasius, who came from Edessa in Syria, dedicated the church to Sergius and Bacchus, who were martyred there. The church was erected at the center of the remains of the Roman fortress of Babylon. Tradition holds that the Holy Family rested here during their journey from Bethlehem to Egypt. Around 750, it burned in a fire in Fustat during the reign of Marwan II. It was restored in the 8th century and renovated repeatedly in the centuries that followed.
Also known as "the Church of the Cave," the church was built above a crypt traditionally identified as a shelter of the Holy Family. The crypt lies directly below the high altar.
The church stands atop a 6.5-meter limestone wall, said to be a remnant of the entrance to the Amnis Traianus, a Roman canal built in the second century. Trajan dug the canal early in the second century AD to connect Rome and the Mediterranean, by way of the Nile, to the Red Sea and eastern trade routes.
Following its consecration in the 7th century, the church served as the site where many patriarchs and Coptic bishops were elected. The practice began with the election of Patriarch Isaac (681–692) and continued until the mid-eleventh century.
Art and architecture
Saints Sergius and Bacchus Church is an early example of Coptic basilica architecture and combines local Egyptian and Byzantine Christian elements.
Architectural layout
The church follows the basilica plan, with a central nave under an elevated roof and two side aisles. A narthex forms the entrance, as in other early Christian churches. Beyond it, the nave and its flanking aisles are divided by rows of marble columns and form the main worship space. At the far end, raised a few steps above the nave, stands the sanctuary, which holds three altars: a central altar dedicated to Sergius and Bacchus, a southern altar to Saint George, and a northern altar to the Virgin Mary. The crypt lies beneath the sanctuary.
Ornament and decoration
The church holds numerous icons depicting religious scenes, apostles, and saints, among them Sergius, Bacchus, and George. The wooden ceiling is arched like an inverted ship's hull. The door panels and the iconostasis dividing the nave from the sanctuary are decorated with ivory-inlaid woodwork in geometric patterns.
See also Christian Egypt List of Coptic Orthodox churches in Egypt
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Further reading
Behrens-Abouseif, Doris, ed. The Cairo Heritage: Essays in Honor of Laila Ali Ibrahim. American University in Cairo Press, 2000. Bloom, Jonathan. Arts of the City Victorious: Islamic Art and Architecture in Fatimid North Africa and Egypt. With Institute of Ismaili Studies. Yale University Press, 2007. Gabra, Gawdat, and Marianne Eaton-Krauss. The Treasures of Coptic Art in the Coptic Museum and Churches of Old Cairo. The American University in Cairo Press, 2007. Melikian-Chirvani, Assadullah Souren, ed. The World of the Fatimids. With Aga Khan Museum. Aga Khan Museum, in association with The Institute of Ismaili Studies, 2018. The Byzantine Legacy. "Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus (Küçük Ayasofya Camii)."
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