Coptic Egypt

By Naguib Mahfouz

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At Christmas it is good to remember the Coptic period of Egyptian history. Compared to the ancient or Islamic periods, the Coptic era is quite short -- a mere transition, in fact.

Yet it is massively important, proving that the Egyptian spirit never dies. Coptic Egypt was the national answer to the Roman occupation, which was rejected by the people even though it endured for a long time. Instead Egyptians adopted a religion distinctly different from the Roman faith, enduring massive hardships and horrors in order to do so. Copts are the people who preserved the spirit of Ancient Egypt, which is why the Coptic era is the link between ancient and modern Egyptian history.

It was only when Islam reached the country that Egyptians were freed from Roman oppression, and Islam entered into the Egyptian consciousness. The first pillars of Islam in Egypt were those Copts who converted; even the Coptic church eventually adopted the Arabic tongue as its official language, when it became the people's.

Christmas brings to mind early visits to Coptic monuments, which remain very close to my heart. Had my health permitted it, I would have gone back to them to mark the occasion.

* Based on an interview by Mohamed Salmawy.