Architecture
The Church of St. Barbara is known for its many precious items. These items were sent to the nearby Coptic Museum, which is only a two-minute walk from the church. The basilican structure and tripartite sanctuary of the church closely resembles the one of Abu Serga.
Nearby there is a convent which comprises several buildings, including a school built by the well known architect, Ramses Wissa Wassef.
While Saint Barbara's Church has been a long-lasting example of ancient Coptic architecture, it resembles the shape of ancient Basilicas. It comprises an entrance, a narthex, a long nave, several aisles and three sanctuaries.
Like most other Coptic Orthodox churches that have more than one Sanctuary, the middle sanctuary is the one of main importance, dedicated to St. Barbara. After entering, from the narthex's lobby, there are five marble columns that separate the nave from the two aisles. In front of the middle sanctuary there is a semi-circular choir, which consists of 7 large steps.
There are several other icons on the southern aisle of the church, representing the Virgin Mary and Jesus when he was a child, Jesus entering Jerusalem and the baptism of Christ.
Read more about this topic: Saint Barbara Church In Coptic Cairo
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“They can do without architecture who have no olives nor wines in the cellar.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)