St. George Church

The church was established in the late 18th century by Abbot Hegomen Abd El-Malak El-Assiuty, through the help of very simple resources. In Amsheer 1594 A.M. (1878 A.D.), the Monastery Abbot, Hegomen Mikhail El-Abuteegy started establishing a new church called "The Holy Virgin Mary" over the ruins of St. George Church. He accomplished it in 1880 A.D.; named the northern altar after "John the Baptist", and the southern altar after "St. George", on the basis that the middle altar is in the new name of the church "The Holy Virgin Mary".

Written over the northern entrance of the church - from outside in beautiful Arabic calligraphy - the following: "Open your doors O kings, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who [is] this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, The LORD mighty in battle, He [is] the King of glory." This is the gate of the Lord, the righteous enter. Remember O Lord your servant Fr - Mikhail El-Abuteegy, Abbot of Al-Muharraq Monastery, caring for the renewal of this holy place, 1596 A.M. 

A notable characteristic of this church is the Byzantine/Greek styled Iconostasis. This Iconostasis has a wonderful story known to the monks of the monastery. "Some Turkish rulers came to the monastery. The monks hosted them so generously that the rulers were impressed, and as an expression of gratitude, they promised to get them a firman (decree) issued to assign the monastery, a property of 285 acres of the neighboring land. When the Turkish rulers left, the monks were worried lest the decree affair should be neglected. Moved with zeal in the heart of one of them, named Fr.Hegomen Saleeb El - Hory, that he went to Istanbul on foot to get the decree where he achieved his goal. On his way back home he passed through the Syrian lands, to collect donations to build the church, where he met a man, and asked him to donate for the church.

The man waved his hand abruptly in the monk’s face. Instantly, his arm got paralyzed. He cried out for the monk’s help by praying for him. The monk complied and the man’s hand was healed to normal. He was so stunned that he donated the marble iconostasis for the church".

The Nave:

Is designed upon the medieval pattern, where women had a private place on the second floor upon the church’s nave. The interior of the Church was renovated in 1990 A.D. After the renovations, it was inaugurated on the commemoration of our Fr. Hegomen Mikhail El-Buhairy’s repose.

His relics were moved to a hand wood carved reliquary and placed in a magnificent Epitaphius Canopy, in the nave, during a ceremony attended by H.G. Bishop Sawiros, Abbot of the Monastery, along with other thirteen Bishops of the Coptic Church elite on Amsheer 16th 1707 A.M (February 23rd 1991 A.D).

This Holy Father pursued the monastic life during the tenure of Abbot Fr. Boulis El-Delgawy (1866 -1870 A.D.), who was later known as Anba Abram, Bishop of Fayoum and Giza; who was famous for his holiness; Reposed in 1914 A.D.

St. Mikhail El-Buhairy, he too, was famous for his virtues and his holiness; He reposed on February 23rd 1923 A.D.

The Holy Synod proclaimed his sainthood on 1963 A.D. along with his spiritual father, Anba Abram Bishop of Fayoum and Giza.

On the outside of the church’s eastern wall, there is a wall painting of two martyrs; St.George on the southern side and St. Marqorius Abu-Seifin, on the northern side.