The Greek Orthodox Monastery is located in Old Cairo, in the neighbourhood of Margirgis (corruption of Ai Giorgis in Arabic), and belongs to the Patriarchate of Alexandria. The monastery church is a major place of pilgrimage not only for the Greeks but also for the Christian and Muslim population of Egypt. It is a rotunda built in the early twentieth century, on the model of San Vitale in Ravenna, and is decorated with wall-paintings by the artist Constantinos Parthenis. Known as the ‘Rotunda of the East’, the church stands on top of an impressively preserved three-storey Roman tower of circular plan, which is dated to the first century AD. Preserved there are parts of the Roman Fortress of Babylon, which is referred to by Strabo and other ancient authors. The historical building protected the entrance to a canal which reached as far as the Red Sea, the construction of which is linked mainly with Emperor Trajan and goes back to the reign of Diocletian.
Egypt is the home of anchorites. And the Monastery of Saint George is one of the most important centres of the establishment and development of monasticism in the Patriarchate of Alexandria, particularly after the Monophysite Schism (5th century). At various times it has provided valuable services, as a hospital (for the blind, the sick, paralytics and the mentally ill), a home for the elderly, a poorhouse, a school and a cemetery. It was also very often a refuge for persecuted Christians. Essentially, the monastery became unique nucleus of monasticism and social benefices of the Patriarchate of Alexandria, while tradition has it that the Virgin Mary hid Christ here during the Flight into Egypt.
One of the two enormous towers, the north, houses the katholikon, dedicated to Saint George, who in religious tradition was said to have been martyred in the tower’s dungeon. Devotees from all over Egypt flock to the monastery, to venerate the icon of the saint.
The monument had complex problems, such as cracks in the masonry and subsidence, which had been dealt with haphazardly in the past. In 2015, the project for the restoration and enhancement of the monastery complex was completed after four years of intensive works, thanks to the exclusive sponsorship of Thanassis and Marina Martinos.
