Tradition holds that Saints Sergius and Bacchus Church was built on the spot where the Holy Family (Joseph, Mary and the infant Jesus) rested at the end of their journey into Egypt.

[citation needed] The church is dedicated to Sergius and Bacchus, who were soldier-saints martyred during the 4th century in Syria by the Roman Emperor Maximian.

The most interesting feature is the crypt where Mary, Joseph and the infant Jesus are said to have rested.

The crypt is 10 meters deep and, when Nile levels are high, is often flooded.

Infighting between the Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus and the Hanging Church broke out due to that patriarch's wish to be consecrated in the latter, a ceremony that traditionally took place at Saints Sergius and Bacchus.