Africa
Egypt
Alexandria Governorate
Alexandria
Things to do in Alexandria
Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral
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Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral

See all things to do
See all things to do
Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral
4.5
About
The former seat of the Coptic Orthodox Patriarch prior to being moved to Cairo in 1968. This Cathedral is an excellent example of Coptic architecture and is a wonder to behold. A couple of notes upon entry:1.Your bag will be searched and you will walk through a metal detector; 2.Please dress modestly out of respect for the sanctity of the building; 3.A small donation is appreciated
Suggested duration
< 1 hour
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The area
How to get there
  • El Shohada • 5 min walk
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Restaurants
264 within 5 kms
Jeeda's
95
0.4 km$$ - $$$ • Mediterranean • European • Spanish
Delices
387
0.2 km$$ - $$$ • Dessert • Cafe • European
Chez Gaby
167
0.3 km$$ - $$$ • Italian • Pizza • International
Brazilian Coffee
105
0.2 km$$ - $$$ • Cafe
Santa Lucia Restaurant
90
0.4 km$$$$ • Mediterranean • European
Gad
89
0.1 km$ • Fast food • Mediterranean • Middle Eastern
Spitfire Bar
33
0.4 km$ • Pub
La Veranda
32
0.2 km$$ - $$$ • French • Greek
trianon
34
0.3 km$$ - $$$ • Cafe • European
Brazilian Coffee
26
0.3 km$$ - $$$ • Cafe • Mediterranean • Egyptian
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Attractions
39 within 10 kms
Eliahu Hanady Synagogue
13
0.1 kmHistory Museums
ElMadina Arts
1
0.3 kmNeighbourhoods
Ancient Roman Amphitheater
438
0.7 kmAncient Ruins
Alexandria Unknown Naval Soldier Memorial
106
0.6 kmPoints of Interest & Landmarks
Statue Of Saad Pasha Zaghloul
2
0.5 kmMonuments & Statues
El Qaed Ibrahim Mosque
38
0.6 kmReligious Sites
Bibliotheca Alexandrina
1,852
1.5 kmArchitectural Buildings • Libraries
St. Catherine's Cathedral
12
0.6 kmArchitectural Buildings • Religious Sites
Alexandria National Museum
291
1.3 kmHistory Museums
Fort Qaitbey
1,118
2.2 kmHistoric Sites
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
4.5
33 reviews
Excellent
22
Very good
7
Average
1
Poor
1
Terrible
2
Gloria Katherin... S
United Arab Emirates6 contributions
Great church
Jan. 2023
The staff was kind enough to let me in late at night and saw the church's beauty. For sure I'd love to be there again
Written February 8, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Travel4Fun
Norfolk, NE93 contributions
So Interesting
Oct. 2021
Saint Mark's is located in a very interesting section of Alexandria. It is interesting and I enjoyed the history of the place. I would include this on the Must See list.
Written November 28, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Linda Y
Frisco, TX5,665 contributions
Saint Mark the Evangelist
Feb. 2020
Due to the suicide bombing of 2017, security around the Christian neighborhood of St. Mark’s is tight. To enter the area, the police held our passports, which were returned to us when we left. The church is named after Saint Mark the Evangelist, author of the second Gospel. St. Mark moved to Alexandria later in his ministry and founded the first Church of Alexandria around 50 AD. The lovely church you see today, built in 1952, stands on the same site. St Mark was martyred in 68 AD and a miraculous storm prevented the pagans from burning his body. The Christians were then able to carry him away and bury him in a cave under the church. It is said that the saint’s body was stolen in 828 AD and taken to Venice, but other relics remain in the church. Our guide asked a church caregiver to unlock the entrance to the crypt for us. We passed through a vestibule decorated with mosaics describing St. Mark’s life. Steps then descended to a hallway where we could peer through a window to a shrine and relics of the saint. I had not expected this, what a surprise! A spiritual visit for those of the faith.
Written May 8, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jeffry b
Essendon, Australia13,820 contributions
Centre of the Coptic Church
Sep. 2019
St Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral is named after St Mark the evangelist, founder of the Coptic Church. It is the seat of the Coptic Pope. The catdhedral is of relatrively recent construction, even though the Coptic Church is one of the oldest denominations in the world. Joseph and Mary took the baby Jesus to Egypt to escape Herod's slaughter of the innocents.
Written February 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jake23
New Jersey6,523 contributions
Great visit
Jul. 2019 • Couples
St. Marks was a great stop. It was the first church in all of Africa. When we arrived a priest was giving mass for a summer camp. It was filled with children learning their faith. If you want to enter bring your passports they’ll be held by security a block of two away.
Written July 22, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mike
Minneapolis, MN73 contributions
Holy place
Jul. 2019 • Family
One of the most holy place visited , very nice and great architecture, must see when visiting Alexandria.
Has a lot of spiritual feelings and contains religious history
Written July 19, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
couki
Dubai89 contributions
A Must see
Apr. 2019 • Friends
In Arabic we call it AL MORKOSEYA Please google the name as there is so much history about this church that has been built on the old church and I do not want to miss something while writing this review.
Written April 26, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
steve w
Alexandria, Egypt45 contributions
Icons Glaore
Apr. 2018 • Solo
Great way to experince coptic life,cant emphasize enouh the value of visiting these places of worship,the security is tight now,so there is no concerns reagding security breaches.
Written March 4, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
William F
Denver, CO653 contributions
Beautiful old church
Jan. 2019 • Friends
Enjoyed this church. Was part of a day tour of Alexandria. Given it was Coptic christmas security getting in was tight. My first coptic church and was stylistically a bit different from caltholic churches I am used to. Worth an hour to look around.
Written January 16, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Megha B
Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates168 contributions
A beautiful church!
Dec. 2018 • Couples
It is the historical sear of the Pope of Alexandaria, the head of the Coptic Orthodox Church. Strict Police security as Christmas is around the corner. They checked our Identity cards and let us enter the premises.
Written December 20, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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SAINT MARK'S COPTIC ORTHODOX CATHEDRAL - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

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