Fear not. No hangings took place here. The church got its quirky name because it was built above a gatehouse of the Roman Babylon Fortress. Twenty-nine steps lead to the main door. Initially, the ground was six metres (20 feet) lower, so the church appeared to be floating ever higher than it does now on a platform of palm trees and stones. The church was built in the late seventh century and has been extensively rebuilt over the centuries. It contains 110 icons and three sanctuaries dedicated to the Virgin Mary, Saint John the Baptist and Saint George. The Hanging Church served as the site for the selection and burial of Coptic patriarchs (from the 11th to 14th centuries, although the burials only took place during the first two centuries), the consecration of holy oil, and the determination of the date of Easter.