Vol.I - The Coptic Orthodox Church

CH. vi.] Churches in Cairo. 281
The church itself possesses a gospel finely cased in
silver, embossed with flowers and letters, and a good
silver cross for benediction.
The Church of Mart Girgis, with a small nunnery
adjoining, in the Harat-ar-Rum, is built one
story above the ground, close to but not directly
over Al Adra, which in size and general structure it
is the
greatly resembles. The twelve-domed roofing
same, and the piers supporting the domes are joined
together by round arches. The west end or narthex
is raised about 4ft. above the level of the nave and
aisles : it serves at once for a baptistery, and for the
women's section at the ordinary services. The font
is railed off at the north end, and the whole screened
by lattice-work from the body of the church.
Next comes the men's section, divided by an open
5 ft. railing from the choir : it contains a plain pulpit.
In the choir are two lecterns, a standard candlestick
of bronze, and a three-branched iron candlestick like
that at Abu-'s-Sifain and Kadisah Burbarah. Before
the haikal hang two silver lamps, several glass lamps,
and some ostrich-eggs. Each of the three chapels
has its own screen inlaid with plain ivory or bone in
different designs. There is nothing remarkable in
either of the side chapels, though the niche of the
haikal contains a fine gold-ground painting of Christ
in glory, crowned. North of the north aisle chapel
lies a sacristy, which I was unable to enter.
The church is not rich in pictures : scarcely any
are worth notice save one of Anba Shanudah in pa-
triarchal robes ; and one of Sitt Dimianah, who is
reclining on a divan, and is girt round with forty
dim little figures. But the church derives peculiar
sanctity from the possession of the relics of the great