CHURCH BUILDING
Saint George’s Church
Old Cairo · Greek Orthodox heritage
A brief history
The present Greek Orthodox Church of Saint George was designed by Nikolaos Kairis and built in 1906–1909 after a fire destroyed its predecessor in 1904. It stands on a circular tower of the Roman fortress of Babylon, joining a modern church to much older foundations.
An interesting detail
The church’s circular plan follows the shape of the Roman tower beneath it. An architectural study records that Patriarch Photios favoured this round design over an earlier proposal with cross-shaped upper walls.