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Shortly after the miracle took place, Al-Muizz decided to convert to ChristianityThe [[relics]] of St. A baptismal font, big enough for the immersion of a grown-up man, was built for him Simon were discovered in 1991 in St. Mercurius Church. This font continues to exist until the present day and is Mary's Coptic Orthodox church in Babylon, Old Cairo (known as "Maamoudiat Al-Sultan" which means the baptistry of the SultanHanging Church).
The relics of StIt is noteworthy that Bishop Sawirus ibn al-Muqaffa` was closely associated with both the Fatimid Caliph Al-Muizz Li-Deenillah and Pope Abraam (975-978 A.D. Simon were discovered ), and thus wrote with authority in 1991 in St. Maryhis famous [[Severus of Al's Coptic Orthodox church in Babylon, Old Cairo Ashmunein (known as Hermopolis): History of the Patriarchs of the Hanging Coptic Church)of Alexandria|Coptic History of the Patriarchs]] about the Mokattam Mountain miracle as an eyewitness of it.
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'''St. Simon the Shoemaker''' (10th century A.D.), also known as '''Simon the Tanner''' (''Sama'an el-Dabbagh'' in Arabic), is the [[Church of Alexandria (Coptic)|Coptic Orthodox]] saint associated with the great miracle of moving the Mokattam (Muqattam) Mountain in Cairo, Egypt, during the ruling of the Muslim Fatimid Caliph Al-Muizz.
This profession involved also other crafts that depend on the process, from where St. Simon carried several titles related to skins; Saint Simon the Tanner, the Cobbler, the Shoemaker.
The Caliph Al -Muizz used to invite different religious leaders to debate in his presence. In one of those meetings in which Pope Abraam and a Jew named Yaqub (Jacob) Ibn Yusuf Ibn Killis were present, the Pope got the upper hand in the debate. Plotting to take revenge, Ibn Killis quoted the verse where the Lord, [[Jesus Christ]], said in [[Gospel of Matthew|Matthew ]] 17:20: "''If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to the mountain, Move from here to there, and it will move, nothing will be impossible for you''" and demanded that the Pope proves that his religion is right by means of this.
The Caliph saw in this a unique opportunity and asked Pope Abraam to move the Mokattam Mountain. If they proved unable to do so, it would be the proof that the religion of the Christians was wrong and the Caliph would be done away with them completely.
The Caliph, shaking with fear, embraced the Pope warmly and this marked the beginning of a long friendship between the two. The Caliph asked the Pope to name his reward. After some hesitation, the Pope asked for permission to rebuild or renovate some churches, particularly that of St. Mercurius in Babylon. That church, which was partly destroyed, was being used as a sugar warehouse. The Caliph offered funds from the state treasury for the reconstruction of the church but Abraam turned him down. "He whose Church we are building does not need the money of this world and is capable of helping us until we finish the job," Abraam said.
The Pope also decreed that the three-day grace period which he had requested from the Caliph, and which he and the bishops and priests spent in prayer and fasting, be a regular period of fasting to be observed by all Copts every year. Those three days were added to the forty days of fasting before Christmas. Thus, the Coptic Orthodox Advent fasting became forty-three days starting on [[November 25 ]] (as it is today). Shortly after the miracle took place, Al-Muizz decided to [[convert]] to Christianity. A baptismal [[font]], big enough for the immersion of a grown-up man, was built for him in St. Mercurius Church. This font continues to exist until the present day and is known as "Maamoudiat Al-Sultan" which means the baptistry of the Sultan.
== Sources and Further Details ==