Garbage City's Coptic Churches

Today I went to "Garbage City", the slums of Cairo that is the site of Cairo's garbage industry suburb and home to 50,000 people; 90% comprised of Coptic Christians. In a city of 20 million people predominantly Muslims, Garbage City's Coptic Christian prevalence is due to their control of the garbage industry. Why do Coptics control the garbage industry? Pig slop. Before the landfills were filled with money making recyclable materials such as aluminum, plastic and glass, garbage collectors that lived and worked in Garbage City would make extra money by rummaging through the landfills and separating the refuse of food thrown away that would later be sold to pig farmers for pig slop. Muslims, by the teachings of the Qu'ran (Islamic Holy Book), revile pork and cannot touch it. Therefore, Coptic Christians were given the sordid duties of dealing with pigs, and anything associated with them. Later, more lucrative recyclable materials began appearing in the landfills, and the slums of Cairo nicknamed "Garbage City" began to resemble a real community. Low rent apartments, markets, schools and Coptic churches sprang and the community thrived. In the summer, the smell of Garbage City is so bad that visitors rarely venture there, but for those that grew up in Garbage City it is the smell of home. The Coptic churches in Garbage City are a hidden secret, and are remarkable. They were built in the deep caverns of "Mokattam Hills" and was believed by Coptics to be founded by St. Simon, the shoemaker, who performed the miracle of moving the Mokattam Mountains in Cairo, Egypt in 10th Century A.D. with God's help. Coptics credit him for the establishment of the cavern-like Coptic churches in Garbage City that are nestled in the foothills of Mokattam Hills. There are two notable cavern Coptic churches in Garbage City. The one featured in this blog is the smaller of the two that seats 500. As you can see, it was rustic and uniquely structured. The 10,000-seated Coptic church is featured in the next blog.