One Of Three Archangel Statues Atop A Stone Building, Part Of The Monastery Of Saint Simon. Editorial Photo

Pictured is one of three carved stone archangel statues atop a stone building that is part of the Monastery of Saint Simon in the Mokattam Mountains which are close to the center of Cairo. The Coptic Christians recognize only three of the seven archangels - Saint Michael, Saint Gabriel, and Saint Raphael. There is no identifying information. The Coptic Christian residents of Garbage City discovered a cave in the 1970`s and by the 1990`s cleared hundreds of tons of boulders, creating a complex of churches and meeting halls that compose the Monastery of St. Simon. Garbage City is the nickname for Mokattam Village at the foot of the mountains, home to 20,000 Zabbaleen, 90% of whom are Coptic Christians. They survive by collecting and recycling garbage.