AND REVIEW

BY

BISHOP OF SHEBEEN AL KANATER AND EXTENSION

TRANSLATED BY : 

THE ENGLISH EDITION, 1996

THE COPTIC ART, ITS LEADING ROLE IN THE UNIVERSAL ARTS.

BY: FATHER YUSAB AL SYRIANY.

COVER PICTURE : FROM PIER DE BOURGUET BOOK

OTHER PICTURES FROM MR. NABIL SELIM’S BOOK: COPTIC ART - SCULPTURE, ARCHITECTURE.

FIRST EDITION 1995 AD

ANBA RUWEIS OFFSET, ABBASSIA, CAIRO.

TRANSLATION TO ENGLISH BY DRS. SAMIR & MAGED MIKHAIL.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

USA.

“And God saw that it was good”.[ Genesis 1: 10]

What a delight to observe the majestic things created by our God ?.

Man made also beautiful things.! All the believers join the rest of the creation in the praise and glorification of the Lord.

The Coptic art is distinguished by its deep roots, that goes back for thousands years. It followed the long lasting Pharaonic arts and antiquities. It was influenced by other arts, yet it kept its own distinct characteristics. Without any doubt it has been inspired by the Coptic spirit, its Orthodox beliefs and stayed in line, under the church’s theology, its language, history and rite.

I am completely gratified seeing a comprehensive book, written by my brother Father Yusab Al Syriany, dealing with the Coptic art. I congratulate him for the wonderful, and splendid effort that adds to the so many gifts he has, by writing about the Coptic art, its nature, relation and consequence on other arts

The author has an immense experience in this field, specially after his association with the professors at the University of Leinden in. Holland. He researched and covered many references, written in many languages about the Coptic art. He is highly skillful in creating and producing artistic icons, mosaic work, portraits and pictures, many of which filled some of our churches, monasteries in Egypt and abroad. God blesses his marvelous work.

Thanks be to the Lord, for this impressive work. We give thanks to Pope Shenouda III, Pope and Patriarch of the Coptic Orthodox Church, the See Of St. Mark, in Egypt and abroad, whose support to the education of the monks, and discovering those among them, who have the ability and talent. With the help of the University of Leinden, in Holland, we have seen the fruits of their supervision and care. Again we thank Father Yusab, for the persistent effort and the superb work. God bless his enthusiasm for the benefits he extended to our beloved church in this field.

Samuel

By the Grace of God

Bishop of Shebeen Al Kanater and extension.

No creditable person can deny the principal role of the Church of Alexandria among the churches in the early era of Christian. The blood of its martyrs and confessors still revives its deeply rooted faith to our present time. The church then had the predominate responsibility in the Council of Nicea under the leadership of Pope Alexander and Deacon Athanasius, who wrote the Christian Creed. He defended the true faith, and faced a world full of heretic ideas. He stood up and victoriously led the world to safety. The Church of Alexandria maintained its leadership during the time of Pope Cyril and Theophilus. The Library of Alexandria at that time was the beacon of the old world as well as the Theological School, under Pentinus and Clement, Origen and Didimus. Monasticism was originated in Egypt, and the church was blessed by the prayers of Anba Paula, Anba Anthony, St., Makar and Anba Amon, Anba Bachom and Anba Shenouda the Archimandrite. The Coptic monasticism continued its leading role, and acted like the heart that pumps the blood to the rest of the body so it can survive. The body was the church. Monasticism in Egypt, had been always the resource that nourished the church. Monasteries produce richness in knowledge and provides libraries and manuscripts. Some of these monasteries became highly in the art of architecture, like the White and the Red Monasteries, built by the Archimandrite Anba Shenouda. Both monasteries show the most distinctive character of the Coptic art till our present time. Monasteries of St. Jeremiah at Saqqara, Anba Hydra in Aswan, Al Kashef in the Oasis and others have the similar features.

Art has a place in the monasteries. It is worth mentioning that specific arrangement of the icons in the Egyptian monasteries showed us how it was in the Christian world then. This is clearly observed about the icons in the Monasteries of Anba Anthony, Anba Paula in the Red Sea region and the recent discovery in the historic church in the Baramus Monastery.

The church never had a marginal role in arts, but rather a leading one, unfortunately the early models were destroyed along the years when the church was defending its faith.

Hopefully this book will stretch some light over the various characters that distinguish the Coptic art.

One strong reason behind publishing this book, is to amend the erroneous statements that frequently appear in some foreign references claiming the Coptic art as a subsidiary to the Byzantine art. This is absolutely unfair to the Coptic art.

In this publication I want to emphasize the authentic originality of the Christian art. Without any doubt, the Copts, were the first to create icons. Icons were known in Egypt before the beginning of Christianity. They were found in the portraits of Fayoum and Ikhmeem where the Copts used to keep them at their homes as they still do, up to our present time. At that time, only Egypt was the only country in the Christian world to have icons. Later the Copts illustrated, Lord Christ, Virgin Mary, St. George, Archangel Michael, beside the subjects of Ascension and entering Jerusalem etc. .The Coptic people, were artists by nature, they decorated their homes, buildings and the churches with tapestry, precious stone and religious pictures.

This is my primary aim that I want to express in this book, but it is also necessary to write in general about the Christian art and how it began in Jerusalem, Syria and Constantinople, etc.

At the end of this book, I included a concise chapter to deal with many elements created by the Copts, like decorative and architectural works beside other things.

I am in no position to claim an absolute fulfillment of my goal in writing this book, as its pages are limited, but tried to spread some light over the main subjects. Each subject, on its own, deserves a full scrutiny. It is just a beginning and a hope that I can achieve, as well as other researchers, to fulfill a duty to present the undistorted Coptic art. It would be the utmost gratification, to see some Copts, including monks researching the Coptic art. We mention with gratitude, the “cooperation program” between the University of Leinden in Holland and the Institute for Coptic Studies in Cairo, where many lectures were given there and in monasteries, promoting such researches. Professor Dr. Paul Van Maurel is fulfilling the goals of this cooperation that Dr. Hant began. Many lectures are conducted covering this subject in the institute in Cairo and some of the Egyptian monasteries.

My thanks to His Holiness Pope Shenouda III for giving me the opportunity to study the Coptic art at Leinden University. My thanks go also to H. G. Bishop Samuel who kindly reviewed this book, writing its introduction and providing some Arabic and Foreign references. I thank Monk Begaul Al Syriany together with the brethren who assisted me in publishing this book.

The Author

Those who review references of Christian art, find many models from the Coptic art. They may find entire chapters dealing with it. Famous museums and universities from all over the world, even these in small towns, are loaded with pieces from the Coptic arts. Prestigious museums like the Louvre in Paris, and other great museums, designate sections, devoted entirely to the Coptic art, that give pride to the Egyptian visitors reminding them of their heritage. The same is true in the museums of Berlin, the Metropolitan of London and the Royal Museum in Belgium. All of them contain many magnificent and perfect models of the original Coptic art.

Among these abundant models, there are many pieces of tapestry made by the Copts who were known for their achievement in that particular art from the second to the sixth centuries. Pieces of sculpture made from stone, marble, ivory and metal are exhibited together with other church articles. All of these were made by Copts who acquired a distinctive industrial styles.

The Coptic art is original, and has its own identity with distinctive characteristics, that grew and excelled in a short period.

It is a popular people’s art that was raised and became a cultivated knowledge among the general public.

This art, in spite of its distinct individuality, progressed with belief among its people. Its artistic structure was adjusted through the different ages, that one historian stated, “Their popular heroes were dressed in different costumes, from an old Egyptian dress to a classical Greek over garment, with many colors taken from the Persian and Indian’s styles.”

Some elements in the Coptic arts came from other arts through the political and commercial connections. In Alexandria, because of its unique location, the artists, were influenced by the Greek and Roman arts. They adopted and later modified the crowns which they put on the pillars after eliminating its Roman features. They took also from the Byzantine and the Persian arts. Regardless, the Coptic art kept its essential Coptic and national identity and kept its characteristics intact.

As the Coptic art reached its significant level, the prestigious universities condensed their interest by establishing different departments, to study and research it. Higher academic and specialized graduate studies were established together with granting academic degrees for the researchers. The Department of History at Leinden University in Holland, for example established such studies and I was personally privileged to be among the Egyptian monks who attended there. While we were there, we attended the representation of Dr. Karl Enemee about the “Clerical dress in Egypt and Nubia”, for which he was granted the Ph. D. degree with honor.

There is a similar department at the University of Monster, Germany, chaired by Professor Kravse that has strong ties with the University of Leinden and both share the same interest in Coptic studies. On June, 1990, at The University of Monster, Father Samuel Al Syriany, now Bishop Samuel, lectured explaining the different phases of Coptic architecture for the Coptic churches of Egypt. The author, lectured on the Coptic art of the Seventeenth Century. Among the attendees was our Professor Doctor Gawdad Gabra the director of the Coptic Museum in Cairo.

Universities all over the world, usually have similar departments and they send students and researchers to Egypt to visit the places on site. Had the Coptic art continued its path and wasn’t stopped, it would have reached much better status.

Prof. Dr. Goodleveski, the chairman at the University of Warsaw in Poland, is among the supporters who appreciate the Coptic art.. By the same token, Professor Doctor Indre Grober of the University of Paris published a book on icons and designated a great part of of the book to the Coptic art.

We have to remember the late Prof. Dr. Pier De Borjier, the director of the Coptic section at the Louvre Museum, who extensively published books and articles on the Coptic art. Among his publications, is a 700 page volume that dealt only with tapestry. This book is considered to be on the top in its kind.

It is worth mentioning that Dr. Borjier, made a model for himself to see first hand, how the Copts used the machine in knitting tapestry and getting the knowledge of the technical methods in the early centuries. We specified a whole chapter about tapestry.

Worldwide, there are numerous publications which deal with Coptic arts because of the highest interest in studying the Coptic art academically. This interest became a priority among many universities studying all related Coptic subjects of the Twentieth Century.

For its merit, the Coptic art was able to accommodate all people and to adjust to their world. It found a place, in palaces of eminent people and proved its presence. It showed its importance, when it expressed subjects from the Bible, not to be hanged on the walls, but to shine spiritually on them. The artists expressed the strong faith, which survived all materialistic environments that prevailed all over the world. The Coptic art, before it lost its brightness in the nineteenth century, contributed generously not only to Egypt, but to all the world, whether Europe or the East, with a fresh beautiful look, establishing new dimensions in the Christian faith that united the earth with heavens.[Pier De Borjier]

As an art in good standing, the Coptic art has successfully met the contemporary artistic concerns. It radically reached the understanding of how to change without loosing its general elements. It acquired new directions where decoration became prominent. This may be due to the new developments, but in fact it chose the best contemporary direction, thus produced valuable work from time to time.

Accordingly, the Coptic art was able to transfer many of the Eastern-Greek works to Europe. It even revived some of the forms to adjust according to the need of the people and still is used in the rural art in all Europe [Pier De Borjier]

In spite of the fact that Coptic artists were inspired by some work of ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Persians, Byzantine and Indians, yet they didn’t abundant their heritage nor the principles of their traditional art except rarely.

The Coptic artist illustrated subjects from the Greek and South East Asia in a new simple style characterized by a pure Coptic fashion.

The Coptic art was inspired mainly from the public than from the authoritative class and covered the way of their thinking particularly after the conquests of Alexander the Great. These conquests connected and mixed the corners of the East and brought new philosophies, particularly the Platonic philosophy to Alexandria. People didn’t limit what was visible to be the only proof for existence, but also for the unseen things. This became the new concept which applied too in arts. Expression and formation opened the way for a simple art that depended on what is seen and what is not. As Christianity acknowledges the incarnation of God, the Coptic art paved the way to make understandable the theory for what is seen and what is not.

Thus Egypt acquired more creditability over other countries in this popular art which was embraced by the people, yet not supported by the rulers. It was a real picture of actual life, without consideration to the third dimension, that was seen as a barrier between what was touchable and what was free.

The craftsmen, who were guided by an old faith, continued within their path, following the steps of their ancestors, and adjusted their work to be under one thought of knowing the unseen through what was seen.

This added some essential changes, abandoning the referred and adopting, blooming characteristics gradually, that were not acquired by either geographical nor social and environmental events. This was augmented, by the fact that monasteries, then, controlled Christianity in Egypt, particularly during the growth of the Coptic art between the third and eighth centuries.

Possibly, the Coptic art, could have prosperously continued to improve with time, to much higher level than what it achieved before, but with the Arab conquest, it met bitter surroundings.

With the Arab conquest, Coptic art didn’t develop nor flourish and the ties between the Egyptian Coptic Church and the rest of the Christian world were weakened. So it is impossible to characterize the Coptic art of that period that followed the eighth century as a Coptic art. It may be more appropriate to describe it as an art by the Copts, or to put it accurately as “the Christian side of the Arabic art.”

With limited freedom left for this art, it continued to struggle to survive with what was remaining or what was permitted for it. In its struggle it neglected the symmetry and this tainted the art during its Arabic stage of life. However, this didn’t stop it from inspiring some vitality to insure its survival by resisting the conquerors, even by trying to attract them to the art, till it reaches a modern appearance.

There are three stages for the Coptic art:

1- The Vigilant Stage.

2- The stage of Completeness. ( Coptic)

3- The Stage of Expansion. (art of the Copts)

The success of the Pharaonic art seemed to be a product of an old vision, old as humanity itself. It grew and flourished then it was modified by the events of ancient Egypt. A vision where the eye is connected to things by a spontaneous and strong link. It goes through from their exterior to the full depth without bothering with the details for a while, to comprehend the principal concept. The beauty of this vision may not be described by lines and relevancy as much as it reflects the nearest picture of life from the lines, surfaces, and sizes of the objects.

This was an effective and dominant element in the history of ancient Egypt, that elevated Alexandria to the peak, when responded to the Coptic art, following a dormant period under the sovereignty of the Greco-Roman art. It didn’t offer more than it could, except under the influence of the religion that claimed kings as gods. This conception, of bonding the king with a god, in a natural, obligatory connection, supported the two elements of the art, namely what is seen and what is not. If a king came and had no Egyptian blood and dissociated from previous families, he would be considered as a representative to the gods and not as a son to them. He would loose the ability to lift up his people, as he had no divine claim. This becomes a loss to the art itself and without the deep inspiration, becomes concerned with the superficial aspects of life, in contradistinction to the previous ages, where the art shined with masterpieces that reached the extreme completeness, as it was expressing the unseen through what was seen.

The Coptic art thus was an objective art, yet it didn’t loose its popularity. As an art of common people, it left behind great collective works. And participated individually according to each one’s ability. It was a committed art that led man to proceed courageously with greatness and grace, without ignoring the reality of everyday events.

The variation and similarity in the shapes determined an identity from the unity of the Coptic Egyptian art, that led to some obscurity in understanding this art, and made it difficult for many to appreciate its substance.

The purpose of talking about the Pharaonic art is to clarify its principal effective role in building the Coptic art, beside another effective factors from the Greek Roman civilization. These factors were capable to produce a beautiful art by skilled hands, that left the Copts with credible heritage. This makes every Copt feels to be proud as a true Egyptian.

Only after the Arab conquest, that the word “Copt” was created. It simply meant the people of Egypt. It also identified every thing related to them as religion, language and art, to be Coptic. The word itself is the original Egyptian name in the city of Menph “Ha-Ka-Ptah” a name of the temple of Ptah in Memphis. The name of Memphis the capital was used also to include all Egypt, the same as the present custom. It used to be “Egyptos”, a Greek word. When this name was arabized they dropped the first letter that was taken as a definition letter like the word “the”, also the last letter. The word became Gypt that turned Kept. and was used to identify the Christian Egyptians, than the country itself.

Here we need to understand how the Coptic art became an identity with its specific characteristics. We have to comprehend the various factors that contributed to its formation.

Alexandria was the contact point for the Greek and Roman civilizations, and where their artistic work developed. It is logic to find the conquered people by Alexander the Great and later by the Romans Empire, were influenced by the conquerors in their culture, views, traditions and stories.

The Egyptian religions inherited from the Pharaohs were weakened by the Romans and the Greeks stories, particularly during the Ptolemy’s time. The old Egyptian religions and its Pharaonic stories gradually faded and were replaced by Greek and Roman tales. Once these accounts appeared in Alexandria, they spread to the rest of Egypt, to “Anthonewa” (Sheik Abada) and Al Ashmunayn. Soon these Greek stories with Alexandrine taste, were mixed with similar Greek stories that came from Syria and Tadmor. [possibly through Christians, craftsmen or Roman fighters, who emigrated to Egypt].

At the beginning, the Coptic art looked like any other art within the rest the Christian world, however, by the end of the fourth century it became different from the Syrian art and used different styles.

In spite of the spread of Christianity and the destruction of the pagan statues of the Greek - Roman era, by the Copts, by the end of the fourth century, yet the artists were still strongly influenced by the Hellenic style. They even copied some pagan scenes in the early Coptic era.

Some of the stories, were indecent, with Hellenic and Alexandrine art that showed the luxury of that time. Some of this Hellenic work of the third and fourth centuries was pleasant and admirable.

Among the subjects which came from Alexandria and Bachus, particularly the pictures of Dionisius and Ardiani or those topics covering Nile [Nilos, the god of the Nile] or those of Hercules, the birth of Aphroditi, the stories of Apollo, Daphni, Lida, rural scenarios, the little love angels, or the winged boys and the knights of [19] and Sassan .

Some early Coptic artists used pagan stories in their sculpture on wood metal and textiles, as they were deeply influenced by the surrounding Greek - Roman art, with its magnificent scenes. They used them to decorate the edges of their buildings and its balconies. One should remember that in the early stage of Christianity, people didn’t comprehend fully the Christian concept.

People being new to Christianity, didn’t grasp they didn’t realize at the same time the resentment of Christianity to indecency for a while. Later when Christianity was declared by Emperor Theodosius, as the official religion of the land, the people gradually understood fully the principles of the Christian religion. The artists gradually followed the new morals and that took sometime.

Accordingly, the Christian art receded from the Greek - Roman art and turned to objects, which expressed clearly the realities of the Christian beliefs with honesty in seeking the Kingdom of God.

The merits of Egypt were reflected on the Christian art, purifying it from some of the symbols of the past and followed the Christian way that was adopted by the churches and the fathers who responded in using the ancient philosophy to benefit the faith. The Christian art inherited the best of the old tradition and what was available and replaced it to Christian realities. Thus the Christian art became in essence a modification to many theories that covered the local civilization, tradition, religion beside what was concurrent.

An Example:

A statue or a drawing of a shepherd carrying a load on his shoulders and standing amidst the sheep. This was popular in the pagan Roman art used as an emblem for good will. This was changed quickly to a Christian symbol. The shepherd became to The Lord Christ, “The Good Shepherd”. Similarly another picture was for a person, standing, raising his hands and

Symbol for the good shepherd

praying. It represented the Roman righteousness, but with the arrival of Christianity, it became one of its symbols. A philosopher was portrayed sitting, holding a bundle of paper was used during the Christian era, to represent the Lord Christ, the True Philosopher and the Source of Holy Wisdom. The same was repeated with his disciples who spread the wisdom. Thus the three old scenes representing, good will, righteousness and wisdom were used intelligently to serve the Christian faith.

As the Egyptians embraced Christianity, they looked to the church, for guidance and education in their Christian belief. With the new freedom, the Christian art grew and the craftsmen and labors rushed into it creating new excellent subjects. Consequently many responded to this perception by creating big collections of pictures from the New and old Testaments.

Many illustrated manuscripts from the Gospel became plentiful during this period, [between the fourth and fifth centuries], some of which were received at a later date, like the Rapaula Manuscripts from Syria and the Cottongensies etc.

Simple models and manuscripts appeared with plain drawings more readily than pictures and mosaic in churches. Some historians believe that the mosaic pictures and the church wall paintings in Rafna and other places were inspired by the manuscripts at that time.

In Alexandria, because of its site, the environment was different than the rest of the country. It was where the original Greek-Roman art was changed to the Coptic style while keeping some of its taste at least in the early time. Elsewhere, the national employees and the rich farmers were more conservative than the intellectuals of Alexandria, and succeeded to define new features for the Coptic art.

2- STAGE OF COPTIC COMPLETENESS.

The early changes in decoration and drawing became noticeable round the middle of the fifth century. For a short time, some art pieces showed a combination of Christian and pagan symbols together, but later pagan pictures were entirely replaced with pure Christian symbols.

Without doubt, monasticism had undeniable role in this diversion, Monks and some artists, stopped the trend of copying the pagan Alexandrine art to their churches. The Byzantine art which was conceived in the Holy Land, the birth place of the Lord Christ, was adopted instead. Monasticism was also growing there.

Christians looked at Alexandria and its art as an animated Hellenic thinking and a pagan art, thus monks and devout people tried since the fifthe century to decorate theit churches with Christian Byzantine art. [as mentioned by the universal references and the words of Pier De Borjier]. They rejected the Alexandrine art with its pagan character, despite its artistic abilities. However the Alexandrine art did contribute to the Coptic art by supplying important elements of symbolism. It was used in all Eastern Churches till the fourth century before being replaced by historical subjects taken from the Holy Books.

A representation stage of symbolism in the Christian art.

Finally the Coptic art became the art of Christian Egypt in expressing religion or subjects from the regular life-span. It acquired general new symbolism’s of Christian Style in every subject with new beautiful inspirations. Many exhibitions were installed and became full with craftsmen’s work. The artists respected the new style which elevated it to be a great art, used in buildings, sculpture and paintings.

Contrary to the Greek and the Roman arts, the Coptic art wasn’t an architectural decoration. The Coptic sculptor used to put his product haphazardly in any place in the building as he pleased. He used to put mosaic in decorating pillars without any architectural rule.

This was only an unrestricted stage for this art which acquired incentives and capabilities and availability and it seemed as if the artists had to express themselves without restriction. They were concerned with ideas only and not with the overall appearance, ignoring comparative sizes etc. also avoided large spaces as if their thoughts may be disrupted.

The artist thought he might reach his goal of dimensions by using different big sections than by following proportion. This defined the features of the art.

For some, it looked like the features of the Byzantine art, but this wasn’t the case as it proved its independence and its tendency to modification. This assured its unique character.

The Coptic art in reality achieved many great works by people who looked for idealism and were able to translate realities to practicalities. It assured its individuality and produced extensive work in decor and tapestry, and successful stood among the contemporary arts, preserving the essence of Christianity. Even with the Arab conquest, it didn’t disappear, but didn’t progress much as one would have hoped.

The art stayed the same till the twelfth century and many archeological experts thought that it was about to die within a century. They based their assumption on its adherence to the Greek art at one time that in their views would kill its originality. That was a wrong assumption and later, these scientists abandoned their previous judgment when they found that the art survived the Arab rule.

After the Arab conquest, during the middle ages, the Coptic art had no chance to regenerate. It was influenced by the early Islamic works in and outside Egypt. It is certain that a number of Copts craftsmen shared in building the Mosques of the Dome of the rock and Al Aqsa, the Great Mosque in Damascus and Samara, west of Baghdad. They even inserted some Coptic units in the decoration of these mosques.

Thus the Coptic art began as a popular art, then became a decorative work during its time. It tried to meddle with the surrounding circumstances but continued to follow the Pharaonic art. Despite the Hellenic occupation, it kept its Pharaonic inheritance but was stimulated by the Nubian art. It also provided the Islamic art whether in or outside Egypt with some of it properties.

It also produced a kind of marvelous imagination, that pushed decoration ahead of the subject itself, something similar to what modern pieces of art have.

The Coptic art itself was like a beautiful icon, as if it was made by a creative artist. It was full of motion and affection, inspired by the effect of different events, through his own imagination.

The Coptic art had a unique mission, not attained by others through the years. It was used by common people, utilizing poor materials and not sponsored by any sovereignty or art centers, yet it succeeded and achieved personal special styles. It was supported by the monks and the church, to whom it reciprocated, by giving them its best. With this strong qualifications it influenced the Byzantine world as a whole. This was the level of excellence the Coptic art reached in the Seventh century when it stood with world’s arts and was recognized by its mastery as an acknowledged fine art. Regretfully, few scholars judged it unfairly.

It is obvious how this art was flexible and became interacted with literature at that time, without any zealot or egotism. Coptic illustrations, during this golden time, retained serious-mindedness that characterized the few Alexandrine subjects it covered, as it did also in tapestry, bronze decoration, carved or wooden art. Similar Alexandrine industrial pieces flooded the market, accompanied with decorated tales, inspired from Denisius, Apherdoiti and others. Christianity didn’t shy away from these subjects that were considered literature. Other Christian and Oriental subjects appeared briefly in the Coptic art till the Arab conquest.

Accordingly, this book: expresses firmly the different fields of the Coptic art, and how it grew while it was encircled by many violent events, under repeated heavy burdens, till the Holy Spirit, effectively helped the long overpowered people.

At the beginning, the land of Egypt was in the hands of the Pharaohs, then fell to by the Greek, followed by the Romans at the time when Christianity arrived. Egypt was then, under the Byzantine rule, as the rest of the Christian world. Tremendous number of churches were built in capital of the empire, but only few outside it. Among the unique churches that were built at that time in Egypt, were in the Mariut Desert. Some remnants of these churches were found near the Monastery of St. Mina.

These churches were built sporadically, in different styles in a dissociated pattern. That was the early Coptic art then, as Christianity was in its infancy, and was still a mixture or a combination of idols and Christianity, guided only by their limited experience. It was also mixed with Greek, Roman and Pharaonic styles. For example, the Egyptian and Roman funerary illustrations were found side by side to Pharaonic plaster. Many tombs in Alexandria, Tuna El Gabal, near Al Ashmunayn, and in some churches were built like semi rocky temples, with many illustrations of Roman and Egyptian styles. In the Exterior Oasis, we find in the dome of the Exodus Church, some tiny illustrations, presenting about twenty stories from both the New and Old testaments as well as for martyrs in a casual way, far to be considered an art.

After the Byzantine influence faded, the art began gradually to find its way in establishing churches with a real Egyptian art. During this period, the Coptic Patriarchs in Alexandria freely managed their own affairs.

Monasticism then emerged and flourished and was proud of its martyrs and saints. It was and still considered as a death from the world, with an approach to God to live with Him. Many men lived in monasteries and women lived in convents where artistic works appeared, with a common character, inspired by the new role for the Patriarch of Alexandria, as defined by the Apostolic Pope Athanasius and Pope Cyril. The position of the Coptic Patriarch at that time was the most eminent among other papal seats around the world, including Rome, Jerusalem and Constantinople.

There is no doubt that political and religious independence paved the road tremendously in front of the early Coptic art. Most of the monks were from the core of the Egyptian people and its farmers. They were filled with national and religion inspirations and were capable to free the art from the Greek, Roman and even the Pharaonic ties, establishing the initiation of the Coptic art.

With time the craftsmen, blessed by their deep faith, pursued the way that brought them to the golden era of the Coptic art. Had this continued, it would have reached the ability of a fine art that matured in its style and character in a short time, less than three centuries.

This Coptic period was between the Roman-Greek-Egyptian, [not far from the Pharaonic], one side and the Islamic period on the other side that extended between the fourth to the seventh centuries. The period to the twelfth century was an unclear and full of obscurities and was responsible of the loss of important stages within it. It’s obscurity was mainly due to an interrupted chain of events in the history of the Egyptian art and loosing many links.

This book accordingly, will follow series of steps showing the growth of this art and its path from its start, recording what was there and what disappeared, talking about these masterpieces that are exhibited on the walls of museums around the world.

Before we talk about the Coptic art which is an extension of the Christian art as whole, it is necessary to discuss the origin of the Christian art itself, its sources and how it started and developed. It is important to find out how the Christian artists were inspired in selecting the work subjects and how this marvelous art was born. Was it conceived by chance ? or it went through numerous stages before it saw the light. There are indications, that it was born to grow, to express the ultimate religion of all.!

We will refer also to the early subjects used in the Christian art that were frequently mentioned by the historians.

King of “Alreha”, Odessa, who became sick with many ailments, sent a messenger to the Lord Christ after he heard about His wonderful miracles He asking the Christ to come and heal and to be able to see His majestic face. The God of glory, put a handkerchief on His face and His holy Picture was printed on it. When the king received the handkerchief, he kissed it and put it on his face and he was cured instantly. This story circulated in the old days and was mentioned by Eusabius the Cesarean in his autobiography in the third century. Abu Nasr Yehya, a. Christian Arab writer, mentioned that he saw himself the handkerchief at St. Sophia in 1058 AD.

Whether this story was true or not, the point behind it, indicates that there was a picture for the Lord Christ, in the early days of the dawn of Christianity. This is also what the next story points to.

Ausapius, a historian, mentioned about the woman in the Gospel, that our Lord Christ, cured her from her bleeding. She put an illustration on the door of her house, picturing the glorified Lord, while she was bowing at His feet. It is believed that the Lord must permitted her to do that. Such events, probably were an inspiration in making such icons.

Eusabius in his book “The Church’s History” reported, “I have seen many pictures for our Savior, Peter and Paul, that were preserved to this day”. He described in details the illustration he saw in the town of Pias, in Palestine where the woman with the blood flow was made, as was mentioned earlier.

It was reported that St. Luke himself, a talented artist who once illustrated the Virgin Lady, carrying the Christ as a child and the churches copied it later. Father Vanslip, a historian mentioned that he saw an old icon for the Archangel Michael in the Cathedral in Alexandria, said to be painted by St. Luke.

The Christian art was seen also in the first century in the burying areas known as the “Catacombs”.

These were dugout cellars or bunkers made to bury the poor in the Roman Empire. The rich used to be buried in tombs made from marble or designed stone

When these cellars get full, they used to dig the earth for more space, and sometimes at different levels, one above the other. Their openings were closed by strips of marble or stone, on them the name and possible the occupation of the deceased were written.

They acquired great importance because of the illustrations, that went back to the second and third centuries and later. These were very common during the time of the Roman Empire. Many were found outside the walls of the old city of Rome, as it was customary to bury the dead outside the city. Others were discovered in Alexandria, in the district of “Kom Al Shawqaffa”, decorated with illustrations, most of which were not for Christian. In one place a picture for the Lord Christ, crushing serpents under His feet was found on a wall. This particular picture didn’t gain fame like others. We will talk about icons later in this book.

Only recently some similar cellars were discovered at King Mariut, near Alexandria and also in the regions of “Kartaganah”. Such cellars must exist in places where digging was not difficult. Places like Cairo and in Delta were not considered fit for digging. It was also customary to prepare these places in areas accessible to people and relatives of the deceased where they can sit and rest, on occasions and anniversaries.

One of the most popular illustrations they painted the walls of these cellars, was the picture of the Good Shepherd, carrying a sheep on his shoulder and surrounded by others on his right and left, with a view of trees in the background. Originally it was a pagan idea but was modified during the Christian era.

Subjects were like, Lazarus, the three youth in the inferno, and throwing Jonah in the sea and Noah, his ark, the Lord Christ with Paul and Peter, the Lord and the Samaritan woman, Moses and crossing of the Red Sea, Samson and the Palestinian, Samson killing the lion or the lion beside him surrounded by the bees, the women with the blood flow, Jonah, Adam, Eve, Moses and the rock, Daniel in the den of the lions and Peter denying the Lord Christ with the rooster etc.

It is interesting to find some of these subjects were illustrated in a symbolic way, for example, a drawing of fish in a basket of bread, referring to the miracle of the five loafs of bread, and the two fishes. They also symbolize the Christ’s Body and Blood.

It is worth mentioning that among the pictures in these catacombs were illustrations picturing many individuals sitting at a table, but their number didn’t correspond to the number of the apostles in the last supper, as it was only meant in remembrance to the deceased.

This will lead us to talk about the tombs of the deceased themselves, namely the sarcophagus.

These are the coffins in which the rich were buried and were made from stone, some were carved, others were not As Christianity spread gradually and only recognized as an official religion by the third century, we find that the same makers who did the pagan styles were the same who carved the tombs with Christian objects. Accordingly, we find that the same crafts people manufactured the caskets for both the pagans and the Christians. There was a big mixture between the styles for the sarcophagus and the catacombs.

In general, we can differentiate between the old and the more recent by the style of carving and the design of the scenery. Originally, these were separated from each other by architectural pillars and the others by plants and trees.

What is important here is that they carried Christian characters since the third and the fourth centuries. We also notice that the subjects were the same, on the tombs as those in the catacombs, like the complete story of Jonah or getting out of the whale beside similar stories as the woman with the blood flow and the miracle of changing the water to wine , the cure of the blind, the blessing of the five loaves and the two fishes, Daniel in the den with the lions and raising Lazarus, the three wise men presenting their gifts, Christ the child beside the Virgin and the good shepherd.

Models. from the Christian art on the tombs

Some of these illustrations, showed the Lord Christ with a beard, others without one and some having long hair. On occasions, there would be a picture of the deceased appearing together with his wife in a snail or “mondorla” or corona. The features in some pictures did not have clear features, as these tombs usually were built ahead and ready to be used for burial in a harry with no time to define the features of the deceased

The beginning for the illustration of the cross on the tombs.

Visitors returning from the Holy Land used to take with them from Jerusalem a box filled with recollection items like some dust or gravel from the places they considered holy. On its cover some events that happened in this Holy Land were illustrated. In its middle there is the crucifixion icon showing Christ stabbed by the guard and the Virgin Mary leaning down and Joseph the carpenter putting his hand on his cheek. Another picture is for the Child Christ in the manger and above there is a window similar to the one in the Nativity Church in Jerusalem, a cow and a donkey around. Also another icons for the Baptism and ascension.

The cover of the box

These pictures shows the sites of the church of Jerusalem, as was built by King Constantine and Queen Helena, some changed occurred since and it still exists to our time. These old pictures were very well made and had enormous effect on the Christian art as a whole and became very popular that were copied frequently.

One of these boxes is preserved in the Vatican Museum that goes back to the fifth and early sixth centuries. [580 - 600]

In the fifth and the sixth centuries, Jerusalem as the rest of the holy places, people used to sell visitors, metallic containers filled with water from the Jordan river, to take back to their countries..

These containers have illustrations on both sides representing stories from the holy land. On one side there would be a cross and the resurrection and on the other side, there were seven illustrations about nativity, the life of Lord Christ on earth, the annunciation, baptism, miracles, resurrection and the ascension.

A picture of a model of Monza vessel

It also carried the meaning of the icon in the early phase of the Coptic art. As an example, for the Nativity Icon, the Virgin Mary appeared with the manger taking a shape of a building with a small window, similar to what the visitors saw at the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem at that time. In the resurrection icon and the holy tomb looked like a building, resembling Resurrection Church building at that time. We found the same subjects in other illustrations of the same period.

These vessels extended from Jerusalem to the rest of the Christian world. Many pieces are found in many museums and are known as the vessels of Monza, a city in Italy which has a big collection of them.

The icon is a message, that has an effective teaching role. It has a deep power on the church’s life, worship and homage. Its simple colors are the spoken words that declare and explain the Gospel. They clarify the teaching of the church and lift the believer’s hearts towards eternal life.

The Gospel is also a Divine Icon, illustrated by the Holy Spirit, informing us, in a human language, about the Divine Love, salvation and our acceptance to His eternal glory. Its strength is not in writing but in its deep spirituality which attracts the soul to live with God.

Icons are an open Gospel which is open to all, and are written in universal simple colors. Their aim is to fortify our link with the Holy Triad. They pull the souls to beyond this world and represent events from the Old and the New Testament, to show our relations with heaven and the angelic beings. They stimulate our zeal towards the glory of heaven, explain many mysteries from the Holy Book, as well as their spiritual meanings. In reality, I need more space than what is available to me in this book to write and talk about the icons from the Old Testament. The Karuba of the tombs and the copper serpent are some of these subjects. From the New Testament, we have the Divine incarnation, the manifestation of God Himself on earth in a visible way, as an individual that could be illustrated, beside His life on earth that could be inspired on icons as well as expressing them in writing.

We mentioned King Abgar, king of Odessa and St. Luke, who illustrated St. Mary and the child Christ, to stress that different artworks were known from the dawn of history and before Christianity. The Pharaohs were the first to initiate art that excelled to perfection. What testimony can be stronger than what they left to us, all over our land.

All the marvelous colored illustrations the Greek and the Romans left in Egypt, show how important the art was then. Countless art pieces, particularly those in mosaic, plastered pictures which were created by artists from these two periods, were discovered. Some of these pictures illustrating stories and tales were found in the exhibition of the priest “Beth Oziros” in Tuna Al Gabal in Malwi.

This art’s trend didn’t stop, but rather continued during the Coptic era, that made some changes, due to the religion change from that which was inherited from their forefathers. They kept some symbols to be used in religious pictures that without doubt resembled the old Egyptian pictures.

It was necessary to maintain the important role for the icons in spite of the objection of the early church fathers. The new church leaders re-approved their use to simplify the understanding of the Christian beliefs at the early stage of Christianity. Icons helped not only the new religion, but also in abandoning idolatry and the worshipping of the emperors. Icons were permitted again to illustrate Lord Christ, St. Mary, the apostles and saints of different periods.

The idea behind these illustrations was to teach these simple common people at their level of understanding, what the Holy Bible offered. Sanctifying pictures led later to arguments and even wars.

In the art of religion, a man’s picture is a historical document, but can’t replace an icon. People and holy events are represented by the icons as a chronicled events for time and creation, “Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God” [Romans 8 : 21].

The new heaven and earth for the second creation were represented in the icons. Even mountains, rocks, desert, fields, trees and buildings reflected some light in the new time. Eternity itself began in the icons. The subjects of nature and creation were liberated from its bondage to the laws of time. The creatures, illustrated in icons didn’t represent the true feelings nor characters. The association between the saints and the beasts illustrated in the icons, was similar to that between Adam and the creatures displayed in heaven, “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them” [Isaiah 11 : 6] ; “they shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea” [Isaiah 11 : 9].

Tapestry from the Coptic Period

From that hour, there was no hurting to the creatures, as hyena would bow by its head to the ground, would be kneeling, bending its claws and looking up and down.(St. Maqarius of Alexandria)

“Afterwards, blessed Bachume learned to trust God, that on many occasions he crushed serpents and scorpions without harm and whenever he crossed a river, the crocodile that carried him to his destination”. [St. Pachome Abbot of Tabenne and the Crecosiles and the Saints. - Waddell]

Pleasure and joy of earthy nature were not represented in icons, only the permanent joy of eternal life, that doesn’t fade. The icon is a mirror for the established peaceful life, it is the hearty prayers of the saints. It is the Holy Spirit describing the holiness and beauty of the coming eternal life of the Kingdom of God.

“Whose adorning let it not be that outward adoring of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; but let it be the hidden man of the heart, is that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the slight of God of great price.” [I Peter : 3 : 3,4]

“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things” [Philippians 4 : 8]

The mysteries of the sanctification of the church are transmitted through signs and forms, which are the language icons. Symbolism helps to understand the subjects in depth in an artistic way. Icons express events as if they happened at the present time. For example, the temptation of the Lord Christ was and still considered as a going event. Individuals and the holy events in their eyes were not limited by time, but related to every period, for everyone and thus the events in the Gospel, were seen as if they were occurring at the present time.

The icon does not represent an event nor a person, but rather providing joy to live with the Lord Christ among the saints. The language of icons for the nativity or the resurrection scenes are vivid that gives the impression, of being happening now. Lord Christ is not limited by time nor place, He is arriving now as He did two thousand year ago.

“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever.” [Hebrews 13 : 8]

The icon lifts us over the time and place till we reach the eternal life. Its purpose has been always to help the church, exactly as the old Egyptian art served the old religion. The art wasn’t meant to promote itself as an art, but rather to serve the principles and teachings of the church. Among its numerous functions in the life of the church, beside decoration is its participation in prayers worship and conveying truth. They are used by individuals at home as well as in the churches. Understanding the function and purpose of an icon, is important in comprehending its language. Icons decorate churches, like jewels beautifying a bride. The house of God is a house of prayers, where the believers congregate and worship and the icons with their harmonious scenarios, lift the hearts from earth to heaven, where the Lord Christ is sitting, “If you are then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sits on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” [Colossians 3 : 1, 2]

The icon is a way of guidance for the believer, as St. John of Damascus said, “not everyone is an intellect or has the time to read, thus the fathers decided that these icons can represent events and commemorate the courageous works.”

The incarnation of the Lord, beside other events that happened during His life on earth, such as crucifixion, and resurrection, are represented by icons, guiding the men of God. Equally stories of the disciples, martyrs and saints are shown in icons for the same purpose.

St. Basil the great, said, “Fulfill the uncompleted picture of a great commander with your art. Lighten and clarity wisely the vague picture that you draw for the martyr who accomplished the crown of martyrdom. Let my words of praise toward this hero be heard through your illustrations. Manifest him evidently in your picture.”

The icons remind us with spiritual facts and events that happened in the life of our Lord Christ on earth, the annunciation, the holy lives of the saints. They lift us above the daily difficulties and remind us of the spiritual life as well as the real purpose of our existence.

St. John of Damascus said, “Without doubt, on occasions, when we don’t have enough love to our Creator, when we look at the crucifixion icon it reminds us of Christ’s suffering for our own salvation.”

Icons are capable to elevate us together with our spiritual thoughts and affections, as St. John of Damascus said, “Icons lead us to think about the spirit and Divine”. They are not only an admirable artistic objects, but they symbolize our movement from the earthy materialistic life, to the divine spiritual one. They are related to heaven. St. Basil commented by saying, “Honoring an icon goes to what it represent.” It lets us go through an accessible door, to unite us with whom it represents. It introduces us consequently towards, whom it portrays. Through their effect, we imitate their virtues and follow their path. We can make thus their love and sacrifice to our Lord Christ a sensible reality in our own life, encouraging us to expand our virtues within our experience. The more we see of the holy personalities, symbolized in the icons, the more we remember them and follow their steps. Icons can change our personalities leading us to focus on spiritual and Divine convictions, then we become complete and our likeness to the image of God would be restored as when we were created.

When we live the divine life, we stand in front the glory of God, feeling spiritual comfort. When we look at the blessed personalities presented in icons, we visualize God’s glory, and become eager to imitate them. St. Paul said, ”But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” [II Corinthians 3 : 18]

For its sacred role and function, the icon is cared for and honored not only after it is completed and put permanently in the church, but also during its shaping. During the consecration of churches and other holy places with alters, these icons are also consecrated with the holy oil. After the holy liturgy the icon becomes sacred and a vessel to bring God’s mercy and the power of the Holy Spirit to the believer. These icons become part of the church and not to be removed for any reason other than when there is a need to repair the church. During Holy Liturgy, candles are lit in front of them, to show respect to whom they represent, like the Lord Christ, the Virgin Lady, the angels and the martyrs. St. Basil said, “God created man in His own image” [Genesis I : 27]

Words and icons carry the church messages, so God’s manifestation is reached to our thoughts, on every occasion through our eyes and ears. This shows the importance of the in the life of the church, in taking part, by the direction of the Holy Spirit in guiding us to the truth in our Lord Christ. They lead us also to closeness with God. They are instrumental in conceiving the written word. The icon is an open passage, through which we reach a sacred world.

Icons genuinely, serve the Holy Bible and church traditions. It is a specialized art in servicing the church and artists inspiration by the Holy Spirit according to His teachings. [The old Testament and building the assembly tent]

“See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Juda: And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, To devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, And in cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of timber, to work in all manner of workmanship. And I, behold, I have given with him Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan: and in the hearts of all that are wise hearted I have put wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded you.” [Exodus 31 : 2 - 6]

Thus, the artists were designated to do holy works, guided by the Holy Spirit to illustrate in color, these forms, on timber according to the Holy Bible, church tradition and teaching of the apostles. The art that serves God and the church, is a different from the other types of arts, not inspired by human ability and wisdom, but guidance from the Holy Spirit, driven by the hands of God. Most of the unsigned icons, were done by artists who felt they were answering a spiritual call, only for the glory of God. (The words of VII Th. Ecumenical Council )

The art of icons was not created by artists, but on the contrary is the basis of the Orthodox Universal Church. (VII Th. Ecumenical Council)

Most archeologists agree that manufacturing of icons goes back to the first three centuries. They were found in old Roman tombs about the same time. There is no doubt, they are ancient, but there is some dispute about the time they found their way to churches and monasteries. Some believe that icons were used at homes, then reached the churches about the end of the third century and became common in the fourth and fifth centuries as we will see later,

Historians recorded that Christians at the beginning, were against anything related to the idolatry. They demolished temples, statues and pictures, as they were influenced by the Bible, not to make a statue nor a picture, fearing that some may worship or entreat them. The following story, [from unrecognized religious book], throw some light about the general conception of the Christian world then. It said:

“Licomidius asked his friend who was an artist to picture for him, John the evangelist without his knowledge. The artist made a portrait, without being seen by St. John. Licomidius then took the picture, decorated it with flowers and put it in his bedroom. St. John later noticed something unusual about his friend Licomidius and inquired about it. When he found the portrait, he thought it was for an elderly man, and thought it was for one of the gods. Licomidius brought a mirror to St. John, trying to convince him that it was representing the apostle himself. St. John told him that the picture didn’t resemble him, and was only an illustration of his body and scored him for committing a childish act in keeping a picture for a mortal person.”

In spite of the verses in the Old Testament, prohibiting such pictures, yet all the references point out that icons were well known and existed in the first century since the beginning of Christianity and were honored by the people. The former objection by the early fathers was basically against illustrating the saints, which were done with traditions from the ancient time.

Earlier icons, were adopted as personal portraits for the emperors and were called, Lauraton, which were done on the occasion of their coronations. The same was true with the appointment of councils, state rulers, monasteries’ abbots and bishops, who officially had right to have such portraits.

Emperors’ portraits were sent all over the empire, to be displayed in public places. Individual portrait for the emperor was used to symbolize his existence and were displayed during political or administrative processions, with flowers and lightened candles, even burning incense. This tradition continued for a while even after Christianity became the state religion.

The emperor’s portrait was regarded as if it was him in person, deserving the same respect he was entitled to. The honor given to an icon for a saint, was also intended to the saint personally. This may explain what led Licomidius to acquire a decorated portrait for St. John, an inherited idea from the past. !

For the icons of the Christian Egyptian they used some elements from inherited from the old Egyptian religion. Some had Greek art, but all illustrated Christian facts.

The development of icons went through numerous stages. We can categorize them into three stages, though they are not completely separated from each other.

Here symbols was used on a large scale. Lord Christ was seen as the good shepherd, a fish or a hidden monogram, with the first two letters of His name in Greek, “Xpictos” in the shape of a cross.

2-Stage of the icons from the Holy Bible:

Icons for subjects taken form the Holy Bible were used by the early church for teaching purposes. Christianity spread out all over the world with Christians traveling to different countries, found in icons a common universal language, understood by all.

Some of such icons were found in the catacombs of Alexandria, representing the miracle of the wedding in Cana of Galilee. (the type of graves which were known in Alexandria, were stopped due to the high humidity. Some references pointed that no icons were found in these chambers, as was mentioned in “The Church, The House of God” for Father Tadros Yacoub.)

In a ceiling of one of the chambers in a catacomb in Rome known as St. Calstes, an icon was found representing Lord Christ symbolized in shape of Orivius, surrounded by eight pictures for events from the Holy Bible, that included the rock, Daniel in the den of the lions, Lazarus and David with a sling.

When the Roman Empire adopted Christianity in the fourth century, many philosophers accepted the faith and peace prevailed over the churches. There were mixed feelings at that time. Some visualized victory for Christianity over idolatry and anticipated the second coming of the Lord. This encouraged thousands among the believers in Egypt to practice monasticism to achieve an angelic life and waited for the arrival of their heavenly groom. The art responded too by making new icons representing:

Icons by the fourth century were considered, by the fathers, as part of the church and filled them. They were admired by the people and the kings. Eusebius, who resisted the idea of icons, stated that Constantine ordered to have a statue, shaped as a cross and was erected in 212 AD side by side to his own statue. He ordered also other statues representing the good shepherd and the holy sufferings, decorated by precious stones to be put in his private room.

At the beginning, St. Polynius, Bishop of Nola, disallowed the use of icons. He later changed his views after realizing their importance in the life of the church. He decorated the new St. Felix Church, he built, also the old basilica and the church of Funde, with icons, showing events from the Holy Bible and pictures symbolizing the Holy Triad. Some of the subjects of the icons dealt with the creation, Isaac’s sacrifice, the purity of Joseph, drowning of the pharaoh and the separation of Raouth and Arafa

The second church contained icons from both Testaments and the third church outlined a picture for the judgment, where Lord Christ separated the sheep from the kids. A symbol representing the suffering was illustrated in the shape of a lamb crowned with a red cross. About that time, St. Basil the Great, in his sermon , referred to Barlaam’s martyrdom and asked the artists, who painted his icon, and expressed in it the courage of the martyr to illustrate also Lord Christ, the founder of the bravery. St. Aghrighorius, Bishop of Nisus, describing the church wall picture of the martyrdom of Theodosius, where his relics were buried, said, “The artist illustrated the courageous works of the martyr, his courage, struggle, pain and toughness as a soldier of Christ. This silent picture tells more than the spoken words.” The St. confessed that he was moved when he saw an icon representing the sacrifice of Isaac and said that he couldn’t hold his tears then as it was done truthfully by a talented artist. He said that St. John Chrysostom used to sit in front an icon he had for St. Paul while reciting or studying his epistles, as if he was there.

On the contrary, St. Epiphanius resisted the idea of using icon in this period. Once he passed a village called Anablatha in Palistine and when he noticed a picture for Lord Christ, painted over a fence near the church, he removed it and suggested that it be used as a window in a house of a poor person. We will talk later about it. [some references point that it was in tapestry]

The town of Alvera in Spain adopted a law in 201 AD prohibiting using icons in churches, citing that no painting is allowed of what is worshipped.

Some interpreted the laws as a warning for the sake of the fathers that persecution was about to happen. Then came the persecution.

After these difficult and anguish times, Emperor Constantine the great, [227 - 307 AD] reigned and accepted the faith and Christianity became the official religion of the empire. He decorated the churches and public establishments which were built in the new capital, with holy picture representing subjects taken from the Holy Bible. This boosted tremendously the spread of the icons all over the empire.

Since then, the dates of Christian celebrations and feasts were unified and the art of icons grew and filled the restored churches. Icons represented the Lord Christ as the King of the kings and the supreme Master of the universe.

5- The fifth and sixth centuries:

St. Augustin reported about the portraits of Lord Christ and His apostles that were common during his time in decorating the walls of the churches. He praised art as a work blessed by God. He also praised particularly the icon representing Isaac’s sacrifice, but criticized those who misuse them.

One of the distinguished pictures, was the icon for Mother of God, sitting on the throne, carrying her son Jesus, symbolizing the mystery of incarnation. Another one was the picture of an Egyptian god, Enobis, standing in the court of justice in front of Ozoris. On a scale, there were human hearts to weighed against a feather on the opposite side of the scale. This was taken by the Christians illustrating Archangel Michael holding a mace with the Hieroglyphic letters for Ozoris and eternity and carrying in his left hand a scale, to weigh man’s work in accordance of the heavenly justice.

One of the Pharaonic icons, representing the god Horus on a horse, overcoming and defeating a serpent, (the Satan, the god of wickedness) with a sword. Its counterpart in the Coptic art, showed a martyr, riding on a horse and hitting a serpent, the symbol of Satan and wickedness.

The examples are many and different. The Ankh, a Pharaonic key, was replaced by cross, and the Aphrodite symbol was replaced artistically with a Christian symbol in the icons. This proved that the Egyptian art was never been rejected, but adjusted to the Christian way of thinking.

The fathers of the church during its golden era, supported the makers of the icons. Among them were St. Basil the Great, Aghrighorius the Great and St. Nils of Sinai, [450 - 420 AD] who was the disciple of St. John Chrysostom. The latter said, “Let us permit the best of the artists to cover the walls of the church, with pictures from the Old and New Testaments. This will help those who can’t read the Holy Bible to comprehend the virtues of those who served God. They will appreciate those who preferred eternal life over the earthy one, and the unseen over what is seen.”

The icons assisted the church against heretics. After the Council of Nicea in 325 AD, there was the heresy of Arius who denied Christ’s Divinity. This was rejected by the council and added the “Omega” to the icons of the Lord Christ to stress His Divinity. This was adopted in the Coptic icons by adding the letters “OUN” beside Lord Christ or near the halo

The same happened after the Council of Ephesus in 421 AD and the Nastorian heresy, the icons of the Virgin Mary, the “Theotokos” appeared carrying the Child Jesus to her left, assuring the glory of the Virgin Lady, in carrying the incarnated God.

In 451 AD, Egypt declared its Christian faith at the council of Caledonia which was different from the rest of the Christian position. The Churches of Rome and Constantinople tried to control the Egyptian Church, but Egypt was determined to keep its independence, religiously and politically.

St. Dioscorus , the Patriarch of Alexandria, defended the Orthodox faith and the understanding of the church that dealt with the nature of the Lord Christ, namely that both natures, being divine and human were united in one nature through the Virgin Mary by the birth of the incarnated Logos. That was simply the faith they believed, declared by our Saint Pope and was supported by the bishops and monks in Egypt. Egypt cut all connections to the old rituals of the Pharaonic religion to become purely Christian. Its relation with the outer Christian world was weakened and consequently, Egypt began to look towards Jerusalem instead of the Byzantine Empire for its art inspirations.

Coptic icons became distant from the wild Syrian art and kept only its true objections. It also distanced itself from the idealism of the Hellenic art, and kept its coordination and beauty. For example, the Hellenic art showed the Lord Christ as a young man who looked like Apollo, with no beard beside eliminating some of the historical events. Artists liked the Palestinian art and admired their realism in drawing of a man with a black long beard in a look of realism and greatness.

The presence of the so many monasteries, along the banks of the river Nile, helped in spreading of the Coptic art and particularly icons. These monasteries too supported the patriarchs and the bishops whose authority subsequently increased and were consulted in spiritual and theological matters.

The patriarchs and the bishops cared tremendously about the monasteries, and the churches, which were expanded and decorated. This had immense effect on the Coptic art that was cleared from what remained from the idolatry era.

Churches in the monasteries received the highest attention, because of their isolation in the deserts and their protection by the high fences that insured their safety. That helped in preserving these churches with their artistic characteristics and the architectural structure and decor, of this important period. What was left of them, was what remained on the walls of the churches, monasteries. During the sixth and seventh centuries the style was irregular and some illustrated scenes from the Gospel, were carved on the rocky walls of the Monastery of Abu Henes in the mountain in middle Egypt.

Most of the churches were on the western side of Bawit and were loaded with icons, made of plaster. Most of these were affected by the weather shortly after being discovered. Some illustrations on wood were painted with colors mixed with resins and the simplicity of coloring material, gave them a superiority in fashion.

The most beautiful example to be mentioned here, is the picture of the Lord Christ and St. Mena. (In some reference, the icon in the Louvre Museum in Paris, where it shows Lord Christ putting His hand on St. Mena’s shoulder, came from the area of Bawit near Souhag) an excellent picture in shading, with distinct personalities and coordination between the dark and pale colors. It is just a breath taking model. The same principles were applied to other pictures, related to the same period of time. Some of these pictures, particularly, those from Bawit, contain many persons in one picture. One of them, is for the Virgin Mary, carrying the Child, surrounded by many priests and saints and at the top of the picture, Lord Christ is seen sitting on the throne with an angel at each side.

At the end of the sixth century, the Coptic art took an exceptional responsibility than before. In spite of the fact that it was practiced among ordinary people, using poor material, yet with the best encouragement and guidance from the monastic movement and the church, came from churches and monasteries. With such success, the art spread to all the Byzantine world.

From the early centuries there were contrasted opinions about the use of icons and particularly the personal portraits particularly. Those who opposed saw a relationship between paganism and pictures. The Divinity of Christ was impossible to be illustrated and they felt that only symbolic objects like the cross, etc. would be permitted.

On the other hand, the proponents found them as means for education. They also acknowledged personal portraits are acceptable and legal. They argued that Christ who was incarnated as a man lived among us, can be illustrated.

With such antagonistic views and with the increase in the number of icons, arguments continued. Just before the end of the seventh century and early part of the eighth the art of icons was affected by two important events. First by the Arab conquest that happened in the seventh century and secondly by the war on icons that continued till the ninth century.

Both events weakened the art of icons. The “war on icons” had a drastic effect in general, but to a lesser degree in Egypt. Here we will limit our talk to the war on the icons.

In 726 AD there were movements that targeted the destruction the icons in the churches, when Emperor Leo III gave an order to get rid of all icons within the Byzantine Empire . This continued to 815 AD, except for a short period between 787 - 615 AD. Some church leaders were influenced by the Old Testament in rejecting pictures beside a heresy that appeared about that time, denying the incarnation of the Lord Christ.

When Emperor Leo III issued this order in the senate, a struggle began between those who accepted and those who opposed. During the years from 726 - 730 AD, many icons were removed or burned and was a period of turmoil and many people were persecuted or killed.

Only few of icons in isolated monasteries were saved outside the boundaries of the Byzantine Empire, like Egypt. Egypt was saved from this event, but not from the other cause, as if the other side was watching ?!

During the war on religious statues and icons the artists in the countries out of the boundaries of the Byzantine Empire, continued to make icons. Many icons from the fifth century and from the period of icon destruction are found at Saint Catherine Monastery in Sinai, Egypt.

The most ancient icons found in Egypt, were from the period between the fifth and the seventh centuries. Only few icons escaped destruction that continued through the years till the eighteenth century.

Many references reported that the practice of making icons continued after the Arab conquest that of 641 AD. The book of the History of the Patriarchs mentioned the apparitions of some of the saints of these icons that strengthened the faith of the believers. Many writers in the tenth century, like Al Shebouchty, Abu Al Makarem, and Ibn Al Saba inscribed about churches and monasteries, as well about the life of the Coptic people through the realism of the events they lived in. They also mentioned about the disappearance of historic antiquities, including icons.

The Coptic art influenced the style of the Middle Ages as noticed in the basilica’s and churches of Rome, between the sixth and the seventh centuries, [after the Islamic conquest]

For example, wall illustrations, carvings in basilicas and churches looked more Coptic than Greek or Byzantine. The Coptic art affected the Greek elements which were used in the Imperial Byzantine art. The influence was obvious in the Egyptian-Roman field which influenced the Greek elements in the Imperial Byzantine art by adding symbolism.

There is no doubt that the Coptic icon art of this period,[middle ages], can easily be seen in the magnificent collections of pictures in the Church of Abu Sayfayn [St. Mercurius] at Fom Al Khaleeg, in Old Cairo, Egypt. Among the icons, one goes back to the thirteenth century and is distinguished by its artistic characteristics and production. This suggests the probability that there was an art school at that time that possibly may had surpassed Italy during this period.

After the sixteen century the art gradually got weakened and lost much of its creativity till the eighteenth century. At that time they using cloth or rags to cover the wooden boards to paint over them. Then this decline came to an end.

No icons were found that belonged to the period between the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, making it a strange and obscure phenomena. St. Catherine Monastery, a Greek Eastern Orthodox Monastery was an exceptional, icons from all centuries were preserved. There may be other reasons for loosing icons during that period, other from the planned destruction.

Destroyed or old icons were used to make fire in the process of preparing the Holy Chrism. This was reported by travelers who saw such events and were recorded in their books. Some scholars reported about some movements appeared and some icons were destroyed, causing a setback in the continuity of the Coptic art.

However, there were occasional discoveries from that period, which included an icon for the Virgin Mary and the Child from the thirteenth century at St. Barbara Church in Old Cairo. Professor Doctor Susan Scalova, from the University of Leinden in Holland has been working on the restoration of icons at the present time.

Huge numbers of icons were made in the eighteenth century, some of which were done in styles different to that of the icons of the second half of the same century. The age of icons was suggested by the type of the style of one particular time as the icons themselves were not dated.

Most of the icons from the second half of the eighteenth century were signed by “Ibrahim Al Nassekh”, either alone or with, “John The Armenian of Jerusalem”. Many of the artists of this period were inspired by particular icons, that they used their styles. Some contained Arabic or Coptic scripts, describing the subject, the saint and sometimes the name of the designated church, or person who paid for the icon. The date was written in Coptic, with the Islamic date, written in Arabic. It is observed that the faces were illustrated in spherical shape and the eyes were forged like almonds.

This artist was the major contributor of icons in the middle of the nineteenth century. Most of the icons of the eighteenth and the nineteenth centuries were for the Virgin Mary carrying the Child on her left side. Other popular icons were for the Prince St. Theodore, Martyr St. George and St. Mercurius, [Abu Sayfayn]. Frequently, we see some for Archangel Michael, local saints and subjects from the Holy Book. Many questions need to be answered about the eighteenth century.

It is difficult for researchers to study style changes, in the Coptic art because of the existing of unknown gaps during this period. Those who reported discoveries failed to report about the style or the artist and there may be some doubt that they were Coptic although they may have a Coptic style. The artistic style in these icons is different from the distinct Coptic characteristics known in the early Christian era. This may need more research to define the Coptic style in the post middle ages period.

Since the eighteenth century and up to the present time, icons are in great demand and are illustrated in modern fashion, by monks and lay people for the use in churches or homes. The twentieth century and specifically its later years, has witnessed a big jump in the world of icons, as if we are now at the prime time of the Coptic art. Icons regained their beauty that reflect spiritual life. The complete study of our contemporary art will include an explanation in dealing with the theory of icons, their important, dynamic national impression in the Egyptian life.

In the Coptic and Eastern churches, icons have ritual and ideological meaning. The icon of Lord Christ, the Pantocrator is placed on the eastern side of the church, facing the altar, surrounded by the twenty four priests carrying censers. This represents heaven into which we are elevated during the Eucharist like winged eagles flying within the holy sphere. Rituals are completed in the Eucharist with the belief in the presence of the Holy Spirit, and the true presence of the Body of Christ, guarded by the Seraphim and the Cherubim

When the priest leaves the alter to lift incense at the icon of the Virgin Mary, this icon must be on the right side of the alter, with the icon of Lord Christ icon, to the left. While the people siting in the church facing the altar, the icon of Lord Christ should be to the right side of the alter and the icon of the Virgin Mary to the left. [The queen to the right of the king in her golden dress].

The arrangement of icons as previously described shows their effective role in the rituals of the church. No icon is put according to its value, but ions must be put in precise places, in specific sequence. After they are consecrated they become part of the church itself. The consecration process include special prayer, known as consecration prayer s and sacramental anointment with Chrism oil.

Icons have a role in the church, and are considered essential in feast’s processions.

During Palm Sunday, the day of the Cross or any of the commemorative feasts for the saints, the relevant icon is put in front of the alter with lighted candles. There are icons for specific days and weeks called “Hexamiron” related to fathers like St. Basil and St. John Chrysostom. These include icons representing Christ descending into Hades (Sunday icon), all saints icon (Monday icon), St. John the Baptism icon (Tuesday icon), the annunciation icon (Wednesday icon) washing the feet icon (Thursday icon) and the cross icon (Friday icon). Saturdays, are for all saints as a symbolic preparation for the second glorious coming of Lord Christ in the New Testament.

The arrangement of the icons teaches disciple, God is the Lord of discipline. They lift us spiritually to the heavenly place in the presence of the Lord while we are still on earth. There are four arrangements for the icons on the iconostasis that separates the alter, the presence of God, from the rest of the church, where the believers worship, with similar designated spots the walls, depending on the feast and the occasion.

During the raising of incense on Palm Sunday and the “Cross day”, Tut 7 - Baramhat 10, the congregation stands in front of twelve icons arranged around the church in a special order. Praises, and relevant readings from the Gospel and Psalms are read [something to be considered by the artist for his inspiration.] The procession begins as follows;

1- The icon of the Pantocrator in front of the alter.

2- The icon of Saint Mary to the northern side of the altar.

3- Icon of St. Gabriel or the annunciation.

4- Icon of Archangel Michael.

5- Icon of St. Mark the Evangelist.

6- Icon of Saints Peter and Paul the Apostles

7- Icon of St. George or a martyr.

8- Icon of St. Anthony or a saint.

9- Icon facing the southern door. [the Psalm 48 : 1,2 ; Luke 12 : 22] are read.

10- Icon of blessing of the water.[Lakan]

11- In front of the southern door, [Psalm 18 : 11 = 20 ; Matthew 21 : 1 - 11] are read.

12- Icon of John the Baptist.

Other icons, are put within this arrangement, according to the design of the Iconostasis or in accord to church tradition.

For special prayers, icons can be put at the church entrance or in the chapel with lightened candles .

The arrangement of the icons corresponds to the three parts in the church and the tent in the Old testament.

The Holy of the Holiest place, the site of the heavenly wedding in the altar, icons for find the Cherubim and the Seraphim and all the heavenly saints are placed.

In the holy nave of the church, the heavenly icon meets the earth, beginning with Saint Mary, Mother of God, on the right of Christ with St. John on the left and so for the angels, the martyrs and the saints representing heaven on earth.

The essential purpose of the third “Khorus” was an area designated in the early centuries, to those who were waiting for baptism, learning the faith and receiving education. {The miracles of Christ & visions from the Old Testament} are put last.

We will describe this with some details.

1-On the right royal door in the main altar, the icon of Christ the Teacher, is put, usually written on it the Alfa and Omega letters or a verse from the Gospel like “I am the good shepherd” [John 10 : 11], or “I am the way, the truth and life” [John 14 : 6].

2- On the other side there is the icon of the Virgin Mary, mother of God. She represents all the church and is the queen who sits on the right of the King, [Psalm 45 : 19].

3- Icon of Annunciation.

4- Icon of Archangel Michael.

5- Icon of St. Mark the preacher of Egypt.

6- Icon of St. John the Baptist on the right of the royal door.

7- The saint, patron of the church.

8- A saint or a martyr and sometimes a saint from the Old Testament.

It should be noted that all the icons have candle lights except that for the Lord Christ, as He is the light of the world. [John 8 : 12]

Coptic carving on stone

representing the fish symbol in the era of symbolism

At the top of the iconostasis, is the icon of the last supper with the twelve disciples. The apostles sat sitting according to the description in the Gospel.[Matthew 10 : 2 - 4 ; Luke 6 : 12 - 16 , Acts 1 : 12] as such:

St. Peter, is illustrated all the time at Christ’s right side.

St. John on the left. St. Andrew to the right of St. Peter.

then St. James

St. James son of Zebedee

St. Philip.

St. Bartholomew

St. Thomas to the left of St. John.

St., James son of Alphaeus .

St. Taddaeus

St. Simon the Canaanite who replaced Judas

St. Matthew

At the top of the last supper icon, there is the icon of crucifixion that is usually shaped as a cross on Golgotha. From the right : the Virgin Mary and to the left is St. John , both spoke to the Lord on the cross. Jesus told him “This is your mother.”

1- To the west : Lord, blessing the bread and the cup.

2- To the East, the icon of the Virgin Mary

3- To the north, St. Mark icon.

4- To the south, an icon for one of the archangels, mostly St. Michael or the patron of the church,

On the east side of the church, is the Pantocrator icon on the throne with the incorporeal beasts, usually seen with the twenty two heavenly priests raising incense. The resurrection icon with the victorious Christ in its upper part and the tomb and the guards fallen to the ground are seen below. Occasionally the resurrection icon is put above the icon of the Pantocrator.

Mummies and illustrations, drawn on wooden boards and tapestries for men, women and children, from the Roman Era were found in excellent condition in the Egyptian graves. They got different characteristics from the traditional features of the Pharaonic art, particularly in using the reflection of light. Showed areas were made in a way very similar to our contemporary style. This type of illustrations appeared for the first time during the first half of the first century.

Many of these portraits were found in the region of Fayoum, known as Antionopolis, now it is called Sheik Abbada. They were found also in other places extending from Saqqara to Aswan,

Funeral models from Fayoum

One mean feature, particularly for styles for women’s hair and men’s beards were illustrated fashionably. Women wore jewels and artistically designed dresses

The fashionable hair designs were taken after the styles adopted by the Imperial family in Rome and copied from the royal statutes which were found in abundance in the different states. The oldest of these illustrations went back to the first half of the first century. Most of them belonged to the second and third centuries. One fourth of these belonged to the fourth century. After a while they became extremely rare when they stopped the custom of preserving bodies and burying the dead in their regular dresses. This new trend became widely practiced the Egyptian villages during the third and fourth centuries with the increasing spread of Christianity in Egypt.

Men’s illustrations were simpler in style and were similar to that in statues. Clothing, was more uniform, and wasn’t subject to the many changes as observed in hair styling and jewel decoration. Both men and women were shown in their regular daily dresses which were common in the Hellenic world. Mostly they were linen skirts or of wool at a later time and were woven in one piece with an opening for the head and arms. They used to stitch the front and back parts, to look like large sacks. Men used to put two skirts with the inner one showing the arms, as seen in some early portraits.

During later periods, only one dress was seen that dresses looked different from those of the first and second centuries. Dresses for both men and women became over sized and covered one or both shoulders.

Judging from these portraits, the color for men clothes was white or white with a grayish or greenish touch. For women, the favorite color was dark red, sometimes tinted with violet, or in blue, green and white. The shirts were decorated with two vertical narrow ribbons passing over the shoulder, on each side.

During the first and second centuries the shoulder ribbons were black with golden edges. In later periods they were red, but other colors like green, blue etc., were also used.. In the fourth century and earlier, some decorations were woven in horizontal lines on these ribbons or they used white dots over the shoulders, and colored margins, pointed at the back around the opening of the neck instead of being semicircular.

The Greek dress “khalames” is an outer garment used to be fixed on the shoulder. When men in the portraits were pictured having beard and a seven side star on the forehead it was indicative that he was a priest.

The names of people in the portraits were not mentioned, but presumably they were from the affluent Egyptian society during the Roman period. The time, the place, the dress the fashion and the jewels were suggestive that they were from wealthy families with Greek identity.

In the early time, in the “Portraits of the mummies”, the faces were slightly turned to the left or the right, except on few occasions, where the face was pictured straight forward. None of them showed the face in a diagonal position. The portrait showed the head, the shoulders and part of the chest.

In the early portraits, they gradually changed the colors and used shades and bright colors to give real. The close examination of these pictures may give at the beginning, a sense of a poor and superficial style. The eyes looked vivid with wide black pupils with a white line under the nose and thick lips colored in red, separated from each other by a black line with a heavy shadow beneath the chin. However when they are examined them at a distance, a meter away, they look nice coordinated in a lovely way.

Models from later periods, show the faces looking straight forward but with less prominent features, the mouth is closed, the lips are more curved and the hair is assembled together on the top of the head in parallel lines as if it was a head cover. Despite this practicality in the illustration, the first of these models led to a new style, based on the outline, then on balanced and engineered arrangement, with a tendency to weaken the expression of the individual character.

On average, the dimensions, were about 30 centimeters in height and 20 to 22 cm in width. They were made from the sycamore wood and from lemon trees. Such wood was unavailable in Egypt then but earlier was imported for use during the Hellenic period.

They painted directly on wood or on cloth, but mostly when used wood, they covered it with a white plaster coat, sometimes with grayish tint, depending on its purity. Plaster was readily available in Egypt.

They mixed plaster with glue. During the Pharaonic period they used extensively two types of plaster, called, equivocally as “Cheed & Gesso”. This was covered first by a black or red colored coat and then the illustration was drawn on the readily dry smooth surface.

There were two distinctive techniques for making portraits particularly in the fourth century. Paints were mixed with water and glue, an adhesive substance taken from Shittah trees and mixed also with egg yellow. [in some references it was reported wrongly as the white of the egg, which actually was used for a different purpose.] Portraits were also made on sac cloth

Illustrations made with “Tempra” method were of vivid color, that lasted along the centuries. In order to save the colors from the weather elements and sand from fading, they covered the painting was a waxy layer and sometimes they used varnish. [during the 18 Dynasty i.e. 1500 BC

At Thebes, the “Tempra technique was used for its wall pictures instead of the varnish. [its true nature is unknown]. It was customary to mix the pulverized coloring material with wax to make the mummies portraits. This gave the color, richness, brightness and power, that can be compared to our contemporary technique, known as “Incaustic”.

Examination of these portraits and studies by Belinius, beside experimental work on wax, didn’t solve the so many questions raised about this old art style. The technique of mixing wax with the coloring material is still unclear neither the method of carrying the paint from its container to the surface of the portrait.

It was believed that the bee wax gets purified with heat and could be used unmixed except with the coloring material. Analytical work at laboratories proved that their wax melted at much higher degree than that of the regular bee wax. Whether the higher heat needed to melt this wax was due to chemical changes along the years or not, remains to be seen. It may be due to elements or precipitation from the coloring material.

Definitely from examining these portraits, brushes were used for the painting. They used brushes made from tissues taken from palm trees to color the surface of the portrait, the dress and hair. The warm weather of Egypt, permitted easily the use of the wax in a thin layer on the portrait helped the free movement of the brush to do the job.

An instrument called “Kawtirium by Belinius similar to instruments used in surgical cauterization, was believed to be used in the work. However the brush was the main tool that was used in all the portraits of different sizes. It was also proven that the pictures were painted while positioned in a vertical situation.[suggested by the direction of drops from the paint].

These portraits, belonged to the Hellenic Era, and style. Traditionally they were used by the Egyptians as funerary pictures to become inseparable from the mummy. The goal was to show the features of the deceased, rested in peace and to be remembered as such by whom who were left. Occasionally a crown or a corona, made of gold leaves was put on the head of the deceased, symbolizing the hope for happiness in the other life. Some of the funerary picture found in “Hawara” had plaster frames, decorated with golden braids of grape leaves.

According to an ancient Egyptian belief, the personal face features of the individual, shown in the picture, were essential, to ensure eternity for that person. Accordingly, in about the middle Dynasty, 2000 BC they invented head covers known as “Cartonage” to protect and preserve the head of the mummy. These were made from linen and papyrus and were fixed with glue, strengthened by “sheed or gesso” and formed like a head on which the human face is illustrated. Theoretically, they were considered as portraits for the dead like the funerary statues.

Looking at the golden masks of Tutankhamen [King Tut] and others, from the tombs of the twenty second dynasty in San Al Haggar, [Tanis] they rarely gave the impression for a real person. It was only during the Roman Era that likeness was achieved by wooden portraits and plaster masks.

It was also reported that some of the portraits were kept at homes, which stirred a question whether these portraits were not essentially funerary, but as secondary items. Were the portraits hanged on the walls at homes during the people were living.? Were they used after their death for funerary purpose.? Portraits found at “Hawara” suggested that this was the case. These pictures were previously hanged on walls before being used in tombs. Wood particle debris were found in the cloth over the mummies, indicating that the portraits may had been used earlier for another purpose. At Hawara one of the portraits was found in deteriorated shape, still in its wooden frame and with a string still hanging from it, exactly the way picture frames are hanged today.

There is the question, whether these were they made before or after the death of the person. From the later group, these were done after death for funerary purpose on thick rectangular wood, with the deceased holding a crown or a cup made of glass. Again the portraits from the first group did reach a high level of skill, by artists who acquired experience in living illustration. .

Generally speaking, all portraits had long coordinated oval faces with remarkably large eyes and it was rare to find a portrait for an old person. Most of them represented people in their early years in life. It seems that the artists in the second century were inclined to pursue simplicity in subjects and styles as they did in the formation of plaster masks.

Supporting the theory that some portraits were made during one’s life, is the fact that two portraits were found for the same woman, done by two different artists at two different periods, about twenty years apart, while she was still living.

The speed required to finish such portraits with such size, to a particular class of people and with wide similarity in the artistic style, suggests that the artist must had been a traveling one ( a personal opinion by the author) more than the possibility of being made artistically in a “studio” in an academic atmosphere. There were artists like that in Fayoum and other parts in Egypt during the Roman rule, who left us with many great pieces of art of ancient styles. [the personal portrait].

That was what reported about the funerary faces in various books and references. Here I would like to express my personal opinion about this particular subject, summarized as follows:-

1- Funerary faces were used extensively in Egypt since the beginning of the first two centuries. These preceded the era of the icons of course.

2- Funerary faces were only known in Egypt. Nobody knew about it outside Egypt They were discovered all over Egypt, from Alexandria to almost Aswan and were very popular among the people. The two most famous sites were in Fayoum and Ikhmeem.

3- These portraits were more or less similar to the portraits of the Lauraton except for the fact that the latter were done only for the emperor, his deputies and some official personalities. On the other hand the portraits of Fayoum were for the ordinary people.

4- The faces were typically Egyptian with Egyptian features but were described as Romans because of the time, dress style, jewels and hair styling. These wouldn’t negate that the people were Egyptians.

5- These portraits were made during one person’s life and later for funerary purposes. However many pictures were deteriorated by the time the person died but still used at his death. It is difficult to visualize a portrait supposed made at the time of death when it was old and deteriorated. The example is that of the lady who had two portraits at different times during her life and were made by two different artists, supports this theory.

6- Portraits were made either using:

A: -The “Tempra method”:

where oxidized colors, mixed with egg yellow and vinegar were fixed on the faces with brushes. The board itself was made of flat surfaced wood which was covered with a plaster layer [same method used for icon]. This was commonly used in the eighteenth dynasty, [1500 BC] ( Dr. Tharwat Okasja, Egyptian Art, Part III. P. 1377) and still used to our time in Greece and Russia

B: The “Incaustic method”

Where wax was added to the oxidized colors together with some “Afoneen” to make it firm and stable. Colors were spread with brushes on the smooth surface of the wood. Up till now it is still a mystery, how the colored were made to spread on the surface of the board.

SECTION II

FEATURES OF COPTIC ICONS

In order to understand the features of the Coptic icons it is appropriate, to refer to a certain icon, now placed in the Louvre Museum in Paris for the Lord Christ. It represents the Lord putting His right hand on St. Mena’s Shoulder. This icon is considered one of the most important icons showing the originality and independence of the Coptic art. No other icon in the Christian art can show more love, protection, closeness and friendship towards the Lord Christ. It is totally different from other Byzantine icons which portrayed the Lord with firmness and seriousness.

De Bourguet stated that the look and the motion of the Lord, are entirely original and similar to the common traditions known in Egypt through the ages. The greatness of the Lord Christ was not diminished by His gesture. It showed a big posture, with comparatively long and broad head and His arm touching the St.’s shoulder as if He is pulling him to beyond the earth’s horizon. There is a halo on each head, looking to the inflamed sunset, which in the great Pharaonic tradition of admiring the beauty of the holy sun. Byzantine styles symbolism is noticeable. The body looked small and divided into simple equal parts, the outer garment didn’t show the details of the body, while its folds showed turns that met together with one center over each other from the top, with halos over the heads, in harmony according to its relative importance that impresses the eyes for the strength of these curves.

The condensed formation in this icon has surpassed all what the Greek and Roman have whether pictures or icons. This work was done by the Tempra technique and without any doubt expressed the beauty of the Coptic art.(P.De Bourguet, P. 76)

I meant to describe this particular icon in details, as it is considered to be the example Coptic art in the sixth century according to Pirdi. By the same token, we find the same style was adopted in the icons of St. Abraham and the resurrection of the Lord Christ, in Bawit.

The same reference concisely specified other features for the Coptic art as the rounded faces, rounded eyes, surrounded with dark boundaries.(Page 187) The forms themselves were surrounded with the dark clear lines which are characteristic of the Coptic art at that time.

In the middle of the sixth century, many changes dealing with the body, physical nature and the face were noticed.

There was a tendency among the artists to avoid any appearance of third dimension. However, tapestries, funerary faces of the second and the third centuries, stressed on using bright light and shadows to show the pictures in perfect ways.

Coptic art avoided the green color, as it was considered a symbol of the devil, in Ancient Egypt. The devil and the enemies used to be painted in green.

It is about time to look into the most pleasant and important features that our Coptic icons have.

Some historians and artists observe that our icons always looked enjoyable. They didn’t show the sufferings of God nor the martyrs, except in crucifixion and the victorious carrying of the cross by the King of kings to be hanged on. They didn’t show Hades, but only pictured heaven and its heavenly beings with crowns. The church aimed to teach her children hope in life and glory of heaven. The church didn’t want to scare and frighten them of hell. Butler described it as such, “There is a big difference between the Greek and the Coptic pictures. This is a point that needs to be addressed. The Coptic art is distinguished from the Greek and the rest of the Western Christian arts by the fact that it didn’t show the suffering of the saints on earth nor the scenarios from hell”.

Mrs. Butchers attributed this to the Coptic Church own sufferings, being persecuted more than any other church in the world by apprehensive means and her determination not to destroy the hope to live. Wherever you visit even a poor church in Egypt, you will never find a picture that represents hell or sufferings. No frowned skull nor a trembling skeleton, is seen, but only smiling martyrs, illustrated in tranquillity as if their pain had been forgotten for a long time ago,”

2- Icons inspired by triumph.

The church always aimed to create confidence in her children by not showing the devil in its pictures and when necessary, devils were shown as small creatures stricken under the feet of God archangels and martyrs.

The Coptic art expressed love and tenderness. Here are some examples:.

a- Icons from the Bawit Monastery showing St. Mary feeding her child Jesus with motherly compassion.

b- In a carved wooden masterpiece Both St. Mary’s and her child faces, touch each other in a remarkable gentleness, while both of them put their hands tenderly on the shoulder of the other.

This Coptic preference is different from the Greek, as Viratoff suggested. He stated that the Greek Church pictured the Lord Jesus Christ and His Mother with glory. Our Savior appeared with glowing eyes not with the eyes of a child, but eyes of all knowledge, also St. Mary as the heavenly queen.

4- Express the spiritual power

It is customary in the Coptic icons to illustrate large heads, wide eyes, without paying much attention to their ratio to the rest of the body. Probably the Coptic artist were not interested in showing body features, but rather interested in magnifying the power of the spirit. The large head is a symbol of God, our heavenly head. The large eyes express the internal vision. This what the believers do, concentrating on the power of the spirit, similar to what is represented in icons.

When the believers enter the church, they stand at the entrance with respect and bow their heads, touching the frame of the icon, asking for the saint’s prayers and God’s blessing, without being bothered by the details of the picture itself.

We like to mention here about the icon on one of the domes in El Syrian Monastery for the ascension of the Virgin’s body, surrounded by the apostles. This icon was inspired from the old Egyptian art, where the soul was illustrated with wings around the body. This also shows how the Copts concentrate more on the soul than the body.

5- The icons represent men of prayers.

Wassel stated that the Egyptian artist used to illustrate saints praying, with their hands elevated towards heaven, [Orant] as if they were declaring that their prayers are the essence of their holiness.

Here we give some examples:

a- A fragment from a statue was found to represent an elderly monk with his his hands elevated while praying. [Zimbarton Ox Collection]

b- St. Mary seen elevating her hands in prayer and standing among the twelve disciples surrounded by many saints. [sixth century in Bawit Monastery]

c- Artwork, presently in Vienna, shows St. Mena raising his hands and praying and two camels standing beside him.

d- A box with the same pattern as in the artwork of St. Mena mentioned above.

e- An ivory box with a picture of Daniel in the lions’ den having the same pattern. [Zimbarton Ox Collection - sixth century]

Tertelian reported that in the early church when people prayed, they looked upwards with uncovered head and open stretched arms probably inspired by the position of Christ on the cross. Ritual wise it is an important move for the priest during liturgy to lift his arms upwards towards heaven. Saints and martyrs did the same at the last moments of their life.

Smith noted that most of the icons from Alexandria showed the Lord Christ carrying a Coptic cross. It seems as if the church is looking for its Savior.

This is the case in the icons of : healing the invalid, raising Lazarus and the entry to Jerusalem etc. Even in the monastery of St. Mena there is an icon representing Christ as a child, the appearance of His legs and the stretched arms looked like a cross as if He meant to keep His hands on the cross.

7- God’s care.

The Coptic artist insisted to illustrate Christ’s eyes open while on the cross, as a sign of His eternity and the perpetual divine care. Ologius of Alexandria said, “As a man, God died on the cross, but as Master of the universe God’s eyes stayed open.”

The Coptic church is a church of the martyrs and some of its icons represent its fighters like St. George, St. Mena, St. Theodore, Prince Boctor, St. Mercurius [Abu Sayfyn] and others.

Scott Moncriff said, “The well known icon of St. George and the dragon, originally was inspired by an Egyptian war illustration between Horus and Set.”

Probably the oldest annunciation icon is the fifth century icon of Santa Maria Magiori, [440 AD] and the Monza vessels as mentioned earlier. The traditional picture goes back to the sixth century, where we find the Virgin Lady Mary seen sitting on a big chair and beside her is a netting box while an angel coming in a hurry from the other side, carrying his official baton, saluting or aiming towards the Virgin Lady and declaring she was the chosen one.

Usually an angel appears from the left side except in some of the Palestinian or Mesopotamian old artwork where the angel comes from the right side. [the way scripts written in Arabic and Mesopotamian ways]. Among the fresco work in the Syrian Monastery in Wadi Al Natrun in Egypt, there is an icon showing the angel coming from the right side with the words, “Peace on you”

Scenes taken from unrecognized gospels like that of St. James, where the Virgin is seen leaving a building through an open curtain or approaching a small river to fill her jar or standing by a tree while an angel was approaching.

A Coptic tapestry from the sixth century showing both the annunciation and meeting of Elizabeth, is saved now at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

Beginning with the eighth century, the accepted version of annunciation pictures were concluded and done on ivory carving that came from Palestine and Mesopotamia. During this period St. Mary appeared sitting or standing before a building assumed to be her home or a temple and at her feet there is a small stand, symbolizing her distinguished rank and grace, beside a seat pertaining to the royal throne. A small netting basket or a water fountain, a heavenly beam of light and a white pigeon descending from the top with other symbols for the Holy Spirit.

By the eleventh and the twelfth centuries, some changes were noticed, like the presence of a gate in the background with a curve or a triangle above it symbolizing the partition between the church’s altar and the holy of the holiest. .[Church of Lonrial in Sicily, 1976 and the church of St. Kiorkis in Qodbinovo in Yugoslavia in the twelfth century.]

Other examples are: a twelfth century icon from the Monastery of Saint Catherine in Sinai, a picture in Nofgord in Russia, where the Lord Christ appears in heaven, [before ages]

From the “Suspended Church” in old Cairo and presently in the British Museum in London, there is a carving work on cedar wood for the annunciation.

In annunciation icons usually there are scarlet curtains in the background symbolizing the purity of the Virgin Mary who was chosen to be the Mother of the Logos. There are also tall trees symbolizing life itself, and an angel holding a divine baton in his left hand as a sign of authority of the powerful massage. The expression on the Virgin’s face reflects the fear for seeing an angel and hearing the words of the annunciation. She may be putting her hand over her heart as a sign of accepting the annunciation or putting it over her mouth as a sign of concern or shyness.

In a special reference to the icons at the Al Syrian Monastery, there is an annunciation icon from the eighth century located in western area of Al Syrian Church. Another Fresco icon representing the ascension, where St. Mary lifting her hands and praying surrounded by the apostles. At the top of the picture, appears the ascension of the Lord Christ within a white spherical “Mondorla” surrounded by angels.

Beneath this picture there is a small part of another older icon, seen to represent a human face and was only recognized when parts from the fresco picture fell. One part showed the face of Virgin Mary and to its right a head of an angel and another person facing him, suggesting a scene for a different subject. The expression on the faces of the Virgin Lady and the angel together with the unique background were strong factors to remove the upper icon in and exploring this icon fully. This was achieved with the permission of the Egyptian Department of Antiquities and the research work by the University of Leinden in Holland, supervised by Prof. Dr. Van Morsel, in cooperation with The French Institute for Antiquities under the leadership of Dr. M. Witman. After substantial effort, to remove the first icon, the underneath icon proved to be a masterpiece annunciation icon unique in its originality and one of its kind on the universal standards. The Virgin, with the angel seen surrounded by four prophets, the annunciation in the Old Testament, each carrying the book where the prophesy appeared. Without doubt this is a unique icon without parallel. The four prophets are; Moses, Asaiah, Ezekiel and Daniel. The icon belongs to a period between the eight and the tenth centuries as estimated by Dr. Van Morscel and Prof. Dr. Peter Grossman from the Institute of the German Antiquities. The place where it was discovered was in the monastery was one of the oldest areas in the monastery’s church. This period coincides with the period of war on icons in the Christian Eastern Empire. It is possible that other similar icons do exist, but none other than this one was discovered yet.

This particular icon, has a unique standard in its design. The illustration of the Virgin Mary and the angel and the background with its particular colors give power and harmony. It is extraordinary how the icon’s kept its bright colors till today.

Because of the significance of this icon, artistically and scientifically, Piere La Friere, from the French Institute for Antiquities, visited ancient churches and monasteries in Turkey and Greece, to compare it to other icons of the same age and couldn’t find any thing like it whether in its subject or the way it was done.

The icon is still the focus of enthusiastic examination because of its unique artistic merit and its architectural significance, by the Institute of Antiquities in Holland and the German Institute for Antiquities.

Since the second century many stories about the birth and the childhood of our Lord that were not mentioned in the recognized Gospels were collected and recorded. Some were about Mary’s travel on a donkey, the virgin birth and the standstill of the world during this birth as noticed by Joseph. They also recorded the role of the two maids, Selomi and Zelami, [Selomi doubted the virginal delivery] the Eastern star that guided the wise men etc. These stories were instrumental in the art in expressing the mystery of this wonderful birth.

Some of the oldest models illustrating nativity, were from the early part of the fourth century, one were carved on marble tombs in the Museum of La La Terran showing the wise men on their way to the child Jesus. Another icon from 220 AD is at St. Paul Church in Rome, on an ivory chair from the sixth century which was used by Bishop Maxmianus of Ravna.

It is noticed that both St. Mary and Joseph the carpenter were not looking towards the manger suggesting their deep thinking about this miraculous event or, according to the popular stories of that time that the world came to a standstill at that moment. Later in the tenth century, St. Mary was illustrated in these icons looking to the manger with compassion and submission.

From Palestine came few oriental pictures for Nativity showing a dark cave with a child, a donkey, an ox and one shepherd or more, pointing that animals know their owners, but man may not know his master [Isaiah 1 : 3], in reference to the gentiles who worshipped and accepted the Divine Child.

From the fifth and eighth centuries some ivory carved icons were found showing Selomi and Zelami bathing the child stressing the fact that the birth was a true and physical delivery that was permitted by the humbleness of God the Logos to be human.

Again from Egypt, a spectacular fresco shaped as half dome and found in the Syrian Monastery in Wadi Al Natrun, a complete marvelous picture of the Virgin Mary resting with the child near a manger, made of stone and had a window. The center of the picture is focused on St. Mary with the Child, while the rest of the scenery was illustrated to a lesser scale. Joseph the carpenter is seen in a state of deep thinking and the wise men are illustrated like crowned kings according to the old custom. One of the shepherd is seen putting one leg on the other and holding a flute. There is a star and a script on the upper part of the icon with the words, ”Glory to God in the highest and good will toward men”

The star in some icons was replaced by an angel who points to the place of birth, that is relevant to the explanation of some of the fathers like St. John Chrysostom.

I would like to refer to some none ritual icons from the fourteenth century, showing St. Mary and probably Joseph the carpenter kneeling before the manger. The ritually accepted icons show St. Mary resting as the case in true deliveries accompanied with real pain. After the fourteenth century non acceptable icons appeared showing St. Mary kneeling without pain as if she didn’t carry the sin and carried the child in purity and didn’t suffer pain thus was able to kneel. This heresy appeared only after the fourteenth century and these icons are still found in some of the churches and monasteries and ought to be transferred to museums. This gives us a good idea how important it is to study them academically.

The number of the wise men in the icons was between three and four. According to the Gospel of Matthew 2 : 11 their number wasn’t specified, but their gifts were three, gold, incense and myrrh.

A classical picture for a nativity icon would show a mountain in its background and a deep dark cave in its middle, [a humble place in a world filled with sin], and a bright heavenly star with eight leaves focusing on the child.

The manger is illustrated like an alter, symbolizing Jesus, who is the living bread that was slaughtered for salvation of the world. The name of Bethlehem was inspired as “the house of bread”. The design in building the altar in Bethlehem in Old Jerusalem suggested the form of the manger in the icons at that time.

Pictures and wall illustrations of the second century representing baptism had symbols like fish, anchor, four rivers, but later these pictures became clearer. They were found in graves in Rome and on tombs in churches. Some, from the third century were found in a church in Diora in the north of Syria, as well as on the Monza vessels.

Early icons, for John the Baptist presented him like a teacher or a philosopher, properly dressed and carrying paper scripts to assure his wisdom and true knowledge. His hand usually is seen to be on the head of whom is baptizing, usually as an undressed boy. St. John may be pictured standing beside the river, stabilizing his foot on a stone and bending forward to carry the baptism. In the baptismal icon for Jesus, there is a pigeon descending from heaven above the head of Jesus Christ and above it a hand, representing the Lord the Father, pointing to a script, saying, “This is my beloved Son, whom I am well pleased”. Then starting the fifth and sixth centuries, some elements were added like angels carrying the dress of Christ.

In some pictures as the one in the baptismal area in Ravna, we notice a symbolic, fairy tale representation representing the personality of the river’s spirit, (Personification of the river, “Jordan”) expressing amazement and wonder for what is going in its water. This is what they called the god of the sea. Its manifestation was common in the old world of arts during Christianity and even before. Later with time, this was abandoned and was replaced with symbolic signs found at the border of the icon, as we will see later.

Afterwards, a change developed out of this imaginary figure to illustrate a person fleeing away from Christ. {The water has witnessed you my Lord. Why the sea has fled. You the Jordan river, why you recede backwards?.} Here is a reference to the descend of Christ into Hades where He conquered the devil.

This scenario, is taken from Psalm 74 : 13, “You did divide the sea by your strength: You broke the heads of the dragons in the waters”, in reference to Christ, crushing the unclean spirits, under His feet.

In the ninth and tenth centuries, we see an imaginary person kneeling in front the Lord Christ. About the same time, they added some fishes in the river, probably referring to the newly baptized people, or as a sign of joy by all creation for the Divine presence.

In the tenth century, other elements were added to the picture like in the mosaic in the church of St. Luke Monastery in Greece, where an ax is seen near the tree, as, “Therefore every tree which brings not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into fire.” [Matthew 3 : 10]

Other features also appeared in the period between the tenth and the thirteenth centuries, where a cross is seen elevated over the water on a cylindrical base referring to the real cross that was erected during that period in the Jordan river. This represents the emerging of the cross in the holy water, a ritual practiced in the Eastern churches. Later the number of the people illustrated in and around the water increased. The picture of this imaginary personality lost its popularity and was replaced with fishes representing the newly baptized. Occasionally water snakes representing what remained of the imaginary symbol. Later it was replaced with a small child, then with a water snake which occasionally encircles the Savior’s leg.

One baptismal ivory carved icon from the sixth century made in Palestine showed the sun and the moon as symbols. Also another one found a Coptic script in 1180 AD.

Another icon in the British Museum, taken from the “Suspended Church” in old Cairo is carved on cedar wood where the artist put the subject of baptism together with the subject of annunciation in one square. The most logic explanation may be that the artist planned to represent the seven principal feasts on an area divided only into six spaces. Egyptian artists usually adhere to the ritual rules without loosing the spirit of the icon itself.

The oldest representation for Palm Sunday was found on a marble coffin for Julius Basos from 359 AD, as a picture centered on the coffin showing Christ riding a donkey accompanied by two or three persons.

Palm Sunday icon found with Coptic scripts from the eleventh century

Another model from Egypt made of wood, has historical and artistic importance, will be mentioned in more details. [The Coptic Encyclopedia, Aziz S. Atiya, 1991, Vol. 1, P. 245]: It is a wooden door step, made of sycamore, used to decorate one of the main doors of the “Suspended Church” in Old Cairo. It has magnificent decor representing the victorious entry of the Lord Christ to Jerusalem, also there is another representing Ascension. It has a quotation, from the Song of Solomon, in Greek letters referring to the Lord Christ as the God and to the Virgin Mary as the mother of God and not as the mother of Christ. Including in the script is a request asking Bishop Theodore of Perduts for guidance. The date written, Second Bacon, 13, 51 [Decladian year] It was difficult to read the date and only in 1927 that they succeeded to read it correctly. The corresponding date according to the Gregorian calendar is May 20, 325 AD or May 7, 325 AD for the Julius Calendar. Christ is shown riding on a donkey and has no beard nor a halo, as was the custom in earlier centuries. A dancer is shown joyfully welcoming the King, representing the daughter of Zion. [John 21 : 15]

The script at the top of the door of this church, implies the holiness of Christ and His incarnation from the Virgin Mary, mother of God. There is no reference to the two natures, also the script was written in Greek and not in Coptic, suggesting the time being before the meeting of Caledonian Council. The use of the word, “”mother of God” indicates that it was before 421 AD as after that date it was substituted by the word “mother of Christ”. The song on the frame appears to reflect the teaching of St. Athanasius, [after Nicea Council in 325 AD or after the first three assays, published between 335 -356 AD, coinciding with the date they read correctly in 1927 AD. There is a resemblance in style in the ivory carving of the procession of Dionisius and that from Bawit, representing angels, saints in front of arcades. Presently it is in the museum in Berlin. This piece may be of a latter date to the of the “Suspended Church or vise versa.

Part of the door step from the Suspended Church from the fourth - fifth centuries

Another model, is an ivory carving, a cover for an Armenian Gospel from the sixth century. Another is a Syrian script from the eleventh century for Jacob Al Sergi. A Coptic script from 1180 AD, is preserved now in the National Library in Paris, under # 12.

Before the sixteen century, it was the time for old symbolic illustrations. They referred to the Divine Body as a fish, bread, grapes, and birds drinking water and for the good shepherd as a container filled with milk, etc. From the Old Testament, as from Genesis, were symbols for manna, or a lamb for the sacrifice of Isaac, the offering of Able and MalekiSadek and food of Abraham’s table. From the New Testament: the miracle of water being changed into wine in the Cana wedding of Galilee.

The icon for the Eucharist began to take its regular shape but with some changes in the shape of the table itself and the places where the Lord and the apostles they took at the table.

First:, At the church in Ravna, the table’s shape design was a half circle since the sixth century. It remained as such in the Greek, Syrian, Armenian and Coptic scripts from the ninth to the thirteenth century and on the walls of the churches till the fifteenth century.

a- Christ was seen sitting on the left side, [as you face the icon] with the apostles surrounding the table, while He was blessing and offering the bread and the cup. Usually, Peter was seen on the right facing the Lord Christ, or at His side, sometimes in the second place after the beloved John, who sat next to the Lord. From the nineteenth century, John may appear bending his head towards our Lord Jesus Christ’s bosom. Judas usually was seated towards Christ on the right, with a picture of the devil on his shoulder, [Coptic script dated 1118 AD] or among the disciples in the sixth or the seventh place, stretching his unclean hand to eat in a greedy manner. Sometimes he was seen standing or sitting away from the rest of the disciples or the Lord.

b- The Lord was sitting in the center at the top of the table among His disciples. This was usually the case in the Byzantine Churches about the thirteenth or the fourteenth centuries.

Secondly: The table here became circular in shape, like in the Latin models of the sixth to the seventh centuries

a- Christ would be sitting in the center. [Western pictures from the seventh to the thirteenth centuries.

b- Christ may be sitting on to the left, as seen in a Syrian picture # 7169 in the British Museum.

Thirdly: The long table was seen in the western art from the tenth to the eleventh century

a- Lord Christ sat to the left. As in an Armenian script in 1038 AD, in some of the churches in Cabadocia, and the Church of St. Mark in Venice of the thirteenth century.

b- The Lord would be sitting in the center surrounded by His disciples as it was common in the known Western style like the one painted by Leonardo da Vinci in 1495- 1498.

Coptic icon from the eleventh century. [Notice the fish symbol]

It is interesting to note that in all of the old pictures, including the Coptic ones, like the Paris script [of 1108 AD], the door of Church of Abu Sarga [carved wood, eleventh century], the Lord Christ was illustrated to the left of a semicircular table with a picture of a fish in the middle of the table, a symbol of the Lord Christ, substituting the bread and the cup. The fish was also represented on wall picture in one of the churches in Cabadonia in the twelfth century and others from Ravna [fifth century]. A Coptic artist illustrated the same subject, but on tapestry, which technically is considered more difficult. The fish appeared in the middle of the table. The tapestry is preserved at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

Without doubt this shows the unity among the Christian art all over the Christian world including the Coptic church, since the early periods.

Nowadays the Coptic Orthodox Churches’ icons do not show many containers on the table to differentiate them from the icons of Easter. Accordingly, only a cup for the wine and a tray representing the bread appear in the icon. Judas, also is not shown as he was not present during the consecration of the bread and wine. On occasions, Judas is illustrated in the background, looking outwards and with no halo.

Few crucifixion icons were made in a simple way. An ivory carved, from 425 AD, is preserved in the British Museum and represents the Savior facing Judas with some pieces of silver near his feet.

Another icon, carved on wood is at the door of the church of St. Sabina in Rome, [438 AD] showing the crucified Christ, with a beard, between two thieves. The cross itself is not clear, but His body with His outstretched arms took the shape of a cross

The scarcity of crucifixion icons, may be attributed to the difficulties in recalling of that harsh event in the mind of the people, which was considered inappropriate then. Crucifixion was reserved only for criminals, and was considered shameful. Some sarcastic illustrations dealing with crucifixion, were painted on a Roman home in 240 AD

This is an Egyptian charm from the sixth or the seventh century representing the crucifixion of, Emanuel Christ, in long dress and with a beard. The two thieves and the guards are shown and Christ has His halo. The crucifixion was connected with a picture of the resurrection, as seen in the illustration. This charm is preserved in Paris. We can call it “the victory over the death”. Similar models appeared also in the West.

An Egyptian charm representing Christ [Emanuel], in long dress, a beard and a halo. The cross partially shown

In some earlier pictures, the hand of God, the Father appears between the symbols of the sun and the moon and at the corner, there are two or four angels with their hands stretched to receive the Spirit of the Lord Christ.

Occasionally the scene of the resurrection is illustrated above the cross with the symbols for the four evangelists, and Christ is covered partially with a garment instead of the long dress, and a small stand supporting His feet. His head is bowed to the right and His eyes are closed, a guard stabbing Him on one side and another carrying a sponge on the other side, [Longinus $ Estefanus]. Usually the Virgin Mary is seen standing on one side and John the Evangelist on the other side. Underneath the cross, two women are shown, one representing the old people, rejecting the blood for salvation and fleeing from the cross, while the other representing the church, holding a cup and receiving the blood coming from the stabbed heart. Sometimes, two angels may appear also, carrying the cross, under which a serpent or, a symbol for the earth or the sea is shown under it. In some pictures, open graves are seen, from which the dead are rising with Adam and Eve in the front, lifting their hands towards the cross. In other pictures the Mary’s are seen sitting in front of the rounded building of the graves coming to Christ’s tomb on Sunday with an angel proclaiming His resurrection.

Since the middle ages began, Europe collected many wooden crosses and pictures for the crucified Jesus Christ showing His internal peace and limitless love towards mankind as it was clearly expressed on His face.

From the eleventh century we can see how the hanged body on the cross was illustrated with a sharp curve, stretched like a bow to express the extent of His pain and sufferings. From the twelfth century the three nails began to be shown in the pictures, but latter only one nail was used to fix the feet together on the cross. In the East, a small piece of wood and two nails were used to fix the feet under the cross.

During the same period, simple pictures showed the crucifixion with one person only, usually Madeline Magdalene, crying and kissing the cross in humbleness and grief.

Cruelty and pain were the main expressions in crucifixion icons of the middle ages. The believers then, took the sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ to their hearts and expressed them in ritual processions and in plays showing the repentant carrying the cross, and imitating Christ in His pain.

From the thirteenth to the sixteenth centuries, the artists illustrated Christ, dead on the cross, or suffering in pain, with a crown of thorns on His head. His body was shown with wounds and His side and the heart were stabbed by a spear.

From the fifteenth and up to the nineteenth centuries the crucifixion pictures showed Christ on the cross most of the time alone, in the darkness of the night. Apparently the artists were trying to show the light and beauty of Christ’s body defeating death and heading to resurrection.

During this period, crucifixion, showed the Lord Jesus’ death on the cross with His head bent on His chest or as if he was alive and screaming towards heaven as described in Psalm 22.

The models found in the Rapaula scripts in 586 AD were of most importance. The cross was illustrated erected in between two mountains, the sun, the moon above, a cross for each thief on each side, while Christ was nailed with four nails in the hands and the feet and was covered with a long purple garment. The thief on the right was shown looking at the Lord, Who was also looking towards him. Around His cross the guards are assembled while one of them was stabbing Him from the right. On the left there was another one carrying a pitcher in his hand and elevating a sponge on a rod, soaked in vinegar and myrrh. [Psalm 69 : 22]

In front of the cross, three persons were speculating for who would take His dress.

On the right side John and the Virgin Mary were standing looking at Christ on the cross. On the left side were the three Mary’s. [John 19 : 23 - 34]

The picture stresses the human nature of Christ as He died as man, [from the spear in His side] but His Divine nature never died. [keeping His eyes open] The long purple dress refereed to His majesty, highness, and other theological interpretation. Some added elements were noticed in the old models, like the flow of blood and water from His side, as a sign for the Holy oblations sanctified on the cross, and the church’s containment of the precious blood in a cup, accepting them, as treasures and sacrifice for repentance of sins. The leader of the hundred guards, witnessed the Divinity of Christ, according to the Gospel of St. Mark. The presence of a skull beneath the base of the cross is considered a reference to the first Adam, father of the human race and the second Adam, is the Son of Man, while the angels, the heavenly guards above the arms of the cross, are honoring the victorious Christ, the glorious King Who completed His mission and fulfilled the promised salvation.

Other elements were added according to the Biblical scripts, like the reference to the crucifixion outside the walls of Jerusalem. The suffering Christ, was also been illustrated with His eyes closed and with a garment that covered His body. Some elements like the two thieves disappeared and occasionally there was association of other events like the resurrection.

A different model, based on His Divinity according to the Gospel of St. John, [19 : 26 - 27], was found. In it, only the Lord Jesus Christ, on the cross, His mother the Virgin Mary on one side and His beloved disciple John, on the other side, were illustrated. In other models from the eighth century, two persons are added, two angels or two guards. These were found at St. Catherine Monastery. The picture of Christ, dead on the cross with His eyes closed and with blood and water flowing between the grieved mother and John the disciple was found. Similar designs were also found at St. Mary Church in Rome and at the Monastery of St. Luke in Greece.

Since the fourteenth century the number of persons appearing in the picture increased in early model but remained the same in the second model, and mostly focusing on the cross and the Crucified. Christ was illustrated in the center of the picture, while the Virgin Mary with other women standing on the right side and St. John and the chief guard on the left.

Crucifixion icons went through many changes and shared some traditional features in different models. Some showed crucifixion outside the walls of Jerusalem on the Golgotha hill, which is believed by some, to be the site where Adam’s skull was buried, to be baptized again with the blood of Christ. According to the Gospel, “There was darkness all over the earth” and the color of the sky expressed that. As for the sun and the moon, they represented the importance of the “Crucified, the King of the world” that His Kingdom has no end”.

In one original picture, a young queen was illustrated, referring to the church that was saved by the Precious Blood. A woman on the left side who rejected the cross, was representing the old nation. This was seen in the Western pictures since the ninth century.

Scenes of the guards, the saintly women were illustrated, with St. Mary putting her hand over her cheek, expressing the sentimental deep grief and anguish for the loss of her son. John the Evangelist, the beloved disciple, was illustrated carrying his Gospel, as an assuring sign for his testimony, while the guard leader of the ‘one hundred’ was standing behind him, carrying a circular shield without a spear, and raising his hand upwards, expressing his confession, and repeating what was mentioned in the Gospel of St. Luke, “Truly this man was the Son of God.” [Mark 15 : 39] ; making it the paramount statement of his Gospel

The ascension story is based according to Luke 24:50-53; Acts 1:9-11 and Mark 16:19. In spite of being one of the most important among the Christian icons, yet it came at a later date. The subject was presented as an independent subject or as a part of the descend of the Holy Spirit. This was probably due to blending between the subjects of the ascension and the second coming. One of the first of its kind, (Sacoulo, 1957 PP. 96 - 116 ; Jouguet 1957, P, 100 ; Christ, 1969, P, 776) is now at the Coptic Museum. It was taken from a wooden step at the altar in the Suspended church “Muallaqa” It goes back probably to the fourth century. (Coptic Encyclopedia Part 1, page 244) In it, Christ appears without a beard nor a halo; (suggesting that it belongs to the fourth century ) and on either side, an angel is seen in the air spreading his wings while holding in His left hand, the book of judgment decorated with the cross. His right hand is raised as a sign for blessing and at the bottom, there are a lion and an ox as two evangelistic symbols. It is noted that the other two symbols were not seen in the picture probably because of a lacking space. [The man and the eagle] To the left side, there is a woman, attired in, standing and looking towards heaven, while on each side, twelve persons are carrying either a cross with a spear or with a book on which a cross is carved on it. Included, there are two curtains used as a frame, separating earth from heaven.

Considering the suggested date for this wooden step by M. Sacopolo, the vision of Ezekiel and St. Mary in the ascension icon, the subject is believed to be Egyptian than Syrian. This view is supported by Dewald, [1915] based on the fact that Monk Rapaula’s model was done in 587 as registered in its script.

The two main ideas for the altar’s step of the Suspended Church, St. Mary’s picture and Ezekiel’s vision were repeated at Bawit. St. Mary’s picture reminds us with the incarnation mystery, while that of Ezaeliel is connected to book of Revelation.

Y. Christ, (In his book, 1969, P. 76) referred to the complexity in illustrating too many things at one time in this wooden step.

1- Ascension and the second coming.

“This same Jesus, who is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as you have seen him go into heaven.” [Acts 10:11]

2- The scene of St. John.

The crowned Christ in the icon is not related directly to ascension as much as it is related to vision Isaiah, “The Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up.” [Isaiah 6:1]. The Bawit picture is composed of many symbols related to the incarnation, ascension and the preparation of His second coming in the absolute glory of Christ, suggested by the four pictures of Ezekiel. It seems that the Copts saw a link between the sanctification of the bread and the vision of Ezekiel. In Egypt the Virgin is considered the mother of God, who carried Jesus by the Holy Spirit to deliver the incarnated God. This reminds us also with the sacrifice offered by Christ. The Virgin Mary is shown frequently in Bawit in the church’s altars number 6, 17, 42, 45, 46, surrounded by the apostles or known local saints, or both, praying while carrying the Child. Her look seems Egyptian, similar to the “Virgin of Hadigitria”. She may be seen bowing a little like her pictures in the Syrian icons with the face looking upwards towards Christ. [Bawit, alter # 46] St. Mary’s pictures on fresco and on a curtain in Bawit, suggest a slight possibility that Copts tried to illustrate ascension. The presence of a child in the icon may point to the relationship between ascension and incarnation during the early church, particularly it was customary to celebrate both occasions, in one day in Jerusalem. In the picture on alter # 42 in Bawit, the Virgin is seen feeding the Child. The four incorporeal beasts picture was very popular among the Egyptians and were illustrated almost in everywhere in Egypt. Some of the famous places where they were found, were at Bawit, [on a curtain], St. Simon, in the Martyrs Monastery in Aswan, in the White Monastery in Souhag. There is also an altar for these incorporeal beasts in the Monastery of St. Anthony.

Gabriel Millet, [1945, P.55] mentioned that Christ’s picture with the incorporeal beasts was transferred first from Egypt to the East, particularly to Armenia and then to the West including Italy.

The Coptic encyclopedia gives detailed description of the Coptic style that was unique and was not known in France, Italy nor other places.

An old picture, from the fifth century, showed the Virgin Mary in its center, surrounded by the twelve apostles Above their heads, illuminated flame and in the center of the sky a pigeon is seen. Sometimes, there is a circular picture for the Lord Christ. These were found in the scripts of Rapaula of 586 AD and on Monza vessels.

A model from the ninth century was found at St. Catherine Monastery and a Coptic-Hebrew script which presently is at the Catholic Institute in Paris, [# 250] showing the apostles standing in one line while rays of light were falling on them, but the Virgin Mary is not shown in this picture.

Another model is from the tenth century illustrated the apostles who were sitting on seats inside a semicircular or triangular building, with a closed door in its center, [sometimes an one or more persons, representing the gentiles, are shown entering through an open door.

In the Suspended Church [Al Muallaqa] there is an icon, carved on cedar wood, from the thirteenth century represents the Pentecost.

ICONS REPRESENTING THE VICTORIOUS DESCEND OF THE LORD CHRIST

Such icons are not common in the Coptic orthodox church. One icon, carved on cedar wood from the thirteenth century, was found in the Suspended church and now is preserved in the British Museum. A similar icon was also found in one of the churches in Nubia.

In our rituals, we have a song that describes the Heavenly creatures, singing to the Lord while descending to Hades to break its doors and locks, freeing us from the bitterness of slavery. This particular icon as well as the song itself relate to some writings by the forefathers. Among them were Irinaos , the Martyr Bishop of Leon,[205 AD], the message of Hermas, the songs of Solomon in Syrian, the gospel of Necodimos and St. Efram the Syrian, all of which were taken from the New Testament, St. Peter and Acts.

In the resurrection icon, Christ is illustrated rising from the tomb with a flag in His hand, as a victorious sign, representing this subject according to the traditional rite of the church. At the bottom of the icon, the guards were illustrated either asleep or in state of shock from the event and the quake. At the beginning, this subject was not illustrated, probably they couldn’t visualize it, as nobody saw it. The present icons which were unknown in the past, spread from Jerusalem to most of the churches in the world.

The Coptic encyclopedia as well as other references, report that the illustration of the Virgin Mary started in Alexandria, Egypt around the first centuries. This happened only after the defense by the theologian St. Cyril of Alexandria, in the Council of Ephesus in summer of 431 AD and the dismissal of Nastorius, who denied St. Mary’s motherhood to God.

A wall picture showing Isis from the Ptolemy era and was common in the Mediterranean Basin.

The picture shows Isis breast feeding Horus, looking like the Virgin Mary carrying Jesus. This style was common in Egypt and symbolized goodness and victory over evil.

As Copts, we may resent any religious link to the ancient Egyptian gods, however there may be an artistic connection.

In the temples of Luxor and Karnak, the Copts converted some of its places to use them as churches and illustrated icons of the Virgin Mary, on its walls after putting plaster layers to flatten these walls. These icons are still existing and shown in colors, or what the weather elements, left of them through the ages. Probably these icons were the earliest of all the icons representing the Virgin carrying the Child.

There is another icon called “The Virgalactans” showing the Virgin breast feeding her Child. The Coptic encyclopedia suggests that it is possible that the artist was inspired by the picture of Isis feeding Horus. It added that this probability was a common knowledge to the Egyptian monks and hermites at that time.

At the end of the sixth century, this icon was made in Stela near Fayoum. In the eighth century it was illustrated on the walls at Bawit. and Saqqara. Wiessel, in 1938, Kondakav, in 1914 - 15, Zumtz, in 1929 referred to these icons as the most beautiful icons for the Virgin, breast feeding her son. [ Walls, Saqqara # 1725]

Icon for the Virgin Mary from Wadi Al Natrun.

It is believed that the West didn’t know about these before the fourteenth century and the Egyptians were credited for that.

Icon for the Virgin Mary from St. Jeremiah Monastery in Saqqara.

The oldest picture for St. Michael came from Alexandria. Rovinius was the first to mention about such an icon and quoted Yosbius of Caesar of seeing an icon for Archangel Michael in a church in Alexandria.

Supporting this statement, is the fact that, St. Michael celebration was an Egyptian feast, that originated in Egypt. Pope Alexandros succeeded by different means to persuade the people to abandon worshipping god Saturn and his celebration day, when they used to offer their sacrifices, on the twelfth day of Hatur. He kept the feast for them to celebrate, but was replaced for St. Michael instead. Statues were destroyed and churches were built, one had a cross was named after St. Michael. They brought the stones from the old altar of Sarabis. This church continued to exist till it was burned by the armies of Al Moez Le Deen Alla Ben Tameem when they arrived in 308 Hegira. At the beginning the church was called “the Resurrection Church”. The Christian Egyptians up to our time continue to celebrate the feast of the Archangel Michael annually. (History of the Church, Menassa Yohanna).

This picture shows the Egyptian origin of St. Michael’s icon

There is a script from the Syrian Monastery # 2325 [A d Church History] referring to the presence of an icon for Archangel Michael, on the dome of the altar. It goes back to the days of Empersors Arcadios and Onorius, sons of Emperor Theodius. In this icon St. Michael appeared standing, dressed like a king, with shining eyes, the rays of the sun, his legs got bright copper colors and in his right hand carrying a trumpet, that had the sign of the cross, also a wheeled royal looking wagon appeared in the picture.

The same script referred to a gold decorated carved wooden statue for St. Michael, that was present for a long time earlier. Most probably it wasn’t a statue in the proper definition of a statue, as it was described to be carved on wood.

It is suggested that the portrait of the balance of justice is initially an Egyptian design. It appears in St. Michael’s icon and is related to the ancient Egyptian’s tradition. The soul of the dead is illustrated on the scale for judgment to compare good to the bad deeds. To our present time, the scale is universally accepted as the sign for justice.

A picture showing the Egyptian origin for St. Michael’s scale.

It is appropriate to mention here that the region of Wadi Al Natrun, was called “The scale of the hearts”. A research work concluded that its old name goes back to the Pharaonic period, long before the time it became famous for monasticism. The old given name probably was acquired with the fact that the region specialized in embalming of mummies. Many funerary temples were located there because of the abundance of the chemical ingredients needed for the process of mummification.

The principal features in the Archangel Michael’s icons, include his dress, the “Tonic” with its ribbons that belonged to the Roman era together with his royal outer garment, the majestic mace or a spear in his right hand to strike the dragon. [Satan] His left hand carried a scale or a ball, referring to the globe with the letters “A X K” printed on it for “Christ the righteous Judge”

In a late version, an icon showed him in a military uniform with a pink red badge of honor. Other icons, showed frightful figures as soldiers dressed in the uniform of that time. They usually appear put shields on their chests or shoulders to frighten their enemies at war. Charms were used also to support the soldiers in defeating their opponents.

The idea of illustrating St. George, the knight stabbing the dragon, came initially from Egypt. The Egyptians were inspired by the illustration of Horus riding a horse and striking a crocodile, representing the devil, with a spear. A model taken from Met Rahina is in the Egyptian museum, and other collections from Ikhmeem are exhibited at the Victoria and Albert museum in London and the Louvre museum in Paris.

Porgene mentioned that the decorations at the Heyees temple in the exterior oasis was the one that inspired the artists to illustrate St. George. In that temple, Horus was illustrated stabbing a lion with a spear. De Borjier mentioned that Georgius made it in Egypt, a Byzantine land then and the name Girgis , meant Georgius which is George. The name was derived from the name of the oasis “Garga” or “Kharga.

Symbolism was created by the Egyptians during the Pharaohs era and later spread to the Christian world.

We would like to mention here, that the picture of Horus on his horse striking the evil, was still accepted by the Egyptians till the fifth century, as it referred to righteousness and victory over evil. They also accepted the Ankh which was put on the tombs, as a symbol for life. During the Christian era till the eighth century they added a cross in the center of the circle in the Ankh.

CHAPTER III

THE PLACE OF THE COPTIC ART AND THE COPTIC CREDIT

As we mentioned earlier, the Copts have a leading role in the Christian art and it is impossible to cover the rightful merits they deserve in just few pages. There are many supportive evidence and endless references assuring this reality, but I will try to affirm in few words, how and where they clearly left their imprints on the Christian art. They led in many areas, like in, decoration, architecture, symbolism, carving and fields with various ideas and characteristics.

1 - THE BRAID: (From a lecture given by the author at University of Liden, Holland, April, 1990)

A model from a braid taken from a Pharaonic carriage [Tutankhamen tomb]

In the different arts, the essential unit in decoration is the braid. The braid is basically a curved line that gives a branch to the right and another to the left. It branches like a plant into simple plain lines, or interweaves, to reach other branches intermingling with them. This is found in all western and eastern arts. It is included in the German, kotian, the Anglo-Saxon, renaissance age, east, west, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Burma, Indian arts and others. The earliest and the simplest style originated in Egypt during the Pharaonic ages, then spread to the Greeks and the Romans, etc.

At the beginning, the Egyptians began with a simple braid in one direction only as in Greece, but later, the two direction braid appeared in Egypt.

I noticed that the ceilings of the royal tombs and the golden carriages were decorated with braid. These were tombs that belonged to the year 1680 BC. It is possible with more search, others of an earlier date will be discovered.

2- PILLAR’S CROWN SHAPED LIKE BASKET

Pillars with crowns shaped like baskets were common in the Byzantine art, like the pillars of the sixth century Church of Hagia-Sophia. This art began in Egypt and was observed in the Coptic art since the fourth and the fifth centuries. (Egyptian art, Dr. Tharwat Okasha, part 3, P. 1448) Its first model was a marble crown, resembling a basket using ribbons and Ankh signs in the middle of its upper four edges, and with a cross in its circle. Making baskets, was known and popular in Egypt in the fourth century, indicating its Egyptian art originality. [Egyptian art, Dr. Tharwat Okasha, P. 1440,picture, 1019] In the Monastery of Anba Jeremiah in Saqqara, there are wide crowns capable of carrying the heavy weight of the adjoining arches. This was impossible to achieve with other types of crowns like the cornice type. These crowns became more convenient and their shape provided space for decoration. The Copts kept designing other ideas, even extended the decoration to reach the pillars themselves as in models in Saqqara and Bawit, where braids of equal branches decorated both the crowns and the pillars which were fixed to the walls. [in Bawit] Double or more branches from the two main stems, repeated themselves in one style were found and sometimes as were used secondary units in the decoration.

It is suffice to mention an example of a circular style with windows and high bars, similar to the windows in the hall of the pillars at the Karnak temple. It also contained gutters. The ceilings were decorated with stars similar to those found in Egyptian temples and tombs. With the ionic style the pillars were decorated with the “Bashneen flower, the logo of Southern Egypt. The Corinthian style had pillars arranged in one or more rows, the same arrangement and style followed in planting Egyptian palm trees, a style which points to its Egyptian novelty.

For those who are studying Ptolemy and Roman time, it is difficult to separate the Alexandrine antiquities or what relates to it, in Egypt, from the Egyptian art, as some can’t be differentiate one from the other. Some appeared to be very foreign that they were probably prepared to be exported. The acquired Egyptian influence was easily seen and reflected on the Greek-Roman antiquities in and outside Egypt.

The “Agura” which was established in Al Ashmoneen in Middle Egypt, by the end of the second century is one of these antiquities. It has two rows of pillars with Corinthian crowns, extending to about 60 meters leading to a yard with three circular wings. By looking to this yard, one can see the Egyptian effect on the countries which were occupied later by the Christians. This is considered as the origin of the compartments in the Greek-Roman tombs in Alexandria. However the shape of the wings in Alexandria were more rectangular, similar to the compartments in more recent states. They also resembled the alters of the Egyptian temples which have three parallel sections with little change.

The design of the Roman basilica, certainly had an Egyptian root, as it contained a hall, with rows of pillars arranged similarly to those in the Egyptian Karnak temple, or the Ramisium. In support of this is the fact that the middle yard was elevated than the adjoining wings to permit air and light to enter through the longitudinal openings, the same as in the Karnak temple.[This additional description is the author’s observation].

Light system by the pillar hall, as in the Karnak temple.

As the Coptic art extended to many countries outside Egypt, it is certain that many Coptic artisans shared in building the Dome of the Rock Mosque in Jerusalem., the Great Mosque of Damascus, the Winter Palace near Amman. The same is true for the Church of St. Pedera de la Nave in Spain where the decorations there are full of many Coptic items. It is almost certain that these were made by Copts using the same style in carving the decorations that were used in Bawit.

The early churches in Rome and North Africa, were built with a Basilica style having the characteristics of the Egyptian temples of the early idol-worship time.

4- THE TILTED CEILING OR THE DOMES

One of the most important elements of architecture was ceilings in the shape of domes with rectangular or semicircular styles. Many people took them as being a Roman art, but the prudent researcher finds them to be Egyptian. Domes were common in ancient Egypt and sometimes the ceilings were completely carved in the mountain, like the compartment of Tuhtmus I in Hatshibsut and the holy of the holiest dome, in the temple of El Dier Al Bahri. These usually were circular domes and occasionally with pointed arches.

False domes. Excavation of the stony ceiling

These are not considered domes in their traditional meaning, but only in appearance. The Egyptian designer created the false domes in two stages, then to four. The Egyptian engineer was able to establish the real dome in the twenty fifth dynasty in Ramses III temple in Sabu, similar to the drawing shown here. It is important to notice the middle stone which contributed to its success.

Stony dome similar to the one of the 25th dynasty in Ramses II in the city of Habu, with the upper middle stones seen

Many colored picture were found decorating the funerary texts that were written on papyrus. Some of them illustrated the boat of the “god sun” and his followers with rituals adopted for the dead and the spirits. These was promoted in the Byzantine art and were common in the Christian world, decorating monasteries and non religious books. The original Alexandrine design adopted the Byzantine art and made them similar to the Pharaonic papyrus decorations. They put the first word of each section in red, while the rest of the words were in black. The ritual Christian books adopted the same old Egyptian style.

Discovering the method of making paper from the papyrus, was also Egyptian, even the word “paper” in the German, French and other languages is Egyptian. (After one of the lectures given by His Holiness Pope Shenouda III ).

Despite this fact, yet some scholars like, Wissel, Jaier, Maspiro, Lady Etsalosher, had different ideas. Ashtertsigovisks however stated that any art that looks like the ancient Egyptian art, in spirit or form, is considered an old art. Wissel tried to deny the influence of the Pharaonic art on the Coptic art, by claiming that the Coptic art began only in the sixth century, without giving any proof whether, political, social, or artistic. This contradicts what he himself said earlier in his history study, that the Copts vigorously resented Greek and Roman idolatry through their religious and national conviction. He also confessed that more than one person accepted martyrdom for their faith. He never denied the control of the church over the Coptic people in Egypt, nor the discord between the Coptic and the Byzantine churches, based on religious and national reasons. Unity among the churches in Egypt was excellent.

Among the important evidences for the stability of the Coptic art, was supported by the excavation of the School of arts in Cairo University in Kom Osheem in Fayoum in 1970. They discovered many important items, among them were unique wall units from the third and the fourth centuries, now preserved in the museum at the school of arts in Cairo University. The pictures found, represented noble people who were dressed differently and some of them were in war attire. Among the people were persons having halos used to be used for the saints and possibly they were from the early saints who vowed their life to defend the faith. (Dr. Tharwat Okasha, P. 1510, P. 1527 and illustrations 1083, a. & b.).

Wassel, as well as Jabier and Maspiro, missed the point that Egypt was the cradle for most of the ancient Christian art, the art that was the nucleus of the Coptic art which was affected to a certain degree by the Greek-Egyptian art.

We know that the Byzantine art came to light, only in the early part of the fourth century and benefited from the Christian art in Egypt, meaning that the Coptic art is older than the Byzantine art. It is not surprising that there is similarity between the Coptic and Byzantine arts as both came from the same origin and the same religion.

The Greek accepted Christianity at a later date than the Copts, meaning that the Egyptian Christian, [Coptic] art, was ahead and existed before the presence of the Greek Christian [Byzantine] art. (Dr. Okasha, P. 1512).

Among the scholars who defended the position of the Coptic art was father Pier De Bourguet. He responded to the claims of Wissel and confirmed the notable rank of the Coptic artistic works, among the different works, in their features, description, character and unity. He noticed that the Coptic art was victimized and was not given the deserved credit, even it was attacked

De Bourguet stated that the Coptic art was influenced by both the Byzantine and Syrian arts in a limited way, and only for a limited time. Even with the little it took from them, yet it expressed itself largely. The Coptic art goes further than what is seen in the architectural feature of the churches. Egypt was a part of the Greek-Roman domain and some exchanges happened between it, the Alexandrine, the Roman, the Greek and other arts from Palestine, Tadmur and Persia

The Coptic art was supported by the middle class and the church while the Byzantine art was supported by the emperors. Accordingly the Coptic art truly pictured the people, expressed their character, humor and sickness with glorify or humility. Such an art is a real one without forgery. With its expression, it was truthful, so it survived and kept its Coptic identity continued to be so. (Dr. Okasha, P. 1528).

De Borjier mentioned that the basket models was perfected that nobody challenged the Copts in their models or industry. These models appeared in Egypt, (P. De. Baurguet, The Coptic Art, Arabic translation, Institute of Coptic Studies, P. 235]. As an example, De Bourguet mentioned that thousands of Copts were sent to Jerusalem to help in repairing the churches that were destroyed by the Persians in 614. The Arab writers referred to this event with admiration and commended the ability of the Copts for building the city mosque in 707-9. Al Khalifa Al Waleed ordered the city governor to rebuild the mosque and ordered him to bring eight skilled labors from Egypt and Syria for this purpose. It was mentioned that the Copts built the “Kiblah” [direction to which Muslims turn in prayer] in the shape of a niche which is a Christian symbol. De Bourget reported that afterwards this form was adopted for the “Mihrab” [the prayer niche], in the Muslim world.

In the palace of “Meshtah”, built in 743-744 at the time of Ibn Al Waleed II, there are areas which certainly were products of the Egyptian hands. This proves the immense action of the Copts outside Egypt. A document was found showing the salaries of forty Egyptian carpenters who worked for six months in the great Mosque in Damascus and among them were also engineers and craftsmen.

A copied version, [Huge consecutive arches without windows], from the death city in El Bagawat in the exterior oasis was built in Aghadir, south of Baghdad. It had the similarity to the traditional Coptic architectural decorations to a large extent. Coptic workers were sent also to Spain, to the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem and to Samra in Mesopotamia to work there during the time of the Ayub rule.

Decoration in the Coptic art deserve further research. The early models of ornamentation go back earlier than the seventh century and are unavailable due to the different elements of the Coptic architectural art.

One of these ornamentation was found, [see the picture], believed to be the first to be recognized, in one of the most famous Coptic churches in Cairo, namely the Suspended Church. It is small in size and its width is no more than 10 centimeter but it stands for few meters high.

We used to look at them as elements to beautify domes, semi domed entrances or the ceilings with curved areas and were not fully noticed or was considered strange architectural elements.

The decor in the Suspended church goes back to the sixth or the eighth century, though Dr. Raouf Habib and others suggested much earlier date.

Further research may give us more understanding to the subject of ornamentation.

REFERENCES

1- The Church, God’s House, by Father Tadros Yacoub Malaty.

2- “Manaret al Aqwas” [The Minaret of the Arches], by Father Mancarius Awadalla

3- “Alkanaes al Kebteya al Kadima fi Masr” ‘The old Coptic Churches in Egypt’, by Alfred Butler, Part I, translated by Ibrahim Salama.

4- “Al Fan el Kipti”, ‘Egyptian Art”. By Dr. Tharwat Okasha, Part III, Publisher, Dar el Maaref, Egypt, 197t.

5- “Al Athar al Masri al Kadim fi al Fan al Kipti” ‘The Influence of the Ancient Art on The Coptic Art’, by Dr. Raouf Habib , Publisher, Al Mahaba Library.

6- “Al Iconat al Kipteya” ‘Coptic Icons’, by Dr. Raouf Habib , Publisher, Al Mahaba Library.

7- “Tarikh al Fan al Kipti wa mat’hafo” ‘Coptic Art History and Museum’, by Dr. Raouf Habib, Publisher, Al Mahaba Library.

“Al Fan al Masri al Kadim, al Emara” ‘Ancient Egyptian Art, Architecture’, Part, I, by Dr. Tharwat Okasha 1990.

1- The Coptic Encyclopedia, The late Professor Dr. Aziz Soryial Attyia, 1991

2- Coptic Art: Nabil Selim Atalla.

3- Cairo, The Coptic Museum & Old Churches: Gawdat Gabra, 1993.

4- The Icon, Image of the Invisible, Egonsendler, 1988.

“1 Art Copte” Le Art dans le Monde, Du Barurguet, Paris, 1968.

Details from fresco, ascension icon, from the 6th century

Annunciation icon in showing exceptional details of the face of the Virgin. Discovered recently in the Syrian Monastery.

Various types of braid from the 18th & 20th dynasties

A tapestry representing Ascension: in its upper section, the Lord Christ is surrounded by the angels in the “Mondorla”. Notice the association between ascension and the Virgin sitting on a throne, that was observed in the frescos in Egypt, surrounded by the apostles in circular medals. This is certainly was made in Egypt in the sixth century representing a common popular art. Weitmann described its powerful design with its potent colors.(Kurt Weit 3 mann, Holy image, 6th to 14th centuries, George Braziller, New York 1978) A similar design, made as a curtain for the altar, is in the Louvre museum and could be identical to the altar’s curtain removed by Bishop Epiphanius in the fourth century.(Author’s personal observation)

The right side of Annunciation icon, discovered recently in the Syrian Monastery

We can’t say that the Pharaonic art is the precursor of the Coptic art, nor can we say that the Coptic art wasn’t influenced, in some way or another by the Pharaonic art. The creativeness of the Coptic carving was the least to be affected by the ancient art, but decorations were.

The Alexandrine spirit didn’t effect the subject nor the formation. The Syrian technology had some influence after the Arabs entered Egypt.

To begin with, the Alexandrine style itself had some Pharaonic taste during the Ptolemy and Roman Dynasties when there was a surge in the carving art. [1st century BC] That was the time when some unusual Greek and Roman models appeared

It seemed like the Coptic artists were waiting for a chance to express themselves and really excelled in their work. They used shaded uneven surface with some protrusions instead of the even surface to give some effect. The Greek style used expressive illustrations by repetition and coordination between the subjects in the carving. The Roman style concentrated on the essentials and ignored outer similarity. They used modifications, changed relativity and dismissed both expressions and repeated features, like the details in illustrating the head and beard hair.

A sculpture of Oxir Nikhos (Bahnasa) from the late Roman era [The Greek Museum in Alexandria and those from “Ehnasia el Madina” which were discovered by Edward Naville in 1890 - 1891] ‘The Coptic Museum in Cairo’ deserve some attention as they show close similarity in their decoration and style to the Coptic carved models.

The pre Coptic era is considered to be the “dawn era”for carving. In the excavation in Ehnasia El Medina, remnants believed to be from an adjoining church was discovered. They contained both idol and Christian carvings probably made by the same person or from the same place.

The fact that some of its decorations are related to carved styles from Mesopotamia and Syria, suggests that they were made by people who came from these place and stayed in Egypt around the latter part of the fourth to the middle of the fifth century. It is certain however that the artistic work was done by Egyptians.

Bronze carved models were discovered in many different places in Egypt and have characteristics, suggesting that this early Coptic art style was not limited to one particular location. The art developed in the Nile Valley from the middle of the fourth to the fifth centuries and dealt with Christian and idolatry subjects as well. At that time Christianity was advancing and idolatry was receding. It needs to be mentioned that the art was also influenced by the art of eastern Syria.

The remains of the church found at Ehnasia al Madina are considered to be one of the earliest of the Coptic art. They have some similarity to the collection of Mariet Botros Ghali in Cairo. One attractive piece of art has at its middle, a statue of the Lord Christ [half size] with two symbolic personalities, one on the top and the other and located at bottom of the statue. Other symbolism’s from the early Christian era, just after the time of the persecution showed a dolphin, representing the Savior Christ, roses referring to the crucifixion. Other symbols like wild rabbits turning a fruit basket were hard to figure out what they stood for.

Art is known to flourish whenever there is stability and prosperity in a country. The Roman Empire suffered during the forth century from some insecurity at its northern and western regions, forcing the European art, during this period to retreat to Egypt and particularly in Alexandria.

At the beginning the Coptic art was affected to a certain extend by the decline of the art in Alexandria and Antioch [an example of this, is a mosaic model found at :Sheik Zeweed, just east to Alexandria [338 - 361 AD]

During the fourth and fifth centuries, monasticism began to appear and acquire an eminent role in religious life. The majority of the real Coptic carved art came after that period. The models before that time was influenced greatly by the Alexandrine art.

Decorations became very attractive and the crowns on the top of the pillars were decorated with shapes of grapes, its leave and branches from palm trees. Similar decorations were found on the walls of a church in Daranka and at the entrance area. Different organized shells similar to the Greek models and to models found in Saqqara were also used.

The new style appeared gradually by subtracting or adding some features. Some of these features remained in the Coptic art, namely the Corinthian crowns of the pillars as well as some Pharaonic models modified by adding some Christian symbols like a cross or a pigeon.

Accordingly, the old subjects and tales lost their importance. What remained were Greek, oriental from Persia. The Dionosius and Egyptian tales represented some scenes from the Nile. The Christian subjects at this time were very light and mainly crosses and Greek forms.

After a while, the embossed carving lost some of its characteristics and returned gradually to the flat surface, thus loosing some perspective and had less details. Yet both pictures and subjects retained some beautiful characteristics.

Relativity became more liberal and the faces lost much of their expressions, but kept an organized composition. The muscles looked haphazardly disorganized and couldn’t be differentiated from each others. An example would be the model of Aphrodite leaving its shell.

Niches, in small sizes were used inside the Coptic buildings or around them and even on the top of pillars. Few models were found in Pitra and Baalbek. Pavements parallel to walls, decorated with pictures of plants or animals were common features.

In spite of the noticeable Greek influence then, some changes happened regarding the relative size of animals illustrated in hunting scenarios, Botanical decorations became taller that its elements and pointed.

Such models were found in abundance in Bahnasa and Ehasia Al Madina. They resembled the Corinthian crowns with decorations made of three rows of the plant “Acanthus” with its leaves tips pointed forward. However the row’s relativity was neglected. For example the middle row would hide what was above it and the tips of the plant’s leaves were directed to the side instead upwards.

A marvelous style were also found in bronze and ivory models. In one of the bronze group, there is a scene for Aphrodite and Cupid. Among the ivory models there are many mermaid decorations of mermaid and botanical nature.

A wooden carved model of “Jesus in Jerusalem on Palm day” from the Suspended Church and in the Coptic museum in Cairo, shows obvious Greek influence. This is clearly manifested in its clothing despite the fact of the presence of Coptic features like the winged angels and the use of longitudinal and transverse lines in rounded forms.

Embossed decorations were replaced with more flattened surface without perspective. Decorations were derived from animal and botanical subjects as those seen in the niches, crowns, rectangle pillars and pavements.

The leaves of the acanthus plant with their pointed ends were used almost in all the decorations, even replacing grape leaves. These coordinated and filled the emptiness seen in crowns of the rectangular pillars.

Embossed decorations using styles from nature like plant branches in a repeated pattern became common in the rectangular pillars and pavements. Fruits without branches as if they are hanging in the air were illustrated and later were replaced by crosses. Branches were shown intermingled together and repeating themselves at the edge of the pillars and pavements. This didn’t debrief the vitality of the decoration at times.

These decorations were mostly seen like baskets on the pillars and were considered as a Coptic art originality art since the fourth and the fifth centuries. It is worth mentioning that there were similarity between the crown models in the Byzantine art and these crowns as manifested in the church of Aya Sophia of the sixth century. The same decoration is seen in the Coptic churches particularly in Saqqara, showing a link that existed between the Coptic and the Byzantine churches despite the feud between the two churches.

The crowns pillar became wider and capable to carry the heavy weight of the adjacent ends of the arches. The end of each arch meets the other on the top of the pillar. The Corinthian crown couldn’t serve this purpose as it was not wide enough to accommodate both ends of the arches. The conical shape of the Coptic crown provided more surface that was utilized for decoration. Mainly they used grape and acanthus leaves which were intermingled together that gave a pattern similar to a lace.

As stones survived these ages, we had a chance to learn about carving during this period. Ivory, bone, bronze carving were found but not in abundance, however we knew about carving more than what we learned about other arts.

Comparatively we can judge about the other arts, as different types of art usually go hand by hand together. Whenever they excel in one, the others would follow as they complete one another in sharing some similarities and ties.

In the Coptic Museum there are two specific models which were made of bronze and shared the same style, suggesting the possibility of the presence of a school for carving in Alexandria in the fifth century. Records were found stating that Pope Cyril sent an ivory chair, as a gift, to the Patriarch of Constantinople about the year 432-433 AD. There is also a list of items that were sent as gifts to the Council of the Roman Emperors which included 14 chairs made of ivory.

Scholars agree that embossed Ivory was made by Egyptians in the sixth century in Alexandria. The work style didn’t resemble the models which were received from Constantinople in the early part of the sixth century and they didn’t bear any of the Alexandrine traditions. After the Caledonian Council it was difficult for Constantinople to depend on Alexandria, and the style in each country became different since that time.

Many Coptic antiquities were taken from Egypt and appeared somewhere in different parts of the world. It was difficult to trace their particular original sites and to get details about the time they were made. However at the present, scientists and scholars can reach reasonable conclusion about the time they were made and about their original site. Most of these items were not large in size but usually small statues, boxes, pillars, etc. that were easily carried away from Egypt undetected. We will mention some of these models:

A carving model for the Virgin Mary and the child sitting on a chair that has no back for support with a cross on each side was among these models. Most probably it was taken from the Fayoum area and belonged to the sixth century or earlier. This model is now present at the Berlin Museum [Snatlich]

Another model, a head of a pillar with a crown on it, is preserved in the British Museum. It has the characteristics of the style of the early part of the fifth century. This model shows some Hellenic features but the place of origin isn’t determined.

A model for a head, of a man with a beard, of undetermined site of origin, has all features of a Copt. It has a smooth surface and simplified expressions. It is suggested that it belongs to the sixth or the seventh centuries. The early stage of the Coptic carving was called the soft style because of the soft expressions on the face and the distinctive features of the hair and movements. A transitional period appeared before reaching this advanced stage, where carved solid objects and decorations were mainly made of tree leaves. The archeological decorations belonged to earlier styles.

Traditional pictures were seen on the imperial crown before the seventh and eighth centuries.

A model from Bawit [not a smooth style] shows two victorious angels carrying the Gospel, shaped like a crown. This may have been a reflection of the traditional pictures on the doubled ivory imperial crown, made in Constantinople in the sixth century.

A part of an imperial crown, in the palace in Milan, Italy [Forzicos] goes back to the days of Anstamos’s rule in 491-518 AD , suggests to be a model similar to the models found in Bawit. Imaginary symbols were common in the late antiquities of the Byzantine era.

Old traditions continued side by side with the ruling authorities, added to this, there were embossed carvings on lime stones from Bawit, representing the ascension of Lord Christ sitting on His throne and carried by two angels. This model needs to be compared to the wooden steps of the door of the Suspended Church as it is believed to have some Alexandrine tradition.

It appears that the Arab conquest, that took place in 641 AD didn’t have an abrupt change over the traditional work in the recently occupied territory. During the rule of the Umayyads many buildings were built taking advantage of the availability of skilled Coptic, Syrian and Persian labors, even they brought labors and material from Constantinople. This was the beginning of the birth of a mixed art from different civilizations. At that time many achievements were reached. Carving progressed and flourished and some of the models of this period, are found in the museums of Victoria and Albert and also in Berlin [representing Lord Christ riding a young donkey]. A small statue for Father Dortheotos and a statue made to commemorate St. James, show special archeological carving skill. Another sculpture for St. Victor on his horse carrying his book in reference to the demise of the abbots of the monasteries who died either from an epidemic or through martyrdom. This last model is present at the British museum in London.

Some of the models were carved on bone or ivory belong to the era between the seventh and the eighth centuries. These have decorations composed of vine grapes and birds. Subjects were gradually dropped from the carving art as they concentrated instead on pure decorative designs.

Many decorative fragments and elements from old buildings were available, because of their small sizes. Natural scenes decorations were traded with subjects except for some decorative units.

During the Umayyads dynasty, there was discipline in the art regarding the forms and big masses that appeared during the rule of Ben Toulon and the Fatimids and were freshening in their spirit. Through the exposure to the occupying art, the Coptic art followed its own direction but stayed firmly connected to the different consecutive stages of the Islamic art, even took some of it. Gradually it acquired many special characteristics. During these stages this direction paired with the pure “Coptic art”.

During the Umayyads dynasty, 658 -750 AD and with their first conquest in Persia, they took a lot from the Sassanian art which was influenced to begin with, with the Greek art. Therefor it is not surprising to notice the real resemblance between their art and the Coptic art during this period.

The Copts stayed loyal to the general rule in using natural objects regardless of the style. Also they used some Greek subjects, however some of its elements lost some details in its decorative units, in the botanical, animal pictures or human subjects. The artists however were able despite of that, to arrange the masses neatly. They were concerned about the elegance that gave us the impression that they had returned to a certain degree to the Greek nature after eliminating the unit details similar to the Islamic works of the Umayyads. Some of these works were found in the Saqqara and Bawit monasteries representing pleasant embossed carving human models.

Branches used to decorate the crowns of the pillars gave them the look of “baskets” as those in Saqqara and Bawit. They appeared attached to the walls in Bawit. The branches ran in duplicates or even more and were repeated in styles that utilized other secondary units not related to nature.

They returned to some extend to the Greek style after eliminating some details from the units, similar to the Islamic works of the Umayyads era. Some of these works have decorative units and are found in Saqqara and Bawit monasteries as mentioned before.

In Bawit, botanical decorations were used in different ways. Some decoration were embossed, others were made of bronze and some of them looked as simple recurring waves and in most of the cases, divided in three parts.

Coptic art did function in depth. A bronze model at the Coptic museum represents a woman with her legs crossed without any consideration to the motions permitted anatomically.

During the Toulon dynasty, 868 - 905 AD, they followed the same style used in earlier periods, that gave the Coptic art a chance for building its own specific characteristics.

Many of such examples as seen in the Mosque of Ben Toulon in Cairo. There are also embossed decorations with almost the same characteristics to that in the church in our Syrian Monastery in Wadi El Natrun.

Today The Coptic carving came to a standstill like many other arts except from some individuals but not from groups or schools

It is difficult for me to write about the art ability of Dr. Isaac Fanous in few pages. Talking about his elegant art, I find myself expressing our contemporary Coptic art. There is no doubt that all our present artists, in producing their icons, are influenced one way or another by the art of Dr. Fanous.

Certainly, the new elegant style in our Coptic art has been created by Dr. Isaac Famous. His style in its originality, is related and inspired by the true Coptic art mixed with favorable elements from the ancient Pharaonic and contemporary arts.

It may be unfair for him and to the contemporary Coptic art to limit his artistic achievements within few lines, while whole books are needed to cover the different subjects and to give him the credit he deserves. His career is long and his achievements are great.

Under these considerations, I am going to touch on some subjects in a very concise way.

1. The admirable way in expressing the movements of the individuals particularly the fine movements of the hands similar to the ancient Pharaonic art.

2. The creation of new subjects like the icons at the St. Mark Church in London where Lord Christ is illustrated in a contemporary fashion surrounded by children, Who hugs them and each of them is trying to reach Him. Other icons like “The Praise Icon” and “The Prayer Icon” in the Dallas Church in The United States of America each of which represents a new spirit in the Coptic art. He created icons for St. George reflecting all the stages of his torture, worthy to be described individually if we had the space for that. By the same token this applies to the icons of The Apostle St. Paul in the church in Tanta, Egypt.

3. The focusing on the principle subject matter without entering in details for the added points. so it wouldn’t crush the original meaning. This leads us to the next detail, namely, the abstractionism.

4. Abstractionism may be not be the proper word to be used in a subject like icons, however it has been successfully applied to serve the art, when it was used by Professor Isacc Fanous.

5. Cubism was used skillfully like the previous element, serving the purpose required in illustrating the icons. We noticed the cubical sloping lines that were relevant to the sky lines whether these lines were crossed cubical lines, uncrossed triangular pattern, or crossed straight. They fitted the ground spaces in an excellent fashion.

6. Again, Cubism in dealing with dresses: Dr., Isaac Fanous handled this subject with many varieties through shading, in a very courageous way using cubism with straight lines, meeting triangular cubical straight or curved lines.

7. Symphony in colored formation: This has been clear in the nativity and crucifixion icons. The light rays from the star were colored in gold and reflected on the face of young Jesus beside the Virgin Lady. The color gradually changed from the bright golden yellow to the quiet orange color and gradually added red, then brown in different stages of deep colors till it ended at the background in a dark grayish style. The distribution of the illumination perfectly succeeded in focusing on the Child and His mother. The same style was adopted in the crucifixion icon.

8. Utilization of the space:. Each and every icon he created deserves a comment and description. I will mention here two icons installed in the church at the Golf, District in Heliopolis, Cairo as examples. The first icon represents the judgment of Christ by the Jews. The second shows Christ standing in front of Pilate. The Jews are illustrated in the foremost part of the picture, raising their hands in defiance to the faith and one of them has split garment. It is noticed that they were shown behind a partition, so the faces appeared with great expressions. Only the faces and hands were seen. This idea is a superb one and is indicative of his genius artistic skill. Had it been illustrated in full figures, it would have been on the expense of loosing the chance to show the detailed expressions on their faces. The faces, accordingly were shown in a lateral profile with the typical Jewish noses. The features have stony look, a sign of ungratefulness. The grades of light were used to serve the subject, as Christ was the source of light while putting the Jews in darkness. The background was hot red color expressing the event. The same was expressed in the second icon of the judgment in front of Pilate, however the Jews were put in the back area of the portrait.

9. Face expression: adding to the description mentioned in the seventh paragraph about the stony impression of the Jews, we find the same expressions on the faces of the soldiers as shown in the crucifixion and the saints’ torture icons. This is in contradistinction to the clear pure features on the faces of the men, women and children in icons representing St. Paul or St. Mark while preaching the people. The same is in the icons illustrating them writing the Gospels or epistles . In the icons of St. Paula the first anchorite, the same kind of features were distinct together with the bowing of his back an indication of the physical weakness. These are only few examples among many.

10. The different designs in the rear of the scenery: He uses various quiet colors with strongly straight or crossed lines for the sky that refer to opening of heaven, like in the icons of nativity or the Divine apparition or ascension. He makes the crucified Jesus as the centering focus or the rear of the portrait if it serves the purpose, as in the icon of the appearance of St. George. One particular crucifixion icon in a church in Tanta , has a strange creative back area in gold, however some of its crust seen to be missing through which the floor of the icon is exposed, as a sign of the suffering of the creation with the darkening of the sun, (There was darkness over the earth).

11. It is difficult within these limited lines to cover the artistic features of Dr. Isaac Fanous and to talk about the different daring competing colors. The distribution of light and shade , the utilization used in showing the seen objects in an untraditional and the exaggeration in expression of silence and motion are some of his characteristic features.

Textile is among the oldest arts known to mankind. Scholars researched intensively exploring into it. They studied both the soft and course materials which were used and examined the decorations and the pictures which were composed by thread. These were neat and beautiful decorative work of art, governed by attractive colors and with coordinated distribution. Its beauty points to the extend that this human art had reached during this period.

During the Pharaonic era, Egypt was well known in the field of weaving and textile. The archeologists were keen to collect much wealth of the material they found in the tombs. A researcher needs more time and space to be able to give this subject what it deserves when he talks about it in Pharaonic Egypt and about the degree of skill that the Egyptians accomplished indeed. They used looms and other weaving tools of different setups. At the beginning the use of the high grade linen was reserved exclusively in the Egyptian temples. There was of course wool and silk which were manufactured in Egypt in the fifth century when they established special factories for that type of texture. Earlier they used to be imported.

During the Coptic era, the industry and trade jumped significantly and Christian Egypt became very famous for its production and exported them all over the world.

Wall models, with decorations mounted on boards were known and common during this period including many subjects which were not limited to religious items.

From the early days of Christianity in Egypt, this art started with success as it was an extension to an already established civilization. Later it acquired its own independent characteristics.

As mentioned earlier its production during the Pharaonic and Ptolemy eras was reserved only for the temples, altars and palaces, but later the people were permitted to use woven materials and wool of different colors which became popular and common.

When the Arabs entered Egypt, they liked it and called it “Qapati” referring to it as a Coptic product. Some samples pieces from this era are preserved in the Louvre Museum in Paris, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and in the Museum of Lyon in France. These were originally taken from tombs in Egypt, particularly from the towns of Ekhmeem and Antoyma (Sheik Abada). These fine textile are from the early Coptic era and are clearly beautiful showing its high standard and taste, in bright colors and coordinated illustrations.

Many models readily reveal its Coptic origin because of their characteristics. They have simple characters with harmony between its personalities. The Copts excelled in their ability to handle and define its frames with lines surrounding illustrated subjects. They adopted a specific identified technique with gradual change in colors. Beside using the principal shuttle functions they used another shuttle to make the seal.

It is worth mentioning that they began to get rid of the Greco-Roman style from the start, which they felt it was forced upon them. They made many modifications and succeeded in establishing a new second stage for that period which extended from the middle of the fifth century to beyond the middle of the seventh century.

The textile industry was famous during Coptic Egypt and excelled in producing linen and woolen textile up till the Islamic era, namely in the seventh century.

Byssus, a delicate type of linen, was considered to be the best in textile that it was called “royal”. During thee Pharaonic time, its use was limited to the dressing the statues of gods, or to dress the priests and the honored persons of the royal families

Qapati textile (Coptic) is known as tapestry. This art was older than other methods and was easy to be performed. At that time needle work (embroidery) wasn’t known and it was very rare and exceptional.

Loop handled textile, also became famous. Ornamented textile and other embroidered forms of decorations also appeared at that time.

Textile in its simple form consists of two groups of thread bundles, each is perpendicular to the other. One is vertical and the other is transverse in regards to the loom. The final shape of the textile depends on the style of the bundles.

The principal and common form of textile is called silky waved or linear textile. This is the product of the alternating positions of the upper and lower individual threads of the vertical group, however there are many other ways for doing textile in more diversified complicated manner. For example, when the transverse thread passes over and beneath two or four threads of the vertical bundle, each time, this will produce of a rib or a curved like material, known as “half basket”.

The flying reel was created during the Coptic era and it was done by inserting an independent white linen thread in the cloth at a diagonal angle. That is how they made lines to surround the decorations or the simple designs.

From time to time they used embroidery by reversing the direction of the flying reel and using an independent thread to take the same path in the back of the vertical threads at an angular direction on the right side of the transverse threads. Usually they use white thick thread so it appears as if it was glued to the fabric. This is similar to the method they used when simulated the Damascus Syrian silk work which was imported at that time in linen and wool also.

There adopted other methods without using the usual tools where they insert repeated independent illustrated models within the fabric, to make curved styles. The weaver could have used the same method when illustrations and pictures are included. They used longitudinal fissures or spaces between the different areas of different colors, or between the pieces that were made of wool and linen. If the pieces were intermingled or geared together, then they could avoid the longitudinal fissures and get stronger fabric.

We have to remember the role of the thread and the loom machine, the two important elements in the textile industry. Weaving is essentially converting the natural fibers to regular resilient and homogenous thread. It is necessary to stretch fully the wool or linen fibers so it becomes thin and easy to be twisted to make it into a thread. This is what spinning is. Many of these models were found in the archeological dig sites.

The natural linen fibers are characterized by its circular or loop like shape and looks like the letter S. When they were washed they used their hands in an anti clock wise direction to straighten them.

There were many types of loom machines during the beginning of the Coptic and Roman eras. The threads were stretched length wise by anchoring them to rods fixed to the ground. Others used the vertical looms, where the vertical bundles are placed at higher levels and by using weights they stretched the cloth. Some machines had wheels that could be worked by the feet.

The Egyptians excelled in preparing coloring tinctures to color fabrics with natural colors. A papyrus transcript from the third or the fourth centuries was found describing the various types of tinctures for different colors like the purple, red crimson and blue. They used safflower and pomegranate peals, henna and other plants or their roots. These are grown in Egypt and they also used tinctures derived from organic tissues taken from animals.

Along the centuries, linen was the principle textile fiber, but dyeing it, was a problem. This is suggested from the fact that most of the textile found in the Pharaonic tombs were white, yellow or with light brown tinge, which are in fact the natural colors of linen.

It was necessary to prepare the linen so it can absorb the dye by adding fixing ingredients. They used alum and ferrous sulfate for that purpose beside other materials.

Although there is abundant information dealing with textile, yet more is needed to cover this subject thoroughly. Now is possible to determine the age of any material through sophisticated laboratory tests, but these are very expensive to do. Models’ age is commonly determined by comparison to other models of known ages and styles of certain periods. Pictures and illustrations found on the fabrics may match other pictures on statues or wall plates, of known eras and thus easily be related to the same period.

We will divide this period to three main divisions:

The art was influenced to a great extend by the Greeks and the Romans during this period. There were many different decorating illustrations from nature such as drawing birds, flowers, fruits or taken from mythical tales. These were done in colors like waves and mostly in purple. They used designs similar to the mosaic discovered in Sicily and Tunisia and probably these were make with the flying reel.

This period was influenced by foreign elements like the Byzantine and the Persians, a period where colors were used extensively and small artistic designs filled the spaces between the illustrated scenes.

Human and animal illustrations were markedly distorted, where the limbs looked deformed, without any match between the heads and the rest of the bodies. Meanwhile there were important illustrations taken from the Gospel and other Christian resources. Stories from the Old Testament were also illustrated like the story of Joseph who became the deputy king of Egypt. The cross also was frequently used with luminous radiance and the saints were drawn having beards

Most of the models of this period carried Arabic features. Many craftsmen entered the trade that resulted in abstractive decoration of complicated features.

Many conservative styles appeared in the tenth century using less colors. In general it expressed subjects with symbolic scenarios inspired by wall plates like creeping plants or vineyards which referred to eternity in Christianity. The cross which is the most common symbol was illustrated with luminous radiance. Letters like the “Alfa” and the “Omega” appeared around the cross. These appeared also beside scenes from stories like in the life of Joseph, Abraham and Isaac as small decorative designs.

They illustrated the saints in the shape of men with long beards with halos round their heads. Saints were shown walking or riding horses different from pictures made by the Greeks and Romans. The Coptic saints are too many and there is difficulty in recognizing them became of the lack of characteristic features.

The art flourished in lower Egypt where the weather was suitable for manufacturing the linen textiles, beside the availability of linen there. Among the well known centers in this area were, Alexandria, Tanees [west of Port Said], Dileaq, Nowera, Ashmoneen, Shatte, Demera, Nasha, Dalas, Ashmoun and Babylon.

There were many center in upper Egypt known for the wool textile, namely in Antonowa [Sheik Abada], Assiut, Ekhmeem, Esna, Bahnasa and Fayoum.

Remnants of textiles were found in the tombs in abundance. The Coptic textile were colored nicely in coordinated styles, with lovable vivid scenes.

There is a section in the Coptic Museum for this particular art, which clearly shows the great progress achieved through the years between the early Coptic era to the seventh century.

The researchers and scholars from foreign countries didn’t give this subject much of their attention as they did for other arts. Unfortunately some of these textiles found their way to the black market through illegal traders and archeological hunters who receive stolen materials from unauthorized exhibitions. These people, cut what they have, into small pieces [to increase their gain], that made it more difficult to be traced to its origin. Currently, some merchants even give small pieces to their clients for free when they buy expensive artistic items. Through negligence and lack of registration on behalf of some earlier researchers, vagueness and ambiguity blurred the history of the Coptic textiles.

Since the Roman occupation in Egypt, one of the priorities to the Romans was to terminate what was Egyptian. This policy was done in a subtle way to taint Egypt with Roman behavior. They tried to change customs, behavior, heritage and traditions of the Egyptian people to convert them to be like the Romans. The Egyptians suffered much under such unfair policy and lived like strangers in their own country. They were given trifle and unimportant positions and every door was closed in their faces.

The excavation of the stones for buildings from the mountains was monopolized by the government and only used to build pagan temples. Egyptians were forbidden from excavation or cutting stones, but only they were permitted to use adobe stones along the river Nile. Occasionally they were permitted to burn or warm up these stones to covert it to clay that resists humidity so it could be used in the water closets and basements. The government used the excavated stones to build palaces for the rulers, councils and mayors, but any Egyptian who dared to disobey that order would be subject to severe punishment.

Egyptians who dared to declare their Christianity were whipped and persecuted, because pagan religion covered all Egypt. Earlier it was the ancient Egyptian religions till the Romans occupied Egypt for three hundred years. Christians were forced to hide in caves in the mountains to meet and assemble. No church was ever built in Egypt till Emperor Constantine granted the people a decree giving them the right to adopt whatever religion they chose. After this decree, churches in Egypt were built for the first time.

The Christians of Egypt were not the only people who suffered by the Romans, but Christianity as a whole all over the world did suffer for three hundred years, forcing all Christians to go underground. They used to meet in graveyards or at homes of people who took the risk of being arrested and punished when they were discovered.

Once the Christians became free to worship openly, they rushed to build churches and places where they can assemble. They converted Roman basilicas to become churches. A basilica used to be a palace with two wings and a main central hall and at its front there was a residence for the king or a ruler.

No doubt that the Romans had a lead in architectural art and they built basilicas to be used as hall of justice and trade centers, city halls and for residences for the rulers. Probably the oldest basilica was in Ashmoneen. At the beginning the building was rectangular in shape and the ceilings were carried by two or four rows of pillars along its longest axis.

Gradually Copts owned basilicas and converted them to churches after giving them some of their identity. They modified the buildings to their needs by adding a third wing, two rooms beside a semicircular altar and adding a section between the altar and the nave. Extra entrances were added particularly one on the east side and another on the west side, which were called “narthex”. At the beginning the building used to extend from north to south but later this was changed to be from the east to the west. In the late centuries churches added twelve domes, three over the alter and nine over the main body of the church. Every church had actually a specific feature and different types of domes.

Probably basilicas were the best gift the Egyptians inherited from the Romans and it became the nucleus for the churches. Early basilicas were influenced by some features from ancient Egyptian temples as seen in some of our monasteries. At the St. Shenouda Monastery, also known as the White Monastery, the Monastery of St. Bishay, known as the Red Monastery of Souhag, and the Dandara Church, inside the Hathor Temple, are some of these examples. In many ancient temples, the transverse cross section looked like a crucifix and some of them were carved in rocky mountains like the Ramses II Temple in Abu Simbel, Eibe in Thebes, the Greek Roman tomb in Sidi Gaber, Alexandria. They show the same design when compared on the drawing plan.

There are three archs in the building, one at the east, one at north and the third at the south similar to those found in the monasteries of Souhag and Ashmoneen. The ratio of the width to the length is 1:2 and the curvatures were omitted later, but the shape of the crucifix which became a symbol for the Christians was retained. The rectangular shape of the church was taken originally from the ancient temples and the tombs after adding some elements to it like the baptismal area and stairs. The Coptic artists continued to use the same designs unless the churches were carved in the rocks.

During periods of some relative tolerance, the Copts were able to build some churches with simple designs till they finally and officially were permitted to build churches under a decree given by Emperor Constantine, The old churches from early Christianity didn’t last very long except three, in the district of Old Cairo. One is the Suspending Church, “Al Muallaqah” which was built on one of the gates for a towers at the Babylon Castle. The second is the Church of Abu Sarga which is few meter below the surrounding ground. The third is the Church of St. Barbara. The three churches were built with a basilica style. Each one has its nave surrounded by two wings. In the Suspending Church there is an additional hall. In all of them the nave ends with three alters.

Although it was a basilica design, yet there is some resemblance to the ancient Egyptian temples. In the Temples, the hall with the pillars is divided and there is an altar at the end of the tomb with three funerary small chambers, occupying the width of the area. This design is similar to the design of the churches to some extend. They have architectural cross shaped openings or a circle with eight sides.

With the increase in the number of monks dwelling in the wilderness and with the improving conditions that began in the fourth century, they build cells for themselves modified to fit their needs. At the beginning they lived a hermit life then they adopted a sharing system and worshipped in one place. Originally a monastery began as a building divided into two components connected together. One component was the church and the other was their dining area, that was called “the table”. Monks used to live in isolated scattered cells over a along and wide areas of great distances, but on Saturdays and Sundays they come to worship and assemble together in these two buildings. Later cells became closer and nearer to each other and later high walls surrounded the whole area for protection against raids. This was designed by St. Bachumius, the father of monks who promoted the sharing system. From the middle of the fifth century the Archimandrite St. Shenouda stayed at the White Monastery near Souhag. He built a church with a basilica style that contained three patios and an altar, surrounded by high walls with entrances and exits similar to those in Egyptian temples. Inside the churches there were Greek inspired decorations. In the church’s alter there were two sets of niches one set above the other and carried by five small pillars.

Architectural art progressed rapidly than individual arts which later improved during the Coptic era.

As many churches were built in a short span, rapid development was observed together with the skill of the Coptic artists in architecture and the use of material, wood, bricks, marble and plaster. It is sad to report that this bright era didn’t continue for long. If they had a chance, they would have certainly exceeded and surpassed the buildings and churches of Europe.

FEATURES:

THE Coptic artist used all safety elements and adopted side entrances and obstructing walls to prepare the person before entering the church.

As a general rule, during the first era, probably not one single church had its entrance designed to face the altar directly. This was particularly true in the Nubian churches, where there was a square shaped dome, built above the entrance and separate walls similar to the Egyptian temples, separating the entrance from the path that used to lead to the holy place. The same was adopted in the basilica type church.

Copts were influenced by some Pharaonic methods of construction whenever they could. They progressed swiftly with their art during the ruling time of the Christian kings till periods of persecution caught them and then the progress stopped. That led to great shortage in the materials needed to express their Coptic styles and were forced to use ceilings and domes made from wood. The walls were covered with marble or plaster and were decorated in different ways.

The Coptic artist used stone, but he used bricks. On occasions big style stone was used together with thick walls like those found from the Pharaonic period. The walls in fact were double walls as is the case at St. Shenouda’s Monasteries or at Eprim palace in Nubia. The builders used the same old technique that was used in the Pharaonic era utilizing geared wooden pieces as those found at Dandara.

The Coptic artist loved to use pillars, steps and walls as a unit. The pillars were put in the churches without concern to their height. Each was put on a base to reach the desired height or by putting a converted crown for the same purpose. On occasions the pillars and the walls were made of thick bricks that the churches looked like fortified castles. Within the walls, blocks of wood were put and arranged at angles directed to the outside exactly like the old Pharaonic method. The walls were painted in white on the exterior and the interior and on occasions colored plaster was used.

The ceilings were different from the ceilings in the Egyptian temples. The Coptic artist abandoned the flat surface and used bricks to make domes and semi domes above the church ceiling.

The Coptic artist didn’t pay the attention their earlier Egyptian colleagues observed. They surrounded the church with high thick sloping walls similar to the Pharaonic temples leaving few openings and hollows at the top and making arches of Persian and Armenian styles.

This is a pure Coptic feature, meant to separate the altar from the external world and also to secure it and what it contains from intruders. This feature was very common in the churches in Nubia and Aswan as it was also a feature in the Egyptian temples

In the old churches the baptismal area was near the entrance. Ancient Pharaonic temples used to have a basin like area.

Symbolic figures were used representing the Triad, the seven days of creation, the Holy Spirit and the twelve apostles. In the middle ages the presence of the three alters were symbolic to the Holiest Triad.

Some alters were either carved totally or partially in the rocks a practice that was definitely taken from the ancient Egyptian temples.

Windows and openings were present in the upper parts of the walls or the domes. Originally this was a Pharaonic tradition to get the heavenly light into the holy places and also to give somewhat dim light to give an effect to the place.

The Coptic artist was also influenced by the Pharaonic and Persian crowns when he created the Coptic crown. This is obvious when you compare them in Mariut and in the Jeremiah Monastery in Saqqara which look like the Corinthian pillar with an added cross.

Sometimes the Copts used a head of an embossed horned animal being influenced by the ancient Pharaonic architecture.

There is a Pharaonic cornice on the top of the exterior in St. Shenouda Monastery, the white monastery, and St. Bishay Monastery, the red monastery in Souhag. The door steps looked also Pharaonic.

The windows were usually opened towards internal yards and when they were directed to the outside they were made from wood or stones. Also they were similar to the Pharaonic openings but the Copts added the cross with some different designs.

Some arches and vaults appeared above the hollow areas in the Monastery of Abu Yehnes, east of Malawi, which were influenced by the Greek and Roman art in Egypt and Pompeii.

The stairs were either within the cellar or at the back of the vault and were made of bricks. Stairs were known during the Pharaonic and the Roman periods, but became common in the Coptic era.

Most of the stairs were made from stone and had more than one platform. At the St. Shenouda Monastery, there are two platforms in the stairs, the same as in Dandara, Idfu and other places.

In the Monastery of St. Jeremiah in Saqqara and the St. Shenouda in Souhag there are stairs made in one piece, on the top of which there is a chair on a platform, like a throne for a Pharaonic king and which also very is similar to the Islamic pulpit.

Churches built in the middle and upper Egypt were better designed than those in lower Egypt. Many of them were made of abode bricks that were not capable to stand for long years.. The remnants of the few left showed some embossed carvings as the one at the Nile water scale at El Roha in Giza.

The churches in monasteries had a different fate, as they were surrounded by long walls which helped in preserving them, besides they were in the desert. These churches gave us a fair idea about the art features of these periods. The church of St. Jeremiah in Saqqara, near old Memphis, the Church of St. Abu Lollu in Bawit and another church at Dandara Pharaonic temple near Kena are some examples of that period. The one in Bawit has a simple design and its nave and altar were with simple too,. as an extension to its long axis, however in churches with more length as the case in the churches in Saqqara and Dandara most probably they had a basilica design with three [principal church areas] and triangular altar with three niches. The Saqqara church has a wide entrance and on each side there are three doors on its east side that lead to the main church in the same directions of the doors. Three other doors lead to three rooms.

The same modifications were noticed inside the monasteries which were raided by the Bedouins despite the surrounding high walls. The determination and perseverance of the monastic life were always factors in rebuilding what was destroyed. Among the monks there was always a sense of freedom from the rulers. The monasteries in Wadi Al Natrun were repeatedly destroyed between the fourth and the fifth centuries by some particular tribes, but they were rebuilt again in the ninth century to their previous conditions, even after they were re-raided again by the Berbers.

In the external oasis there are small churches which belong to later periods and were built around the churches of the fourth century surrounded with high walls with arches looked that looked like a chain and very similar to that of Al Akhidar Islamic palace in Iraq, of the ninth century. This style resembled the general architectural trend in building consecutive chains of arches.

With the destruction that occurred in monasteries during these times and the disappearance of these churches made it difficult for the researchers to follow the progress of the Coptic art. The previous features were enough to suggest that it progressed in the later periods.

The study of the Coptic art, including architecture was neglected to a large extend by the researchers, and most of the Coptic works found in the Pharaonic temples didn’t receive much attention compared to the Pharaonic illustrations.

Most of the churches in Egypt during the middle ages were destroyed for reasons that we have no place to discuss at this time. However we still have some remnants from these Coptic churches which were scattered all along Egypt that there was a saying in the fifth century that when the bells of the churches in Alexandria ring at one particular time, with the bells of the nearby churches, the bells would be heard along the whole Nile valley up to Aswan.

At our present time there is a significant interest in the Coptic architectural art. His Holiness Pope Shenouda III and His Grace Bishop Samuel, Bishop of Shebeen El Kanater have unsurpassed concern for the contemporary art. With the encouragement of H. H. the pope and effort of the H. G. the bishop, important studies for our Coptic architectural heritage were achieved. Many churches were discovered and registered and we have wealth of publications dealing with Coptic architectural antiquities and the influence of the Pharaonic art on the Coptic. Among these books, some deal with architecture in Coptic Egypt and many of the monasteries and ancient churches. These are some of the fruits achieved through the activities of the Department of Architecture at the Coptic Institute in Cairo, chaired by H.G. Bishop Samuel..

THE GLASS ART

Manufacturing of glass in Egypt didn’t mach the fame seen with other types of art. However the Egyptian beads, made from glass were well known and widely used in the ancient world.

During the later centuries many cups, pots and pitchers carrying beautiful decorations in different colors with turquoise background were found and currently displayed in the Metropolitan Museum in New York, USA.

During the time of King Ekhnaton, there was an upsurge in the production of glass in different colored with distinct purity, glow and smoothness, made with dexterity and from the right materials. They excelled and its products filled all the markets of the Middle East.

Many containers, from the sixth to the third centuries BC., of different forms and colors are shown in both the New York and the British Museums.

Other vessel models were made from mosaic glass in Alexandria, in the second and first centuries BC. From the sixth century AD. on, a new type of containers known as “Alabastron” was created which looked like a small glass bottle and found its way fast to the cities in the Mediterranean basin and then to Europe. The shape of these vessels was modified during the early centuries and acquired beautiful decorations that looked like bird feathers.

Thebes, Tel El Amarna and Al Ashmoneen were known to be manufacturing centers Alexandria. Later Alexandria became the top center among the Egyptian cities and one of the most important centers in the world.

Pomponius Mela, a historian wrote about a statue made from black glass that was created by the Egyptians. Pliny, a second century scientist wrote about a thirteen and half feet statue of the god Sirapis, in the temple of Amon also about a basket, both were made in green emerald color.

During the Ptolemy Dynasty, Athanius, a historian described nicely the tables which were made of glass on the occasion to celebrate the festivities of the god Dionius, god of wine. These tables were inlaid with gold.

It is interesting and enchanting to mention that the credit for the success of this art in Alexandria went to the Egyptians as well as to the Jews. The Romans appreciated the models made in Alexandria and were keen to possess some of the wonderful pieces. Some of these vessels even reached England and Scandinavia.

Glass reached Rome in the early period of Christianity, through the Egyptians of Alexandria.