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Almost opposite the Mari Girgis (St George) metro station you'll see the twin circular towers of Babylon's western gate. In Trajan's day, the Nile lapped the base of this gate and was spanned by a pontoon bridge leading to the southern tip of Roda. Today, Babylon's foundations are buried under ten metres of accumulated silt and rubble, so the churches within the compound and the streets outside are nearly at the level of the fortress's ramparts. The right-hand tower is ruined, exposing a central shaft buttressed by masonry rings and radial ribs, which enabled it to withstand catapults and battering rams. Atop the other tower stands the Orthodox Church of St George. Both towers are encased in alternating courses of dressed stone (much of it taken from pharaonic temples) and brick, a Roman technique known as opus mixtum or "mixed work". By purchasing a ticket for the Coptic Museum, you can walk through the fortress's inner courtyard and down into the old Water Gate beneath the Hanging Church. The gate is now partly flooded and, though its arches and walls are visible from precarious walkways, the interior is only accessible by a stairway behind the three stone piers supporting the back of the church (bring a torch). It was through this gate that the last Byzantine viceroy, Melkite bishop Cyrus, escaped by boat under cover of darkness before Babylon surrendered to the Muslims. While exploring the Coptic quarter, you'll also notice various sections of Babylon's Roman walls , rebuilt during the fourth and fifth centuries.
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