Coptic Cave Churches of Cairo and The Garbage Village of Muqattam, Cairo

Some places just leave you thinking about them. This centre of the Coptic people and the Coptic religion in Cairo’s Eastern suburbs was one of them.
There are a lot more Copts in Egypt that you might think. I don’t know the stats but they account for maybe around 20 percent or more of the population.
I don’t want to get bogged down in politics or religion - as I only have an outsiders interest in either - but I had two experiences with the Copts in Egypt - one invloved me getting escorted out of Asuit by about 15 soldiers and two vehicles after the YMCA seized my passport (it’s a closed town - not their fault) the other involved a visit to the garbage villiage of Muqattam and a wander through their amazing churches.
As I understand it there is no offical persecution of anyone in Egypt based on their religous orientation. However I believe that it is illegal to convert to another religion. So personal choice is taken out of the mix. What you are born into is where you are supposed to stay.
Cairo’s garbage is managed by the Copts. They collect it basically for tips, and then make their money out of recycling and re-using it and feeding pigs - yes pigs in a muslim country -on the organic scraps.
As you drive through it the smell hits you first. But don’t picture the rubbish tips of Manila with starving children fighting for scraps - this smell is no worse than an organic farm with a bit of manure and some rotting vedgies. Nothing stops here long.
I don’t know the inner workings of the place but what I witnessed was very, very organised. Trucks brought things in and out. People sorted the goods. Pens full of pigs ate well and looked very healthy.
I had pork for christmas and I assume it came from here.
The road leads through the villiage and up into the mountain behind. This is a very different Cairo. Everyone here is Coptic.
A service had just finished as we got out of our car. Families wandered past around the little paths in their church clothes, eating icecream and seeming very relaxed.
We squeazed past them and went on to look at the churches.
There are two churches, built within massive caves. Each cave fits around 4 - 5 thousand people. (Such a shame we missed the service) Modern speakers, microphones and other parifinalia sat next to traditional decorations including substantial religous cave paintings. I can only imagine how great the accousitcs might sound.
I had a real sense of a living community, as traditional as it was modern.