Part V – Modern Egypt and Religious Continuity
12.1 The Enduring Presence of Mokattam
Over a millennium after the supposed Moving of the Mountain, the Mokattam Hills still dominate Cairo’s eastern skyline—no longer a site of fear or debate, but of worship, art, and community life. The Coptic Church continues to celebrate the miracle annually on 24 Kiahk (early January), integrating it into the liturgical calendar alongside the Feast of the Virgin Mary and the Nativity.
For the faithful, the story is neither geological report nor mythic fable; it is living memory—a narrative of divine deliverance that binds the ancient and modern church together. The Coptic Orthodox liturgy refers to the event as a sign of “God’s mercy upon Egypt” (Meinardus 1965). Through repeated commemoration, the miracle has become part of Egypt’s collective religious consciousness, transcending denominational boundaries.
12.2 The Cave Monastery and the Zabbaleen Community
In the latter half of the twentieth century, the Mokattam cliffs acquired renewed religious and social significance through the founding of the Monastery and Cave Church of Saint Simon the Tanner. Carved directly into the limestone by Coptic workers and volunteers, the complex now comprises several chapels, amphitheatres, and shrines, decorated with biblical murals by local artist Mariam Girgis and Polish sculptor Mariusz Drapikowski.
The site lies within the district of Manshiyat Naser, home to Cairo’s Zabbaleen (“garbage collectors”)—a predominantly Coptic community of recyclers who sort, reuse, and resell the city’s waste. Beginning in the 1970s under the charismatic priest Father Samaan Ibrahim, the Cave Church became both spiritual refuge and social hub, offering education, healthcare, and environmental initiatives (Guindi 2008).
The Zabbaleen’s transformation from marginalised workers to community entrepreneurs has often been described as “a second moving of the mountain”—a social miracle born of faith and perseverance. Their work, recycling over 80 per cent of Cairo’s refuse, exemplifies the Coptic ethic of service embedded in the legend of Simon the Tanner: humble labour sanctified by devotion.
12.3 Faith, Poverty, and the Spiritual Ecology of Mokattam
The symbolism of Mokattam today is inseparable from its ecological and social context. The limestone hills, once quarries for pharaonic monuments, now host one of Egypt’s most remarkable examples of faith-based community development. Pilgrims who visit the Cave Church encounter not only religious murals but living testimonies of hope amid hardship.
The Coptic Church’s outreach programmes—literacy classes, waste-management training, micro-finance—translate the miracle’s moral into environmental stewardship and social justice. Scholars of religion and development have noted that the Zabbaleen’s work embodies a “spiritual ecology” where creation care becomes a form of worship (Mahmoud 2017).
This reinterpretation transforms the original miracle from a demonstration of supernatural power into a parable of transformation: moving the mountain of poverty, ignorance, and neglect through collective faith and action.
12.4 The Egyptian State and Religious Heritage Policies
Modern Egypt’s government has increasingly treated sites like Mokattam as components of national cultural heritage rather than sectarian identity. The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities lists the Cave Church among the key religious destinations on the Holy Family Trail, alongside Islamic and Jewish monuments. Annual visits by both Muslim and Christian officials—often including ministers and local governors—affirm its role as a symbol of interfaith harmony.
While the Egyptian constitution recognises Islam as the state religion, it also guarantees freedom of belief and worship. The recognition of Coptic landmarks under state protection demonstrates a civil model of inclusion: that sacred geography, irrespective of creed, belongs to the Egyptian nation as a whole (Brown 2012).
State-sponsored restoration of ancient monasteries, funding for church security, and the designation of Coptic feasts as public cultural events show a continuing shift from confessional tolerance to active heritage integration.
12.5 Pilgrimage, Tourism, and the Politics of Memory
Pilgrimage to Mokattam has evolved beyond local devotion into a form of religious tourism. Thousands of Egyptians and foreign visitors attend the Feast of the Moving of the Mountain each year, watching re-enactments of the event in open-air liturgies. The Cave Church’s amphitheatre, seating over 20 000, is frequently used for inter-denominational services, concerts, and cultural dialogues.
This visibility, however, also introduces complexities. Some secular commentators criticise the “commodification” of faith; others view it as an opportunity for economic empowerment of impoverished communities. In either case, the mountain has become both marketplace and monastery—a reminder that modern spirituality in Egypt cannot be separated from its social realities (Saad 2018).
The Egyptian press and tourism boards increasingly frame the legend as an allegory of national perseverance—Egypt “the land of miracles,” enduring through faith, unity, and creativity.
12.6 Interfaith Dialogue and National Identity
The miracle’s reinterpretation within twenty-first-century Egypt reflects a wider interfaith ethos emerging in Egyptian civil discourse. Both Muslim and Christian leaders cite the Mokattam story to promote humility and mutual understanding. Al-Azhar’s Grand Imam has publicly visited Christian sites, while the Coptic Patriarch has spoken of Muslims and Christians as “two lungs of one national body.”
In academic and theological settings, the story serves as a pedagogical case study in comparative theology: a miracle once used to defend Christian doctrine now functions as a parable of shared moral values—faith, patience, and peace. In this way, the legend continues to “move mountains” not of stone but of suspicion and division.
12.7 Assessment: From Miracle to Modern Mission
The transformation of the Moving of Mokattam from historical legend to living heritage exemplifies how faith traditions adapt without losing essence. The tenth-century event has migrated through time—
- from miracle (divine intervention)
- to memory (communal identity)
- to mission (social and ecological renewal).
It encapsulates Egypt’s broader spiritual trajectory: continuity amid change, diversity within unity. The Cave Church and the Zabbaleen community stand as tangible witnesses that humility and service remain the truest signs of faith. Just as Simon the Tanner moved the mountain through prayer, modern Egyptians move it daily through perseverance and hope.
Key References
- Brown, N.J. (2012) Constitutions in a Nonconstitutional World: Arab Basic Laws and the Prospects for Accountable Government. Albany: SUNY Press.
- Guindi, F. El (2008) By Noon Prayer: The Rhythm of Islam. New York: Berg.
- Mahmoud, S. (2017) The Politics of Piety: The Moral and the Ethical in Contemporary Egypt. Princeton University Press.
- Meinardus, O.F.A. (1965) Christian Egypt: Faith and Life. Cairo: AUC Press.
- Saad, G. (2018) “The Cave Church of St Simon and the Miracle of Mokattam.” Daily News Egypt, 5 April 2018.