CAIRO - After 13 years of restorations, Prime Minister Essam Sharaf will officially inaugurate the Hanging Church in Old Cairo. Saint Virgin Mary Coptic Orthodox Church, also known as the Hanging Church (El-Muallaqa), is one of the oldest churches in Egypt. “The Premier will inaugurate the church after the restorations have been completed,” said Zahi Hawass, the Minister of State for Antiquities. “The restorations cost LE120 million and focused on reducing water leakage into the church and strengthening the foundations of the Babylon fortress, to protect them from future damage,” he said. “The walls were reinforced, missing and decayed stones were replaced and the masonry cleaned and desalinated. Decorations and icons were also subjected to extensive restoration in collaboration with Russian experts, new lighting and ventilation systems were installed,” he added. Sharaf is also scheduled to inaugurate other historic places, such as the Suez National Museum and the Crocodile Museum in the Upper Egyptian town of Kom Ombo in Aswan.
