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| Egypt Flights Home » Tourist Attractions in Cairo »Church of St. Barbara |
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Church of St. Barbara |
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It is believed that Saint Barbara was a charming young lady who belonged to, most probably, the early period of the 4th century and descended from an Asia Minor race. A rich pagan nobleman and trader, Djoscorus, was the father of Saint Barbara. Legend says that Djoscorus constructed a huge tower for protecting his daughter from the increasing impact of Christianity. But Saint Barbara took over Christianity during his absence and when Djoscorus came to know this submitted her to the Roman administrator Marcian, who brutally tortured her in presence of her father. But Saint Barbara was not submissive at all and Marcian was astonished to see her healed wounds on the following day. Again after torturing her, Marcianus gave up and ordered her execution and her father himself killed Saint Barbara along with her friend Juliana.
Church of St. Barbara is a tribute to Saint Barbara, the exact date of the construction being not specifically known and estimated to be built around 5th century and reconstructed roughly during the 11th century. The Church of St. Barbara is constructed in the form of a Roman Basilica which includes an entrance, an entrance hall or narthex, a nave or a central area, two aisles and three sanctuaries that are positioned in the church’s east wing. The middle sanctuary is a tribute to Saint Barbara.
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Five marble columns are there before you enter the nave, which isolate the nave from the two aisles. The semi-circular choir in the middle sanctuary is comprised of seven steps. The southern sanctuary leads you to a rectangular hall into a chapel devoted to Saint Barbara and the northern sanctuary has a doorway taking you to a small church sanctified for St. John and St. Cyrus. The door made of cedar and sycamore is one of the most valuable things possessed by the Church of St. Barbara which includes 45 panels of different sizes which are carved and depict different things such as monks, gazelles, riders on horses and musical events. Other precious things owned by the Church of St. Barbara are a 16th century Saint Barbara icon and a 15th century silver gospel casket.
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