Established in 1910, the Coptic Museum in Cairo City is home to the world’s biggest collection of Coptic artifacts. Marcus Simaika Pasha, a well-known Coptic leader interested in the preservation of Coptic history, worked hard to construct the museum. Simaika Pasha used diverse architectural components and Coptic antiquities from earlier churches that were undergoing restoration to build the museum and develop its collection. The book covers the history of Coptic Christianity from its early beginnings in Egypt to its ascent to prominence as one of the world’s major centers of Christianity.

The genesis of Coptic Christianity can be traced back to Saint Mark’s pilgrimage to Alexandria during the first century A.D. The objects in the museum’s collection demonstrate how Coptic art evolved to take on its unique personality and identity while fusing elements of Pharaonic, Greek, Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman cultures. Its vast collection includes exquisitely carved woodwork, icons, magnificently illuminated manuscripts, and intricate frescos depicting religious motifs that were taken from old churches and monasteries.

Marcus Simaika Pasha: who is he?

Being a Christian, Marcus Simaika Pasha took great interest in both his own and the Coptic heritage as a whole. He was eager to gather Coptic antiquities from old churches and use them in the construction of this museum, which included everything he owned to immortalize both Marcus and his love for his heritage.

The Coptic Museum celebrates Christmas

In honor of Christmas, the Coptic Museum is hosting a temporary archaeological exhibition for one month under the title “Strange Birth Story.” The exhibition features a unique collection of museum artifacts that include classics of Coptic art.

The annual celebration of opening the Coptic Museum

The Coptic Museum is situated in Old Cairo’s Complex of Religions neighborhood, inside the walls of the Roman fortification known as Babylon. The world’s largest collection of Coptic antiquities is kept in the Coptic Museum. The museum is divided into two wings, the Old Wing opening on March 14, 1910 AD, and the New Wing opening on February 20, 1947 AD. The wings are joined by a hallway. The Supreme Council of Antiquities’ Board of Directors voted on December 20, 2021 AD, to register the Coptic Museum building among other Islamic, Coptic, and Jewish monuments.

The Coptic Museum across time

One of the biggest Coptic museums in the world, the Coptic Museum in Cairo was not connected to the Egyptian Ministry of Culture until 1931 AD.
To preserve the museum and the priceless antiques within, the Supreme Council of Antiques restored and rebuilt the museum and its annexes in 2006, the same year that Mohamed Hosni Mubarak took office as president of Egypt.
Over sixteen thousand antiquities from various areas and eras comprise the museum’s collection of Coptic antiquities, all of which are categorized into twelve orders. 

The Coptic Museum is situated close to the Hanging Church and inside the embrace of the Babylon Fortress, which dates back to Egypt’s Roman occupation. For the history of Christianity in Egypt and around the world, both locations are crucial. Because of the significance of the antiquities, collectibles, and artifacts housed within the museum, as well as the necessity of having a location to house Christian archaeological collections housed in one of the halls close to the church, the fort was added to the museum. This made studying the history of Christianity in Egypt easier.

The entire expanse of the Coptic Museum, which tracks the development of Christianity in Egypt, spans around 8000 meters.
The museum showcases collections of Coptic antiques spanning from the first century AD, when Christianity first arrived in Egypt, to the present day. It also depicts the development of the religion and its integration with various Egyptian cultures, including Roman, Greek, Byzantine, and Islamic cultures, all while maintaining its core identity and not losing it over time.

Numerous manuscripts and woodwork work with meticulously and precisely drawn religious scenes can be found in the museum.
Numerous sections may be found within the museum, including those dedicated to :

• metal
• wood
• Ivory
• pottery
• glass
• Coptic lettering and numerous other parts besides those

 

The museum is divided into two wings: an ancient one that houses wooden artifacts from the Fatimid era and the eleventh and twelfth centuries, and a modern one that, as was already noted, has geometric scrolls and contemporary artwork.

Antiquities from the Anahasi region, which was influenced by Roman culture and the goddess Aphrodite, a symbol of beauty throughout history, are housed in the Coptic Museum.
There are displays inside the museum that attest to the Egyptian influence on this exquisite artwork. For example, bronze pieces featuring the crescent and cross attest to the high degree of national unity among the Egyptian cultures represented there.

A brief history of the Babylon fortress

The Babylon Fortress was erected on this site to protect the Roman military, which served as Egypt’s first line of defense for the eastern gate. The fortress allowed the Romans to keep control over any uprisings that might occur against their rule from the north or south. This location in the middle of Egypt, between Lower and Lower Egypt and Upper Egypt, makes this site unique.
Because candles are lit on one of the fort’s turrets on the first of every month, the fort is known as Babylon Castle or the Palace of Candles.

And this fortress’s legacy goes beyond this. Within its walls are several Coptic monuments, such as the Coptic Museum, six Coptic churches, and a monastery. These churches are the Church of the Virgin, also referred to as the Hanging Church, Abu Sarja church, Saint Barbara, Qasriyat Al-Rayhan, Saint George church for the Greek Orthodox, and the church next to the Jewish temple.

In summary

The Coptic Museum is one of the many museums located inside Old Cairo. It was established because a Christian wanted to preserve the collections of Christian history in Egypt from the time that Christianity first arrived in Egypt until the present, as well as the blending of Egyptian and Coptic art. Dispersed across ancient Egypt.

When you enter the museum, you get the impression that you are submerged deep within the magnificence of the blending of Coptic, Roman, and Egyptian history. The museum is situated next to a church with an ancient history, and it is housed inside a fort with a history that was built to protect Egypt from any revolutions during the Roman era. This indicates the challenges that Egypt has faced over the years, and how all these obstacles are represented in the form of ancient and beautiful monuments that show us, How wonderful is Egypt and how wonderful is the ancient and modern history of Egypt.
Just as Old Cairo is a treasure for Muslims, it is also a treasure for Christians.

Because of the numerous museums, churches, monasteries, and mosques it has, the area resembles an open-air religious museum. As you stroll around it, you get the impression that you are surrounded by centuries upon centuries of shifting historical periods and the blending of Islam and Christianity. You can also sense this among the local populace. both inside these magnificent architectural structures and on their own.