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The Coptic Museum
The
Coptic Museum in Cairo is a life-like record of one of Egypt's periods
all fraught with various antiques and monuments reflecting the different
civilizations that graced the land of Egypt starting by the Ancient
Egyptian civilization, passing by the Greek, the Roman, the Coptic,
and lastly the Islamic.
The
Coptic Museum lies behind the walls of the famous Roman Fortress
of Babylon in the ancient district of Cairo (Misr Al-Qadima). The
area surrounding the museum abounds in lively monuments of open museums
that depict with the Coptic Museum the history of the Coptic Period
in Egypt.
Six
paramount, ancient, Coptic Churches share ground with the Coptic
Museum. They date back somewhere between 5th and 8th century AD.
The place holds the church of Abu Serga, the most ancient in Egypt.
It was raised above the cave which the Holy Family sought refuge
into as they fled from Herodus's oppression to Egypt.
The
place, moreover, embraces Virgin Mary's Church known as the Hanging
Church; a great ancient worship house of world stature that was among
the very first to host Coptic rituals on the face of earth. The museum
was built in an artchitectural style using wood in ceilings and oriels
(arabesque and lattice glass). Some biblical verses are written against
them ornamented with Coptic embellishments like plants, especially
grapevines, birds such as eagles, ostriches and peacock which all
imply a certain philosophy and a specific significance in the Christian
creed. Marble pillars and fountains ornamented with mosaic are more
than present under the roof.
The
Coptic Museum in Cairo encloses rare treasures from the Coptic Period
exhibiting a dimension of Egypt's civilization. The museum consists
of two wings divided into several halls. The old wing was inaugurated
in 1910 and comprises 13 sections, while the new was opened to the
public on February 20, 1947 encompassing 17 halls. The State undertook
continuous restorations of the historical building being re-inaugurated
on March 8, 1984 by President Mubarak. |
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