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The north part of the Coptic quarter contains nothing special, but its solitude is refreshing and you might enjoy wandering around the overgrown cemeteries - so far unsquatted Cities of the Dead. The Church of St George was founded in 681 by Athanasius the Scribe. From the original foundation only the Hall of Nuptials survived a conflagration in the mid-nineteenth century, after which the current structure was erected. Beyond it, at the end of the road, stands the smaller Church of the Virgin , also known as Qasriyyat al-Rihan (Pot of Basil) after the favourite herb of the Orthodox Church. Because Al-Hakim's mother was of that faith, the church was given to the Greek community for the duration of his reign, but later returned to the Copts. Largely rebuilt in the eighteenth century, it's chiefly notable for several icons painted by John the Armenian in 1778.
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