Coptic Life in Egypt

While a number of photographic books on Egypt’s Christians have concentrated on the artistic and architectural heritage of the Copts, Coptic Life in Egypt focuses on the religious traditions and social life of the ordinary people, revealing a little-known side of the lived religion of a Christian community largely unfamiliar to the Western world. The book is divided into seven chapters; each begins with a short introductory text giving the background on customs, traditions, and beliefs captured so vividly in the photographs that follow. People in Egypt like to display their religious beliefs: in every store, juice bar, ironing shop, or commercial establishment run by Copts, tokens of Christianity are on exhibit. And for many Copts, their religion is a very large part of their lives, finding expression, for example, in their passionate attendance at mulids and pilgrimages, which draw thousands of people. Mulids are one of the best examples of how social life is combined with religious life, how religious devotion is fused with fun and joy: a family may have a baby baptized and then enjoy a ride on one of the merry-go-rounds; they may make supplications to a saint then have a picnic or enjoy a cotton candy. This vibrant book of lively photographs is a window onto a colorful and intriguing world.