It's a nice quarter and worth the visit, BUT, we were there on Orthodox Holy Friday and couldn't enter the Churches because mass was on.
I was really excited to see Coptic Cairo. I had the same guide on two different days for Islamic Cairo (quite good) and Coptic Cairo (a bust). The guide knew little about the early Coptic Church and didn't seem to be comfortable in the churches. We walked in and through and then out again, without any real explanation of what we were seeing. There were some other tours going on with excellent tour guides who were well versed in the art of the churches and the legends that went with them. Our guide was more into stopping to have tea.
Had I realized how little background I would receive I would have downloaded a walking tour from the net and just booked a taxi to take me to a starting point. Hugely disappointing.
Very interesting part of the city with lots of history. Unfortunately it is well-tourist-ed and is very small so it can be hard to get around. But the churches, synagogues and mosques are well worth the visit
We had a fleeting visit to the Coptic in Cairo but found it fascinating with beautiful mosaics and we were fortunate enough to hear the congregations singing. Enjoyed it.
Inside this heavily guarded compound, one can find a variety of interesting churches, nunneries and monasteries which are well worth a visit.
