Our Lady of Egypt Church

About

Giving its name to the emblematic Egypt neighborhood in the town of Santa Fe, the Church of Our Lady of Egypt rises majestically. In 1556 the first hermitage dedicated to the profession of the Catholic faith was erected in this place, and a little more than a century later the temple as we know it was built. It was a silent witness of bloody events in colonial times, such as the execution of the patriot Juan de la Cruz Molano, close to Policarpa Salavarrieta, by order of the viceroy. The current building dates from 1914, with renovations in 1990, treasuring a neo-Granadian style and a neo-Gothic facade that earned it the title of National Monument. 

But beyond its architectural richness, this temple becomes the epicenter of one of the most deeply rooted traditions of Bogota: the first weekend of January, the community puts on stagings and allegorical displays to celebrate the arrival of the Magi after the birth of the Child Jesus, a religious spectacle with more than a century of existence that enhances the popular faith.