Coptic Christians in Egypt

The Coptic Christians

   Unlike most Muslim countries Egypt is a secular country where religions other than Islam are allowed and Christians make up about 10% of the population.

   Whereas in other Muslim countries one can only hear the call of the faithful being called to prayer at the mosque I love going into the street behind the Etap Hotel of an evening and listening to the battle between the Coptic Church, on one side of the street and the Mosque on the other, competing for custom. This is a no holds barred cacophony of sound with 1000 watt amplifiers and gigantic speakers directed at one-another, and all in the best possible taste.

Inside the Church in Luxor

    The Coptic Community is a close knit family affair with emphasis being put on their Christian values in the face of old persecution, yet they are still proud to be regarded as the ancestors of the Ancient Egyptians, their religious language having very close similarities to the spoken language of the Pyramid builders, and it was Coptic that helped unlock the secrets of the hieroglyphs.

The Courtyard of the Coptic Patriarch's House in Cairo 1864

Being a Christian visitor to Egypt has its advantages. Not that the Muslims are not courteous and helpful, I have many Muslim friends, but if you openly wear a cross you will be surprised how many shopkeepers and taxi drivers will show you their cross tattoos on their inner wrist and say, "I am a Christian too". Suffice to say that it opens up doors to all sorts of adventures.

   We were crossing the river one day on the car ferry which was loaded to the gunnels with pilgrims who were on route to the Saint George Festival. On seeing my cross we were invited to join them, and it was an adventure we would not have missed. Tens of thousands of Christians descending on this tiny village church, of Saint George, for a week. Hundreds of tents and stalls selling all manner of goods from food to religious artefacts, side shows, musicians, fakirs and everyone treating us like royalty. There was a 1/4 mile long queue waiting to visit the shrine in the church. We were simply pushed up to the front of the queue by the willing participants, all of them really pleased that we were joining in on their festival.

The tiny village becomes a bustling town during the festival of Saint George.

Coptic Picture Show

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   Although signs of Christianity are overshadowed by the Islamic culture they are all over the place if you know what to look for. At all of the temples you can see where the old Christians have plastered over hieroglyphs and turned pagan temples into churches, now mostly destroyed when Islam conquered the country. Even an ancient statue of three gods at Karnak was converted into a symbol of Christianity, but this too was vandalised at a later time by Muslims.

Christian Saints painted on plastered-over hieroglyphs at Luxor temple.

Most modern churches are very insignificant looking mud brick buildings with domed roofs that belie the magnificence of the treasures and art work that are hidden within. A bit like Doctor Who's Tardis, I am sure that these tiny village churches are larger on the inside than they are on the outside. Worth seeing.

     In the old days in Egypt, prior to having a secular country, Christians were second class citizens and had to be very careful not to make their places of worship out-class, out-shine or be built higher than the Mosques. Therefore churches were made as inconspicuous as possible, out of necessity. This same rule applied to Bulgarian churches under the 400 years of strict Ottoman rule, except in Bulgaria a church could not be over 6 feet above ground level. It is an undeniable fact of life that it takes secular rule for people to be free to worship the religion of their choice.

Tahib and Sandra at the 7000 year-old burial ground of Naqada (Nagada).

   Our friend Tahib (a Muslim) took us to the Christian Monastery at Nagada where I had a great time walking among the pottery shards of 7000 years. There was every thing here, Pharonic, Roman, Coptic, Modern Christian, bones, but best of all was when I found a piece of Roman pottery with a Gnostic eye on it from perhaps the 1st or maybe 2nd century AD. Gnostics were the ancient mystic believers who just knew what was right .. Gnosticism being all-knowing .. you know how it is sometimes when you just know how it is, no sweat, no pack drill, you just know it's true. A truly fabulous place this huge flat dry sandy plain, where a monk from the monastery and myself sat on a tomb at the edge of the desert, drank mint tea from a rusty old billycan, and just listened to the deafening silence of the ages.   Magical.

    Later we went with Mohamed to the Christian Pottery at Garagos where the potter explained how his best pottery was made by grinding up the broken remains of 2000 year-old Roman Samian Ware pottery shards and making new clay for special items for his friends. He promptly made me a fabulous Ankh which I picked up two days later after it had been fired in the kiln and he had used the most beautiful lapis-lazuli deep blue glaze, and all the more striking when one sees the back of the cross is still the bright red of 2000 year-old Roman Samian Ware. The cross still takes the pride of place in my office, a reminder of other times.

     As usual it was then back to Luxor and the Sonesta Saint George Hotel which belongs to our Christian friend Mamdouh, where we are always assured of a 5* welcome, although I must say the newly built rooms on the 6th floor are beyond belief and must surely be 7* with computer controlled loos that even wash your bum. Can't wait for the next trip to try them out.

Sandra Dodd and Mamdouh Philippe - owner of the Sonesta Saint George Hotel in Luxor.

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