An artist adorns an Egyptian rock church with biblical art

Whistling a melody, Mario skilfully climbed the scaffolding that wrapped a portion of the rock-simulated stone monastery on top of the Mokkatam hills in Cairo to add the final touch to his latest sculpture.

He had spent more than two decades carving the jagged interior of the seven rock churches and chapels of the monastery with patterns inspired by biblical stories.

Everything was done to meet the wishes of the monastery priest who met Mario in the early 1990s in Cairo. The Polish artist, who arrived earlier in Egypt for an educational mission, was then looking for an opportunity to serve God at the monastery.

"I want you to turn the mountain into an open Bible," Mario recalls, the priest told him.

In addition to sculpture, Mario gives a high rope sport lesson to the monastery. By Mohamed el-Shahed (AFP)

At the time, Mario had no experience of sculpture. But he bought an electric drill and a chisel hammer and a few days later he had finished his first sculpture.

It told the story of the miracle of moving Mokkatam Mountain, a feat that would have been accomplished by a 10th century craftsman known as Simon the Tanner to prove the strength of his Christian faith. The monastery bears his name.

"I had no idea that sculpting was a talent that I had, but it turned out (to be) as you can see," Mario said as he showed his work around the walls of the building. A vast cave that regularly hosts gatherings at the monastery.

Throughout one of them, he wrote another chronicle on Saint-Simon, he brandished a needle before tearing his eyes to punish himself for coveting a woman.

Other walls tell stories of the New Testament.

"It can take five days to six months to finish a sculpture, depending on the design," he said.

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"My work is meant to tell spiritual stories about this mountain and about Christianity in general," he said. "I want them to live for future generations."

Mario says he has practiced and carved for more than 23 years. He made about 70 sculptures that add to the charm of the monastery by giving it an old appearance.

The construction of the complex began only in the 1970s, a thousand years after the story of the displacement of Mokkatam Mountain that would have occurred in November 979.

Mario had no experience of sculpture in his early 1990s. By Mohamed el-Shahed (AFP)

Construction began after the current monastery priest, known as Samaan (Arabic for Simon), visited the area and decided to turn it into a place of worship.

"I have also thought then why not engrave the miracles of Jesus on the mountain.This will benefit people and (create) a living description of these stories," said Father Samaan.

Located on top of Mokkatam Mountain, the monastery offers breathtaking views of Cairo's megalopolis. Unsurprisingly, reaching the top of the mountain is no small feat.

This demanding visit to the summit requires visitors to cross the swarming slum known as the "city of" garbage collectors, consisting of rugged roads and smelly heaps of garbage strewing the path.

Despite the difficult journey, the monastery hosts thousands of people for weekly services as well as for holidays and celebrations of the Copts, the Christian minority of Egypt, which represents about 10% of the country's predominantly Muslim population .

"The monastery is now a masterpiece," said Samaan in his office located in one of the monastery's churches. "We have the pyramids and artifacts in the Egyptian museum, but they are all old but this monastery is new."

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For Mario, whose real name is Mariusz Dybich, he got used to living in Cairo and working at the monastery.

In addition to the sculpture, he even gives a high ropes sports course to the monastery, loaded with adrenaline.

"It is surprising to many that a European voluntarily leaves his country to work in a slum as poor as the city of Garbage Collectors in Cairo," Mario said. "But I believe it's God who sent me here."

The finish of a sculpture can take between five days and six months. By Mohamed el-Shahed (AFP)

Aged 51, he is from the city of Krakow, in southern Poland, but has lived in Egypt for almost three decades. Over the years, he became known to all the inhabitants of the monastery and thousands of people living in the city of "Garbage Collectors", nicknamed Mario.

He married an Egyptian and has two daughters. Over the years, he mastered the Arabic language and developed a particular command of the Egyptian dialect.

He witnessed in Egypt the 2011 uprising that overthrew Hosni Mubarak, a longtime autocrat, and years of political and economic turmoil that followed.

Yet he does not see himself settling elsewhere.

"I love living here – it's the place where I feel most comfortable among the Egyptian people – I would not leave unless God decides to do it. other."