Under the theme "A Marvelous Christmas Tale," the Coptic Museum, in Cairo, organizes an exhibition that showcases 13 unique artifacts from its collection, including manuscripts, icons and rare Coptic art pieces.
The one-month exhibition displays metal, textile and wooden antiquities, highlighting rare and diverse Nativity scenes, the Coptic Museum’s Director-General Gihan Atef said.
Among the exhibits are an icon depicting the Annunciation of the Angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary at the birth of Jesus Christ, a manuscript of the Four Gospels in Arabic and a bronze censer decorated with scenes representing various events from the life of Jesus Christ, including the scenes of the Annunciation and the Nativity. Additionally, there is a manuscript of the Synaxarium in Arabic, illustrating the days of fasting and feasts, with prayers read in church; it also contains the commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ on the 29th of Kiahk.
The exhibition features a rare icon depicting various scenes from the life of Saint Nicholas, known as Santa Claus, according to s statement from the exhibition.
Atef Awad, professor of architecture and Coptic studies at the Franciscan Centre for Oriental Studies, sees that selecting these exhibits is really convenient in the time of Christmas. “The Coptic art is an ancient art and an extension of the arts of Ancient Egypt. It’s found abundantly in textiles and can also be seen in carved woodworks, such as one that depicts the entrance of Jesus Christ to Jerusalem on a donkey,” he told “Asharq Al-Awsat.” Awad said the “Annunciation icon is of a great value.”
The Coptic Museum was founded by Marcus Simaika Pasha, in 1910, to support the studies on the history of Christianity in Egypt. It is located inside the Hanging Church, in the Babylon Fortress, in Old Cairo.
Stretching over an area of 8,000 meters, the museum was reopened with the Hanged Church in 1998. It includes around 16,000 pieces distributed on 12 divisions and assorted chronologically.
The Coptic studies professor spoke about other collectibles in the museum, including “the museum’s logo, the joined crescent and cross, as well as Papal crowns and metallic shiny glasses that were widely used in the Fatimid era.” Awad also mentioned other icons linked to the Egyptian history, including The Key of Life, which represents Jesus Christ in the Christian and Coptic arts.
