The Cave Cathedral

The Mokattam mountain contains more than tons of garbage and thousands of garbage collectors. Right in the middle of it all, something very unusual exists.

A magnificent church, almost as big as a cathedral, carved inside the mountain.The whole bizarre project is the brainchild of a very extraordinary Coptic priest.

 Father Sama’n is indeed an extraordinary priest who looks after extraordinary parish: the zabbaleen.  Father Sama’n wanted a church to serve his people. There was non at the Mokattam. Fr. Sama’n decided to build his own. The result is this extraordinary church carved from the mountain. A modern marvel, it is the largest church in the Middle East seating more than 20,000 people.  Fr Sam’an is one of the few who can claim to have build their church on the rock. Literally.

Although it was created to serve the zabbaleen community, the cave cathedral, as it called sometimes, became a spectacular attraction in its own right with its huge overhanging rock that covers most of the amphitheater.

Just another example to the efforts of some of the dedicated people for whom nothing is too much trouble to help the zabbaleen.

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