The Hanging Church

Saint Marry Church known as HANGING because it was built on two
towers of the Roman stronghold they are 13 meters high, it’s a rectangular
shape church 24.10*20.5 faced the western side it contains two levels
10.85*13 meters, and there was a fountain in front of three sharpened
decorative shapes over four marbled pillars on small square basis with stony
stairs to the second floor the face of the first floor is decorated with
botanic, engineering and written decoration like Othmany and Mamluky
age.
The second floor contains five sharpened windows the entrance from south
side, now there is three rows of pillars, it’s the only church that contains
three rows of pillars with difference similar rows and four squared spaces
some of the as the upside down bell.
The three corridors covered with semi circle wooden vaults, but the
northern vault was covered with a plain wooden roof and the tribune in the
western north, it’s a marbled decorated piece made with high skilled handed
mosaic basis on fifteen pillars, these three corridors ends with three
connected rooms, but the northern corridor ends in rectangular room
covered with wooden plain roof.
The second floor consists of three corridors over the basilica corridors
except the western side that contains the altar.
This church has another small church in the northern west consists some
old temples on the Roman tower; the second section has the baptism made
of granite.
The importance of Mualqa as it was used as a drawer of the Coptic it has
many golden clothes and valued golden censer that was mentioned by
Maqrezy in his book about Egypt’s history.
The church contains the Saints dead bodies and some icons back to many
ages as the Icon of Saint Marry and the Icon of Marry Marques. Some
beautiful wall drawings have appeared during rebuilding process.
Al Mualqa was a residence to the Patriarch in the tenth century.