Virgin Mary and St. Simon Cathedral
The main cave in the monastery, Virgin Mary and St. Simon Cathedral, is dedicated to the story of Simon the Tanner and the Muqattam Mountain. According to Coptic sayings, in 979 A.D. a dispute between Pope Abram and a Jew named Jacob Ibn Killis erupted over a well-known verse in the Bible.
"I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed,
you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move.
Nothing will be impossible for you."
-Matthew 17:20
Jacob Ibn Killis challenged Pope Abram to prove the validity of his religion using this verse. Upon hearing this, Caliph Al-Muizz (the Muslim head of state) agreed to the challenge and threatened Pope Abram's life if the task was not carried out. As the story goes, after three days of prayer and fasting by the people, the Holy Virgin appeared to Pope Abram and told him a man named Simon the Tanner would carry out the task. So, Pope Abram, with the help of Simon, cried out to God three times while making the sign of the cross, then an earthquake shook the ground and the mountain was lifted.
The outside entrance of the cathedral
Partially open to the sky above, the cave cathedral seats 5,000 people.
Church of St. Bola
Across the street, a smaller St. Bola's church bears the black-walled scars of a survivor. Named for the Pilgrim, St. Bola, the humble church was nearly destroyed after an electric spark created a fire, which engulfed the interior in 1992.
Fire damage is evident by the black ceiling and walls.
St. Simon the Tanner's Hall
The huge cave of St. Simon the Tanner's Hall was discovered full of oversized rocks in 1979. After years of clearing the rubble, the cave was designed as a meeting hall and now seats an impressive 2,000 people.
The entrance to St. Simon's Hall
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