April - Coptic Wiki

Adar II

Adar II n. Hebrew (ah-DAR TWO) Seven times in every 19 years, an extra month is inserted in the Jewish calendar, creating a leap year. Adar II comes after the month of Adar, in March or April. noun Eisenberg, J., Scolnic, E., & Jewish Publication Society. (2001). The JPS dictionary of Jewish words. Over 1000 …

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Figures in the Carpet and Monastic Spirituality in the Wadi al-Natrun (Scetis)

Eminent, Places / By Armia FAYEZ

Figures in the Carpet: Macarius the Great, Isaiah of Scetis, Daniel of Scetis, and Monastic Spirituality in the Wadi al-Natrun (Scetis) From the Fourth to the Sixth Century Not many years ago I read a very good scholarly book on Palestinian monasticism in Late Antiquity. In my review of that book I observed, however, that …

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Anba Isaac, Bishop of the Fayoum, al-Bahnasa, and Giza, 1834-81

Eminent / By Armia FAYEZ

Anba Isaac, Bishop of the Fayoum, al-Bahnasa, and Giza, 1834-81 Anba Isaac, the bishop of the Fayoum, holds a unique place in the history of the Coptic Church during the mid-nineteenth century. This standing is due, in part, to his massive diocese, which included three Egyptian governorates: Giza, the Fayoum, and Beni Suef. It is …

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Christianity in Asyut in Modern History

History / By Armia FAYEZ

Christianity in Asyut in Modern History A Historical Introduction By the second half of the eighteenth century, Asyut had taken Girga’s place as the capital of Upper Egypt. With Muhammad ‘Ali’s interest in administratively organizing Egypt’s governorates, the construction of the governorate building in Asyut began in 1811. In 1822, Asyut’s population was around seventeen …

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The Place of Qusqam in the Textual Data on the Flight into Egypt

History / By Armia FAYEZ

The Place of Qusqam in the Textual Data on the Flight into Egypt Dayr al-Muharraq is for Christian Egyptians a very blessed place— maybe the most blessed place in Egypt. Tens of thousands of people come here every year on special feasts and occasions: not only for the feast of the Assumption of the Virgin …

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Al-Shaykh Sa’id Revisited: A Reassessment of the Spatial Layout of a Monastic Community

History / By Armia FAYEZ

Al-Shaykh Sa’id Revisited: A Reassessment of the Spatial Layout of a Monastic Community Al-Shaykh Sa‘id (Middle Egypt) covers the southern part of the archaeological concession area of the Dayr al-Barsha Project (Research Group Egyptology, KU Leuven),[1] directed by Harco Willems.[2] The site is named after the nearby tomb of a local saint. An ensemble of …

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Theotokos Or The Mother Of God

Liturgy / By Armia FAYEZ

THEOTOKOS OR THE MOTHER OF GOD St. Mary’s Maternity in the Bible The Holy Scripture witnesses to St. Mary’s motherhood of the Son of God, for it calls her Son “God” (). At the annunciation, angel Gabriel speaks of the Child St. Mary is to conceive as “the Son of the Most High”, “the Holy …

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St. Mary In The Coptic Rite

Liturgy, Eminent / By Armia FAYEZ

ST. MARY IN THE COPTIC[1] RITE It is too difficult to give an account of the prominent place of St. Mary in the Coptic Church in this short treatise. For St. Mary is commemorated and invoked in every daily hymn and liturgy, and even in every canonical hour, day and night. Various Marian feasts are …

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Catholic and Coptic altars showing the Coptic seating.

The Cathedral of the Holy Virgin (PORT SAID)

Places / By Armia FAYEZ

The Cathedral of the Holy Virgin (PORT SAID) THE CATHEDRAL OF THE HOLY VIRGIN (Mary, Queen of the World) is the largest church in Port Said and one of the most majestic sanctuaries in Egypt. It is located on 23rd of July Street in the eastern district (the European Quarter) in Port Said. On April …

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Exterior view of the Anglican Church of St. Mark from the road on Tahrir Square.

The Anglican Church of St. Mark (ALEXANDRIA)

Places / By Armia FAYEZ

The Anglican Church of St. Mark (ALEXANDRIA) THIS SPECTACULAR CHURCH IS LOCATED IN TAHRIR SQUARE (al-Manshiya). Muhammad ‘Ali offered the land for the church to the Anglican community in the early nineteenth century. The church foundation stone was laid in 1839, but because of some difficulties, construction was delayed for fifteen years. In April 1855 …

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