Egypt unveiled Coptic City, which became the center of early Christianity
According to the country’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the city’s history dates back to the Copties period from the third to the 7th century and has been unearthed in Kharga Oasis in western Egypt.
The discovery, announced last week, was produced by the government’s top antiquities council’s archaeological team. Among the bodies found are muddy houses, graves, churches and murals depicting Jesus Christ healing the sick. The researchers also found large clay jars that were once used to store grains and food, as well as ovens, pottery, glass and stone artifacts, and burial sites.
The largest building on site are two churches. One is designed in the style of a cathedral, with a central hall with side aisles. The second, smaller and rectangular, contains the inner wall with Coptic inscriptions.
Although the surviving structure dates back to the Coptic era, the ministry said the site was during the Ptolemaic period when it first settled in Egypt in the 3rd century BC. Over the next few centuries it grew into a city and became an early center of Christian life as the region transitioned from the pagan beliefs. In later times, many buildings from the Ptolemaic and early Roman periods were reused.
“This discovery reflects the richness and diversity of ancient Egyptian civilizations in a critical and influential historical period,” Egyptian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy said in a statement. He added that this “enhances the understanding of Egypt’s period of religious transformation and highlights the tolerance, cultural and religious diversity of Egyptian civilizations.”
Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary General of the Supreme Ancient Physics Council, emphasized the importance of Egypt’s western oasis as “the center of religious and social life in various eras.”
