NOTES ON TWE ANCIOT CHRISTIAN CnCRCIIES OF MUSR EL AIELKAII, OR OLD CAIRO, AND ITS NEIGIIBOURUOOD. by OHEVILLE J. CUESTEH, U A. Ci:uTAiNLY not the least interesting of the numerous objects which duhght the traveller in and around the glorious city of Cairo are the lloman fortress-walls with their included Christian town and its neighbourhood known as " ^lusr cl Ateekah," or " Old Cairo," and the ancient Christian " Dayrsl' or convents in the same vicinity, which lift them- selves up between the Nile and the desert, amidst the vast pottery-strewn mounds of the Egypto-Roman Babylon and the Arabian Fostat. These ancient and too little known establishments may be divided into the following groups, arranged in their order of succession as a visitor would arrive at them, starting from Cairo. I. Dayr Mari Mccna, containing the Kincseh, or Church of S. Menas, belonging to the Copts, with the Church or chapel attached, which, after being occupied for many years by the Syrians has been restored to the Copts ; and, secondly, an Armenian Church, not of ancient date. II. The walled village of Dai^r Alion Scjihhi, which includes the Churches of (1) JSitt .Aliriaiii ; (i2) jMari Macarius ami Abuu Sipliin ; ami (.'{) the Cliuicli of Aml)a. Slienoud;i.' HI. The ancient Koman fortress (tf Miisr cl AtrrKah, Old Cairo, par cdxrllcuce, commonly called Ihu/r ish Slicma, which contains within its venerable and massive walls (A) a Jewish Hynagogue, fjrmerly the Christian ('hui-eh of S. iMiehael ; (H) <a Roman Catholic Ciiurch of no great anti.|iiily ; (C) a Greek Convent and Chin-ch ; and (D) liir fne Coptic Churches, of wiiich two are dedicated to Sitt Miriam, tiiu JMessed Virgin ' It in not alwnjH oaiiy to uhtAiii tlio lif-cnt young Copt of my neiinnintanco to correct (li!<tipimtii>n of tln-iM' Cliunhi'H, but iM»vi'r/il dorRy of tlio MclropuliUiu Church thn proKint lUt niny >m< rtiWA on m cor- nml corrcclcl by th«'iu. rrrt, bAving been i«ubu»itt*Ml by an inlt-l-
