EGYPT: Egypt's rich Coptic heritage is represented at newly renovated Cairo museum

The Coptic museum in the midst of Old Cairo, where some 1,500 artefacts are on show, is experiencing something of a revival since its recent renovation. With its airy, refurbished display halls, many of which have ornate carved wooden ceilings, the one-of-a-kind Coptic museum is fast developing a reputation as one of Cairo's hidden treasures. The Coptic museum, nestled in the heart of old Cairo, has undergone a renaissance since it re-opened in 2006 after renovations, with a growing number of visitors enjoying its collection of valuable artefacts from the Copts' long history in Egypt. The museum, which is located near some of Cairo's oldest and most famous Christian monuments, is much more modest than the world famous Egyptian museum, which stores Ancient Egypt's most valuable treasures. But with its airy, refurbished display halls, many of which have ornate carved wooden ceilings, the one-of-a-kind Coptic museum is fast developing a reputation as one of Cairo's hidden treasures. Seen from the outside, the museum's building, which has many characteristics of Islamic architecture, such as wooden Mashrabiyat, seems at odds with the collection it houses. Yet this juxtaposition speaks volumes about the complexity and richness of the Coptic legacy in Egypt which the 1,500 objects on display at the museum encapsulate. Museum curator Hani Zarif says the Coptic museum is unique for several reasons. "In truth, besides what is contained inside the Coptic Museum in terms of artefacts and rare Coptic treasures, it can be considered the only museum in the world that specializes in Coptic artefacts and Coptic art. And there is an important observation -- that some of the corridors here, if we notice, for example, if we look at the wooden ceilings we will find that they are very special at the Coptic museum," he says. Visitors to the Coptic museum, particularly those unfamiliar with Coptic history in Egypt, end up taking a somewhat unexpected journey through the artistic heritage of Egypt and the many civilizations that influenced it. The Coptic minority in Egypt, which is around ten percent of Egypt's population of 70 million, traces its history back to Christianity's earliest days, in fact to the time when the holy family is said to have taken sanctuary in Egypt from the Jewish King Herod. The artefacts on display in the Coptic Museum trace Christianity's history in Egypt, with some pieces dating as far back as the Third Century A.D. to the Greco-Roman period, when Egypt was under the control of the Roman Empire. And the treasure trove of objects on display offers a stark demonstration of the influence of Egypt's diverse history on Coptic art - from Pharaohnic times, to the Greco-Roman period, to the dominant Islamic period that began with the Arab conquest of Egypt in 641 A.D. Among the oldest and most valued pieces in the Museum's collection is a Fifth Century collection of the Psalms of David, which was discovered in a children's cemetery near the city of Beni Suef in 1987. "There is an object… we have a book that was discovered in 1987, and that is the Psalms of David. The Psalms of David are considered scriptures from the Old Testament, but they are called the Psalms of David because the Prophet David praised our Lord, exalted be He, with his Psalm," says Museum director Philip Halim. The Coptic Museum was founded in 1910 by a prominent member of the Coptic community, Maurice Pasha Simaika, who spent his life working for the preservation of Coptic heritage. The old wing of the museum was supplemented by a new wing in 1947, to give the museum a total of 27 display halls to house its precious collection. The museum is located amidst Christian sites of immense importance such as the Hanging Church, as well as Jewish synagogues and the oldest mosque in Cairo, Amr Ibn al-Aas, which is named for the Arab leader who brought Islam to Egypt. Not only is the Coptic museum located in the Old Cairo neighbourhood, where the world's great monotheistic religions are represented, but it also holds a collection that illustrates Egypt's cosmopolitan history. Many of the artefacts that it houses are the work of Greek, Roman, Armenian, Persian, Jewish and Arab artisans who made up Egypt's rich ethnic fabric over the centuries. Many tourists are surprised to find such a breathtaking collection of Christian artefacts in a land better known for the Pharaohs and its Islamic heritage. "I didn't imagine that there was this kind of Coptic civilization present in Egypt. We were more aware that Egypt is an Islamic country, and we didn't know that there was this civilization as well. Its beautiful, this civilization, and [very interesting]," says Hala, a visitor to the museum. The collection at the Coptic museum was painstakingly gathered across decades by Simaika, who brought it together from various archaeological sites, Egypt's many grand palaces, and the homes of private collectors. Simaika's newly renovated museum is now a model of what many tourists and art aficionados wish the other often over-crowded and disorganised museums in Egypt could be - a serene setting for an enchanting journey through some of the wonders of Egypt's rich history.

ITN Source | August 15, 2007

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